Evening, friends.
If my day would have gone as planned I would be on a bus approaching Joplin, Missouri at this very moment.
But, my days seldom go as planned.
I am in the corner of my cozy couch in the parsonage wearing my worn out nightie.
I won't go into the hairy details, but I have a little beef with Greyhound and my husband loves Jesus more than me. At least he acts like Jesus better than me.
I might have wished in-grown toenails on a few folks.
We are trying for Act 2 tomorrow, in which Beke and her boy, Josiah try once again to catch the 1:45 bus to St. Louis and then to parts southwest.
Do any of you remember that awful video of the physician being carried off the plane in protest because his seat was commandeered by the airline? I'm not suggesting that he behaved in a mature and appropriate manner, but I now understand how FRUSTRATED this man must have felt.
Not that you would have ever caught me making such a scene. We don't do "scenes" in our family. Unless some kind of Broadway show tune happens across our playlist. Or they start playing "Play that Funky Music White Boy" over the grocery store speakers.
Speaking of that...I don't think our little grocery store here in town plays in sort of music over their speakers. What is up with that? Do they not understand what they are missing? People are happier when they hear peppy music. Happy people spend more money. And think of all the teenage boys that are failing to be humiliated when their moms start busting a move in the middle of the canned goods.
Back to the business at hand (i.e. my rant)...
How do you do when your well-placed plans go awry?
I used to do better. But then again, I seldom have had much work out the way I thought it should. I should be an old hand at this by now. In my defense, ever since our big move last September I feel like Indiana has conspired against me.
I can't blame Indiana as a whole. We really have beautiful and supportive people around us. Our church folks treat us with such care. And most of the time we all try and act like Jesus.
Anyhoo.
I had planned to take pictures of the whole adventure, but it's probably a good thing I was too irritated to whip out my phone camera. Not to mention I had wasted all of my battery on checking the nifty little Greyhound bus tracker.
Lies! All lies!
Anyhoo.
This too shall pass.
In the meantime, I decided to up the ante by putting a few more books in the travel bag and adding a few more treats to our snack cooler. Doing this in faith!
I'll keep you up to date.
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Literature Lightning! (Homeschool Review Crew)
We (heart) books. One of
my favorite parts about homeschooling is that we can weave our days around our
favorite books. They become friends. Recently, we had the opportunity to review
Gr 8 Lighting Literature Set from Hewitt Homeschooling.
Hewitt Homeschooling has
been around a while. Their literature
programs strive to help students deepen their love for literature and improve
their writing skills.
I received:
Lightning Lit & Comp:
Eighth Grade Literature & Composition Workbook
Lightning Lit & Comp:
Eighth Grade Literature & Composition Student’s Guide
Lightning Lit & Comp:
Eighth Grade Literature & Composition Teacher’s Guide
This set covers the
following:
Selections from Stories and Poems for Extremely Intelligent
Children
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
A Day of Pleasure by Issac B. Singer
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
You can purchase the
whole set on the website. I was supplied Stories and Poems for Extremely
Intelligent Children for this review and have many of the books already at
home. In fact, it was the selection of literature that really drew me into the
program.
Let me tell you how it
works.
I initially began by
reading through the notes included in the Teacher’s Guide. This was so helpful.
It explains the different components of each study. It also talks about the
importance of reading. I particularly liked this one.
To revel in the beauty,
elegance, and surprises that only great writers can regularly coax from
language.
I love this! There is
also a section on the importance of writing. It is an excellent article. I
truly appreciate the attitude that while we certainly want our students to
enjoy the writing process, not every assignment or process needs to be “ha-ha”
fun.
We need to learn to write to express ourselves and our thoughts more
intelligently. On the other hand we don’t want the process to be painful. It
can be enjoyable.
A practical Weekly
Planning Schedule is included in the Teacher’s Guide for those of us who need a
plan. The rest of the Teacher’s Guide are answers to the exercises and
activities located in the Student materials.
