Bower Books – The Person I Marry

 Books and Writing, Homeschool, Reviews  No Responses »
Nov 082011
 

Photobucket

It’s not often anymore that Chey and I take the time to curl up with picture books. At nine, she’s mostly outgrown it and moved on to chapter books, and though once in a while we’ll read one aloud, most of the time, it’s each to their own favorite novels.

We recently read a story together, though, that has me missing those evenings, tucked under a cuddly blanket with a book or five, talking about the books, what we liked, what we didn’t, and what our favorite pictures were. (Side note: we actually viewed an ebook version, not the hardcover that’s publicly available – so while we were restricted to cuddling up with the computer, you’ll have no such worries when you have the actual text in hand.)

The Person I Marry, written by Gary Bower, is illustrated with intricately detailed oil paintings created by his wife, Jan Bower. Dedicated to their twelve children,  the Bowers have created a special book with an appeal for all ages, and a reminder to “take a hard look’ before you “leap”. In this age of shallow focus on materials things, it’s a gentle reminder of all the qualities that can make a marriage last for decades, a true promise of “til death do us part”.

There’s something in the cadence of the poetry that puts me in mind of Twas the Night Before Christmas. It flows so fluidly it’s a joy to read aloud, and the vivid images look like the children we know, read to step right off the page into our lives – and their future.

For most people, deciding who to marry will be the single most improtant decision they’ll make in their entire lives, and as such, it should be given the most careful consideration of all.

It’s easy to be led astray by the shiny flashy things and charming words, but what our children really need to learn is to look beyond all that glitter and seek the real person within.

The Person I Marry is a roadmap with explicit direcitons to a lifetime of love and laughter – and what better time to begin to prepare our children for future joy than in a children’s book?

By impression these priorities of the character qualities that are truly valuable in a lifemate, we can guide our children to seek these things in themselves and they come in contact with, and in doing so, our children will be much more prepared than the average person for the challenges of friendships, relationships, and eventually, families of their own.

Check out the video below for samples of the gorgeous artwork inside The Person I Marry… even though there are horses on other pages, Chey’s favorite is the fishing pic!

The Person I Marry from Bower Books on Vimeo.

The Person I Marry is available in hardcover for just $11.99 from the Bower Books website. The Bowers have also created numerous other titles, including three other titles in the Bright Future series, The Jingle in My Pocket, There’s a Party in Heaven, and What Do Heroes Wear?

To see what other crew members had to say, check out the TOS Homeschool Crew blog post, Bower Books.

**I received this product for free as a member of the 2011-12 The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew so that I could provide you with an honest review of it by our family.**

Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids

 Homeschool  No Responses »
Sep 052011
 

Photobucket

During the spring and early summer of this year, I spent a lot of time considering what our life might now be like if I had left the kids in public school… and how very grateful I am that I was led to homeschooling.

Midsummer came, and with it car troubles, house troubles, financial troubles, grumpy 13-yr-old troubles. I found myself second-guessing things. Finances would be simpler if I put the kids in school. I could work more hours. Afford payments on a car. Not have to wonder how I was going to buy curriculum.

Mentally, I remain 110% committed to homeschooling. We’re fortunate to be surrounded by people who support our homeschooling and recognize the positive impact it has made on the kids. I’m continually reminded what a blessing homeschooling has been to our family.

Still, emotionally, I was struggling. When is it my turn to choose the easy way out? I’ve spent 15+ years being mom, and doing what my kids *need*, regardless of what I *want*. Every choice I make is based on what is best for them. Sometimes, I wonder if there is even any of ME left at all… or if I’d recognize myself if I saw her!

Into this maestrom arrived a sturdy, 200-page hardbound book, How To Have A H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids by Rachael Carman. I’d previously read the introductary chapter online. (Click on “sample chapter”. Also available is the table of contents.)

Centered on one mom’s Christ-led journey of faith, parenting, and homeschooling, Have a H.E.A.R.T. is a guide to rejuvenating your commitment to your family. It doesn’t matter where you are along the path, you’ll find that the suggestions will apply to your own life.

As a divorced single mom, I felt a bit silly as I started reading the chapter “Enrich Your Marriage”. It’s a little late for that, right? Granted, I’m in a relationship these days, but when the kids are just mine, and already half to three-quarters grown, the dynamics are different.