The Student Guide
contains the following with every Chapter.
·
an introduction to what
is being read
·
while you read
·
a vocabulary list
·
comprehension questions
·
literary lesson
·
a variety of mini-lessons
·
writing exercises
The Student Workbook is a
consumable workbook. There are a variety of activities with each lesson. For
example, there are grammar exercises, crossword puzzles, story analysis, and
more. There will be different activities
with each Chapter.
I have talked about this
before. Josiah is dyslexic and we generally take turns reading any materials
that aren’t reading instruction. As he has gotten older and his reading has
improved I have been able to assign him reading selections daily.
That being said, the
majority of reading for this product has been a read aloud or will be an audio
book. We first started with Chapter One: “A Crazy Tale” by G.K. Chesterson from
Stories & Poems for Extremely Intelligent Children. This chapter talks
about the author’s purpose, writing with purpose and included grammatical exercises
with capitalization and apostrophes.
The workbook contains exercise
that allow Josiah to determine the purpose of an article. Is it to inform? Or Persaude,
describe, or explore? He also had to edit a magazine article for capitalization
and apostrophe errors. This was a GREAT exercise for Josiah to do. His emails
and texts are always sans punctuation/capitalization. He feels like they are an
optional part of written communication.
The Student Guide for
this lesson talks about those topics mentioned above in length. There is a good
mini-lesson on taking notes..which is one of the hints given in the Teacher’s
Guide for helping kids while they read.
Many of the other
Chapters center on whole novels…which I love! I am not a fan of picking out
bits and pieces of books to teach. However, the authors of the curriculum do
focus on a specific literary subject. For example, the Treasure Island chapter
talks about the setting of a story. There are also vocabulary words and
discussion questions for each chapter.
This is a great
Literature program. I love the choice of literature used and I LOVE the idea of
using these great works to teach writing. This is a program that Josiah and I
have to work through together. However, I think that most students will be able
to handle it independently with some parental involvement. Though I can’t
imagine why. I’ve enjoyed our literature
classes and I look forward to using it on into the next school year.
You can connect with Hewitt Homeschooling via the following social media outlets. You can read more reviews by clicking on the banner below.
You can connect with Hewitt Homeschooling via the following social media outlets. You can read more reviews by clicking on the banner below.
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HewittHomeschooling
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/hewittonline
- Pinterest: https://au.pinterest.com/hewittonline/
- Google+: https://plus.google.com/118179952485411291615
Earth Science (Homeschool Review Crew)
I need to tell you about we've been reviewing as of late. Earth Science: God's World, Our Home by Novare Science & Math.
Science. In college I only took what I needed to. I had little interest in the "whys" of things...rather, I enjoyed reading about the "whos" and "what-fors." The only science course I enjoyed was a course entitled "Science for Teachers." In this class, our instructor filled our class times with unique hands-on experiences that we could pass along to our future students. Considering my own science classroom experiences had been a mixed bag, I knew that science should be exciting and challenging.
I do have a son who is naturally curious about the order of things. This means that any science curriculum I use in our homeschool needs to be user-friendly and uncomplicated. Cause if you start using big “sciency” words and don’t explain things in real people terms, I start day dreaming. Seriously. That being said, I don’t want a watered down science curriculum. The boy has the right to know how things really work.
Science. In college I only took what I needed to. I had little interest in the "whys" of things...rather, I enjoyed reading about the "whos" and "what-fors." The only science course I enjoyed was a course entitled "Science for Teachers." In this class, our instructor filled our class times with unique hands-on experiences that we could pass along to our future students. Considering my own science classroom experiences had been a mixed bag, I knew that science should be exciting and challenging.
I do have a son who is naturally curious about the order of things. This means that any science curriculum I use in our homeschool needs to be user-friendly and uncomplicated. Cause if you start using big “sciency” words and don’t explain things in real people terms, I start day dreaming. Seriously. That being said, I don’t want a watered down science curriculum. The boy has the right to know how things really work.
Novare Earth Science was written by Kevin Nelstead. His science
credentials are (thankfully) much better than mine. He has cool degrees like a
B.A. in Earth Science and a M.S. in Geology. He also worked in a variety of scientific
capacities for the US Federal Government.
Earth Science is intended for middle school students and is a
mastery program. It is also used by some well-known homeschooling companies.
Memoria Press (whom I have reviewed for frequently) uses Novare Science with
some of their online classes.
Chapter 1: Earth in Space
Chapter 2: Visualizing Earth
Chapter 3: Thinking about Earth
Chapter 4: Matter and Minerals
Chapter 5: Rocks and the Rock Cycle
Chapter 6: Plate Tectonics and Mountain Building
Chapter 7: Volcanoes and Earthquakes
Chapter 8: Weathering, Erosion, and Soils
Chapter 9: Surface Water and Groundwater
Chapter 10: Landforms
Chapter 11: Unraveling Earth History
Chapter 12: Oceanography
Chapter 13: The Atmosphere
Chapter 14: Weather
Chapter 15: Climate and Air Pollution
Along with the textbook I received resources that are
included the Earth Science: God’s World, Our Home Resource CD.
These resources include:
- Quizzes
- Tests
- Answer Keys
- Experiments with Instructions
- Weekly Review Guides
- Sample Course Schedule
- Additional Resources to use with the Course
How We Used
It
Before I get into the nuts and bolts of the thing, you might
need to know that while the curriculum is written from a Christian viewpoint,
it emphasizes an Old Earth perspective. This didn’t concern me much. I am not
sure what I exactly believe, but I believe that we need to teach our kids a
variety of perspectives and theories. Some of those perspectives don’t line up
with my view of creation, but I think that we need to be aware of different
theories. My concern is that Josiah knows his Creator and has a personal
relationship with his Savior.
Now that I’ve stood on my soap box a bit, I will tell you
about Earth Science and the philosophy by which it was written. The author believes that science education should focus on 3 core principles. Mastery, Integration and Kingdom Perspective. Most science education programs focus on what the author calls the "Cram-Pass-Forget cycle." Earth Science goes deeper into fewer topics. The students are challenged and encouraged to dig deep.
Other content areas are emphasized in Earth Science. Students are expected to learn the Scientific process, integrate mathematics and write intelligently about what they are learning. I also found the ideas of Kingdom Perspective to be thoughtful and enriching. Interjecting a few Scripture verses in the middle of a science lecture does not explain the wonder of our Creator and His Creation.
Now on to more of the content. Because I had access to the Resource CD, I first started by reading the Recommendations for Teaching the Course. The author recommends teaching the course with a group of students (such as a co-op), but gives plenty of recommendations for the single student learning at home. I absolutely love all of the enriching ideas given to punch up Science class up a notch. For example, ideas for field trips, class discussion methods and student projects are all given. I also like the idea of tying in the science discussion to current events of the day. Are there any hurricanes, eclipses, meteor showers presently? All good stuff. Not the natural disasters, obviously.
Because Josiah is dyslexic, I have made it a practice to take turns reading with him any lessons that don’t actually “teach” reading. This means that we read the text of Earth Science together. This gave us opportunity to discuss certain things as we went along. There is a sample schedule included in the Resource CD, but I felt it was too vigorous for us. Not that the reading was long and overwhelming, it’s just that there were rabbit trails that our studies would take us. We had a hard time keeping up with the recommended schedule. This could be because we ATE UP all of the additional resources that were recommended. We had to look up all the videos and images. Both Josiah and I are visual and we had a lot of fun digging in.
I do need to tell you that this is NOT light and fluffy science. It is challenging. We had to read and read again. There are plenty of ways to mark progress and stay on task. There are weekly review guides and plenty of exams included in the Resource CD.
The book itself isn't one of those cumbersome, massive textbooks. It's nicely sized and filled with illustrations and pictures.