Despite my disassociation with the main topic, I was surprised to find that a passage in this chapter is the one that most strongly resonates with me. There’s a couple of paragraphs that discuss “living the marriage out loud”… to simplify, do our actions, and what we’re showing people outside, fit what we want to exemplify? Are our actions those that we want our children to emulate? Despite the focus on marriage here, that line of thought has some pretty strong applications in all that we do. Who we are, and what we model, no matter whether we are at home, or out in our community, is vital to what our children are learning from us.

I was surprised to find that this book is one that I want close by – it’s in the stack with my bible and a few other titles that I reach for when I’m seeking answers. It isn’t quite a reference, so much as it is a guide to self. There is so much here that I’m finding something new each time I open it.

Christianity is so interwined with the story, it’s not possible to separate it, and that is both is both its greatest strength and my deepest regret.

I have friends, fellow homeschool moms, that I would absolutely LOVE to share this book with… and due to religious differences, it wouldn’t be well received.

I get it, I really do – this is a book written by a Christian, for other Christians, published by a Christian publisher – it is what it is.

Yet the challenges described in these pages are universal; however illogical it may be, I still wish that there was a non-denominational version so that the wisdom within was available to all.

We start our 7th year homeschooling next week. How To Have A H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids will remain in my “bag of tricks” to get me through the year.

How To Have A H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids, available from Apologia, is just $13. For other titles from Apologia, check out my reviews of What We Believe, Vol 1: Who Is God? and Read For The Heart.

To see what other crew members had to say about this product, check out the TOS Homeschool Crew blog post, Apologia–How to Have a H.E.A.R.T. For Your Kids.

**I received this product for free as a member of the 2011-12 The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew so that I could provide you with an honest review of it by our family.**

Faith-based fiction: The Chronicles of Peleg

 Homeschool, Reviews  No Responses »
Oct 012010
 

Photobucket

I admit it. In our house, we generally read for pure entertainment. It would be stretching the truth to claim anything less. It’s pretty difficult to become an avid reader if you don’t actually enjoy reading.

For the real book addicts, though, we’ll try pretty much anything once. My dad is like that. I once caught him reading a category romance that I’d picked up in a 3 for $1 bin – he’d run out of reading material. Reading straight the dictionary or an encyclopedia, same difference: those were normal in the house I grew up in. Read, regardless of what it is. And he passed that trait on to me.

Didn’t realize until this last month just how much of that my children have inherited. Sure, my teen will randomly read children’s books, and my 10-yr-old likes the encyclopedia, but since I’ve worked so hard to keep a (very) large variety of typical children’s books in the house, I just don’t see it often among my children.

So we have fantasy, we have mystery, we have a little bit of everything mainstream – mainstream is plentiful, and easy to pick up used copies cheaply.

Faith-based fiction, though – people tend to keep. And it is often from smaller publishing houses, making the price a little higher, and the public reach a little less. All of these  combine to mean that we have very little faith-based fiction in our house… and I hadn’t even noticed the lack.

Sure, there are many titles that encourage good character, but few that exemplify daily life in a faith.

So when we had the opportunity to review Foundlings, book 1 of The Chronicles of Peleg, I asked my older children to read it, uncertain of what their reaction might be. An average-length paperback novel, it offers an intriguing cover that aroused curiosity while we waited our turn.

Aimed at middle grades based on the difficulty level, but appropriate for all ages, Foundlings rightly claims to offer a historical adventure without magic, evolution, or humanism.

My children are comfortable with books that include a myriad of ideas – I desire them to be able to discern the truth for themselves, and as such, believe they must have some experience of learning how to do so. Oddly enough, though, due to publishing’s vagaries and my lack of funds, I’d neglected to provide them with the opposite – books that unashamedly present faith without any allegorical trappings.

We all loved the story, the adventure – but the one thing that keep coming up during our discussion afterwards was how, in the words of my oldest, it was “too bright and shiny, almost blinding in its show of faith”.

I really struggled with what they were trying to tell me.

The conclusion that we finally came to was that while the story itself is fantastic, they felt that at times, the constant reminder of the “purpose” of the book was distracting, a bit more then necessary.

Another way this message came across was during our discussion of who we might recommend the book to. The kids heartily agreed that they would offer it to friends that they know are believers, but that they would be hesitant to recommend it to those who were not.

It’s perfect as a fun, yet quality, read for those of faith. It’s a fantastic read.

As a tool for outreach, I can’t recommend it. Used as an initial introduction to faith, the front-and-center status of religion without much background information would be coming on too strong for many.