If you have a student like my Josiah I don't think it could be one he or she could manage on their own. He might be naturally curious, but he is also limited in the manner in which he can gather certain kinds of information. That being said, this is the kind of curriculum that I KNOW is trustworthy and smart. I wouldn't worry about any gaps!
Before I leave you I want to point you to a resource I wish I could have received in addition to Earth Science. This Science for Every Teacher would be warmly welcomed into our homeschool library. Check it out!
You can connect with Novare Science & Math via the following social media outlets. Don't forget to click on the banner below to read more reviews. Members of the Crew reviewed other Science curriculums from Novare Science & Math.
Other content areas are emphasized in Earth Science. Students are expected to learn the Scientific process, integrate mathematics and write intelligently about what they are learning. I also found the ideas of Kingdom Perspective to be thoughtful and enriching. Interjecting a few Scripture verses in the middle of a science lecture does not explain the wonder of our Creator and His Creation.
Now on to more of the content. Because I had access to the Resource CD, I first started by reading the Recommendations for Teaching the Course. The author recommends teaching the course with a group of students (such as a co-op), but gives plenty of recommendations for the single student learning at home. I absolutely love all of the enriching ideas given to punch up Science class up a notch. For example, ideas for field trips, class discussion methods and student projects are all given. I also like the idea of tying in the science discussion to current events of the day. Are there any hurricanes, eclipses, meteor showers presently? All good stuff. Not the natural disasters, obviously.
Because Josiah is dyslexic, I have made it a practice to take turns reading with him any lessons that don’t actually “teach” reading. This means that we read the text of Earth Science together. This gave us opportunity to discuss certain things as we went along. There is a sample schedule included in the Resource CD, but I felt it was too vigorous for us. Not that the reading was long and overwhelming, it’s just that there were rabbit trails that our studies would take us. We had a hard time keeping up with the recommended schedule. This could be because we ATE UP all of the additional resources that were recommended. We had to look up all the videos and images. Both Josiah and I are visual and we had a lot of fun digging in.
I do need to tell you that this is NOT light and fluffy science. It is challenging. We had to read and read again. There are plenty of ways to mark progress and stay on task. There are weekly review guides and plenty of exams included in the Resource CD.
The book itself isn't one of those cumbersome, massive textbooks. It's nicely sized and filled with illustrations and pictures.
If you have a student like my Josiah I don't think it could be one he or she could manage on their own. He might be naturally curious, but he is also limited in the manner in which he can gather certain kinds of information. That being said, this is the kind of curriculum that I KNOW is trustworthy and smart. I wouldn't worry about any gaps!
Before I leave you I want to point you to a resource I wish I could have received in addition to Earth Science. This Science for Every Teacher would be warmly welcomed into our homeschool library. Check it out!
You can connect with Novare Science & Math via the following social media outlets. Don't forget to click on the banner below to read more reviews. Members of the Crew reviewed other Science curriculums from Novare Science & Math.
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/novarescienceandmath/
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/novaresciencema/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novarescienceandmath/?hl=en
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Homeschool Planet (Homeschool Review Crew)
If you are like me you have entirely too much on your plate.
And then when you add all of the Homeschool planning into that…Crazy! I
recently had the chance to review Homeschool Planet from the Homeschool Buyers Co-op.
Veteran Homeschoolers will recognize the Homeschool Buyers
Co-op. I, myself, have purchased several products through them over the years.
They basically offer discounted homeschool products. You can subscribe for free.
A shiny apple in their basket right now is the online Planner known
as Homeschool Planet. Not only is this a planner you can use with keeping your
homeschool ducks in a row, but you can use it for every area of your life.
If you have followed my blog, you might know that I am strictly
a paper and pencil kind of girl. I make lists. And more lists. Give me a spiral
notebook and a sparkly pen and I’m happy. However, and this is a biggie, I have
discovered that at this point in my life I can’t simply keep up with
myself. I need something a bit more sophisticated.
That being said…I still need simple. It can’t take me longer to figure out all of the bells and whistles with an online planner than it takes to perform the actual tasks I’m trying to plan.
That being said…I still need simple. It can’t take me longer to figure out all of the bells and whistles with an online planner than it takes to perform the actual tasks I’m trying to plan.
I’ve used Homeschool Planet in the past and I will say that
PROS definitely outweigh the CONS.
There are so many possibilities for use I can’t share them
all, but I will lay out a few of my favorites.
For one, I have the ability to create a schedule for more than one
person. Which means at this time, Josiah and I both have a schedule. I can move
things we didn’t complete to another day and time. I also receive a Daily
Digest via email that I can look at. AND I can email or text information from
the planner.
For the purposes of this review, I set up Josiah’s summer
school schedule and created a basic plan for myself to handle projects I’m
working on.
This is a screen shot of next week's schedule. Mostly I just included what subject needed to be done at an approximate time. I did link up an online science lesson we are reviewing right now. He is able to click on it and it takes it right to the lesson.
I also included other activities like swimming and the library program.
One other feature I am loving is I can add any doctor's appointments I might have and I can ask my planner to send me an additional reminder. This is important because I have been known to show up to an appointment a week or month early.
Yup. It happens.
There are other marvelous features like grade reports, the ability to create a transcript and a way to school hours. There is also a resource list. For those who have entirely too many homeschool resources we can't part with this is a good way to keep track of them.
The Homeschool Buyers Co-op has started a new Lesson Plan Marketplace. There are several lesson plans for well-known and popular curriculum. You can create your own lesson plans or take advantage of someone else's creativity and talents. I know that sometimes I just need someone else to do the heavy lifting! All you have to do is purchase the plan of your choice and it automatically fills your calendar with everything you need (except the curriculum, of course). Right now, through the month of June, you will receive a free lesson plan from the Marketplace when you sign up for a free one-month trial. .
Check it out!
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolbuyers Tag: @homeschoolbuyers
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/hsbuyerscoop/ Tag: @hsbuyerscoop
- Pinterest: https://au.pinterest.com/homeschoolbuyer/ Tag: @homeschoolbuyer
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeschoolbuyers/ Tag: @homeschoolbuyers
- Google+: https://plus.google.com/112069021534542740249
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Summer Planning (and a bear story)
Happy Wednesday!
Hopefully your week is moving along all spiffy-like.
Mine is moving.
How is that for vagueness!
This has been one of THOSE weeks. We seldom like to talk about them, but they always find their way into conversation...punctuated by grimaces and eye rolls.
Anyhoo. I am in the middle of preparations for COUSIN CAMP! I can't believe this our 7th Annual Cousin Camp. In one week, Josiah and I will be on a bus heading south.
Yep. Taking the bus.
I suppose there are worse things that an onboard potty and free wifi. The only thing is that I can't haul a lot of stuff with me so my usual cousin camp preparations have had to be via remote control.
I'm also hoping that the Cousins will have mercy on their poor Aunt and allow her at least 2 naps a day along with a morning cup of coffee on the deck...and a evening cup of tea on the deck.
I also need a pedicure and chocolate!
WHO IS RUNNING THIS COUSIN CAMP ANYWAY?
Cousin Camp has already claimed it's first victim. My poor dad was beaten across the back by a short-tempered elm tree then thrown viciously to the ground. He, of course, is WAY TOO SMART to go to the emergency room and had my niece (who is a sociology major) bandage him up. 'Cause sociology is a lot like nursing.
I would post a picture, but I am still in the running for the favored child status. There is a set of dishes I have my eye on. Basically he was trimming up the yard for Cousin Camp and ran afoul of an elm branch.
There have been also reports of a black bear sighting at the farm. My mom told me that one evening after supper a black bear was spotted in the back pasture. This meant that everybody had to go see for themselves. They do live in the "Show Me" state, after all. For a hillbilly this means you take off in whatever state of undress you might be in. Shoeless. Shirtless. Whatever. Mom had on her housecoat and long-tailed nightie. Then the truck got stuck in the same back pasture and Shoeless Paul (aka my dad) had to hike it back to the farm to get the car. By this time the bear had decided he had had enough of the hillbillies.