And if you children are like mine, under-exposed to faith-based books, expect a bit of puzzlement along with their enjoyment. And plan to include books in the future, like book 2, Paladins, that address both faith and entertainment value.

Foundlings, The Chronicles of Peleg, Book 1 may be purchased from Zoe and Sozo Publishing for $11.95. The second book in the series, Paladins, is also available for the same price.

To see what other crew members had to say about this product, check out the TOS Homeschool Crew blog post, Zoe and Sozo Publishing.

**I received this product for free as a member of the 2010-11 The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew so that I could provide you with an honest review of it by our family.**

Homeschool Crew – Travel The World Schoolhouse Planner Module

 Homeschool  3 Responses »
Jul 192010
 

Photobucket

Travel the WorldThe Homeschool Crew has set sail, searching for great new products to share with other homeschoolers. Homeschool Crew members are provided with products for free in order to share them with you. You’ll always have my honest opinion, so jump on in and explore with me! Our first stop is at The Old Schoolhouse...

If you’re looking for a fun unit study on geography, the June 2010 module of the Schoolhouse Planner, Travel The World, might be the way to go. More of a general overview then an in-depth study, this activity-based ebook has 50 pages with a variety of materials, including worksheets, lapbook printables, maps, copywork, and a plethora of links.

Designed to be used by the whole family at once, most of the worksheets are appropriate for late grade school or middle school, though my older student enjoyed them due to the puzzle-style content. The “high school expansion” section could be also be used with younger children.

It’s economical: most printables are in black & white, so a copy can be made for each student, but the “text” portion of the book is in color, sometimes with multiple images per page, so we just printed one for everyone to share.

Additional items that will be helpful to have on hand:

  • Computer with internet access for kids to use for reference and game/quiz links
  • Globe or world maps
  • Geography book with regional description information
  • Encyclopedia

Activity rather then lesson-based, it’s very flexible; do each part straight through, or pick and choose, it’s up to you. I provided the kids with all the materials at once, and let them decide what order to work in. That spread resource use out enough that we didn’t have a line of children all stuck while waiting to use the same item, always a potential stumbling block in our house.

Adaptable to any learning or teaching style, it worked well for us with a bit of light guidance and direction. Mine are fairly comfortable with researching a given topic and finding information for lapbooks. I did find myself wishing that lapbook parts had been included specifically to go along with the vocabulary worksheets. Nowhere in the activities were the meanings of those words used or discussed, and we ended up creating our own booklets with that information.

An abundance of quality links; many were added to the kids’ resource and game bookmarks for future use. Some will provide the most benefit by returning occasionally over time.

Preparation time is minimal; printing materials and gathering resources. Teaching time will depend on the particular students involved, and could range from minimal with older students to intensive with younger students who aren’t able to effectively research yet.

Individual reactions: We enjoy unit studies, but this one was a bit more broad-spectrum then we’re used to. It highlights the main points of geography, which would work well as an introduction or a refresher, rather then for complete understanding. My older students felt the worksheets were “easy”, but still enjoyed participating, thanks to the puzzle-style worksheets. (And they’re always happy to do anything cut-and-paste or on the computer.) My detail-oriented, perfectionist 5th grader also caught an error on the fill-in-the-blanks page, #3, that none of his siblings did. That required some mom-intervention to figure out what the answer was actually supposed to be.

Don’t be mislead by the title - my initial expectation, was that the theme would be something “fluffy” related to summertime travel or vacation time, perhaps common places and activities that people go and do. Instead, I found a hefty amount of solid geography material with a wide selection of ideas to choose from.

Travel the World is may be purchased from The Old Schoolhouse for $7.95. New modules are available each month as add-ons to the Schoolhouse Planner, but it’s not necessary to have the planner to make use of the modules; each module is a stand-alone unit study.

To see what other crew members had to say about this product, check out the TOS Homeschool Crew blog post, TOS – Travel the World E-Book (June 2010).

**I received this product for free as a member of the 2010-11 The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew so that I could provide you with an honest review of it by our family.**

June Module spread

Sailing with the TOS Homeschool Crew

 Homeschool  1 Response »
May 212010
 

This week has been full of bad news, so I was very pleased to check my email this afternoon and discover that our family has been selected for the 2010-11 Homeschool Crew! Organized by The Old Schoolhouse, members of the crew will be reviewing products during the year.

This is the third voyage for the Homeschool Crew, and this year, the set-up is just a little bit different. Participants will be split into two groups: K-6 and 7-12. With grades 9, 7, 5, and 3 in the house, we’re with the older group.