Mom did have her camera on her. I'm sure between Shoeless Paul and the kids in the back of the truck the whole gang looked just a bit scary. Have I mentioned that these people are smart? Nothing says "bear repellent" like a fancy camera.
Other summer adventures for us this year have included the Library Program and The Muffin exposing himself to some kind of Poison Oak.
We are wanting to plan some kind of vacation, but at this point our budget says "no way."
In the meantime...Have a wonderful week! And don't go chasing any bears.
UnLock Math (Homeschool Review Crew)
Math. Not the most favorite subject in our homeschool. For
Josiah it’s challenging and can be frustrating. I’m always trying to figure out
what I can do to help make things stick for him. One of the benefits of our
modern day homeschooling are the wonderful options creative folks put out there
for kids like Josiah. One such program is UnLock Math. We recently had the
chance to review UnLock Pre-Algebra.
True story. If you have a child (like my son) who struggles
with Dyscalculia or Dyslexia you are always on the hunt for anything…anything…to
help them along. I always despair that there are math concepts that we have
completely missed or glossed over because I was worried about the big picture.
UnLock Math is an online computer program takes the student
through step by step each concept. You obviously will need a computer with a
good internet connection and speakers or headphones. I can also tell you that Maple T.A., the program that UnLock Math uses doesn't really like Microsoft Edge. It prefers Chrome, Firefox or a newer version of Internet Explorer. Our desktop computer uses Edge and we didn't have too many glitches, but I did tell a difference when Josiah worked on the laptop with Chrome.
UnLock Math is specifically designed to break math into doable bite sized bits that build upon each other. It is intended to reduce math anxiety. So far, we've UnLock Math has delivered on its promises. Josiah can work through the lessons as many times as needed...and only the very BEST scores are recorded. Which is a BIGGIE for him.
UnLock Math is specifically designed to break math into doable bite sized bits that build upon each other. It is intended to reduce math anxiety. So far, we've UnLock Math has delivered on its promises. Josiah can work through the lessons as many times as needed...and only the very BEST scores are recorded. Which is a BIGGIE for him.
I want to show you how it all works.
You can see from this screen shot provided for us that the bottom screen has tiny little rockets. You can activate a unit by clicking on the title, but you reach the unit by clicking on the rocket. The screen also provides progress reports and a handy colored graph to measure progress.
When you get into the unit it takes you this screen. Here, Josiah can get to each lesson and complete any quizzes and tests assigned. I can also see from this that he has yet to complete ALL the assignments for this unit. Hmm.
Now my FAVORITE part of the program is right here. You parents with kiddos who have spatial issues and trouble staying on course will understand. All they have to do is follow the trail to complete each assignment. Brilliant.
Another Brilliant thing are the videos. They are short and to the point. They can be watched repeatedly and keep things moving. Can I say that I needed these, as well? It's been a long time since College Algebra, my friends. There are also fun elements to some of the videos. Alesia keeps it exciting. And she has a delightful Canadian accent.
This screen is one of the PRACTICE PROBLEMS from the place value lesson. There weren't very many problems. Just enough to see if the student was getting the concept.
One other little stop in the road is a CHALLENGE YOURSELF question. These can be kind of tricky for my dyslexic student. I usually had to "help." The reading isn't tough...it just requires a bit more thought.
The REFERENCE NOTES are simply the lesson in a PDF form. In fact, you can print the WHOLE set off in one fell swoop if you so choose.
Instant Gratification! This handy screen comes up whenever the student completes a lesson.
Another great thing about UnLock Math is all the helps. The site is extremely well organized and easy to navigate. This is a PDF of a suggested pace for the lessons. I used this to get an idea on how long I should plan for each Unit.
Of course, everything is graded and stored for you. The grades set as follows.
- Quizzes are 15% of the final grade
- Tests are 30% of the final grade
- Midterm exam is 5% of the final grade
- Final Exam is 10% of the final grade.
Just a word to the wise. Go through the lessons with your kiddo a time or two to make sure he or she is hitting all the right buttons. During the practice problems in particular Josiah would hit "Submit answers" instead of "Next." Needless to say he had to redo a few lessons.
This program is not just for students are mathematically challenged...every student can benefit. It's just that good.
The bottom line is that this is a user-friendly program. I found it well organized and provided the kind of "underwhelming" instruction my son needs. Just a little "bite" at a time.
UnLock Math offers Pre-Algebra through Geometry (a brand new course!) There is a FREE demo available just for you to try. Check it out!
You can connect with UnLock Math via the following social media outlets. Don't forget to click on the banner below for more reviews.
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Adventures of Rush Revere! (Homeschool Review Crew)
You might know Rush Limbaugh best as a radio host. He
has made quite the name for himself as a political commentator and observer of
“life.” But do you know that he has written a series of children’s books? When
the opportunity came to review his Adventures of Rush Revere Book Series, I
knew I needed to be in on this one. Read on to find out more about Adventures of Rush Revere #1 New York Times Bestselling Book Series by Rush and Kathryn Adams Limbaugh!
You first need to know that there is nobody in my house
that fits the recommended age level for this one. It is intended for ages 8-12.
However, I was thoroughly entertained and informed throughout my reading of the
books and it has been well-established on my blog that I am neither 8 or 12. Or
even 8+12. But…and this is a biggie…I LOVE history and I also wanted to give my
dyslexic son (who also loves history) some reading material he could tackle
without feeling he was lowering himself down to the level of a Golden Book. The Adventures of Rush Revere Book Series fit the bill.
This series presently contains five books. Rush wrote
them along with his wife, Kathryn Adams Limbaugh. Our main character is Rush
Revere, a substitute history teacher with a time-traveling, well-verbed horse
named Liberty. Liberty can talk, y’all. Which, of course, interjects some humor
and interesting situations into the stories. All Liberty has to say is “Rush,
rush, rushing to history” and they are off to a new adventure.
Liberty, however, is not like a famous, modified car
of time-traveling fame. He cannot go into the future. These five books takes us
to meet the pilgrims, introduces us to key players in the American Revolution and American patriots like Samuel Adams and Dolly Madison.
Before I tell you a little about each book, I do need
to tell you that the books are gorgeous and so well constructed. They are all hardback and came wrapped
together in a pretty blue bow. It was like Christmas!
Rush
Revere and the Brave Pilgrims – In this book, Rush
Revere begins his job as the teach substitute history teacher at Manchester
Middle School. We are introduced to students, Tommy and Freedom who get to go
along on the time-traveling journey. They meet Myles Standish, William Bradford
and Squanto. They learn how much the Pilgrims suffered just to be able to
worship in freedom.
Rush
Revere and the First Patriots - Liberty and Rush
Revere take their students back into history to meet our first American heroes.
They are joined again by Tommy and Freedom and a new friend, Cam. The
destination is America just before the American Revolution. They meet Ben
Franklin and other brave men and women who dreamed of freedom for all.
Rush
Revere and the American Revolution – This book is dedicated
to all those family members who have loved ones serving in the military. Rush
Revere and friends meet George Washington and are there during the ride of Paul
Revere. Other exciting adventures include the Battle of Bunker Hill and the
First and Second Continental Congress.
Rush
Revere and the Star-Spangled Banner – It’s field trip time
for Rush and his students. This book introduces us to the importance of the
American Flag and other American symbols. We are also introduces us to Francis
Scott Key and how The Star Spangled Banner came about.
Rush
Revere and the Presidency – The final book of the
series (as of right now) helps us get to know some of our early presidents and
their wives. Rush Revere’s students are shown great examples of leadership and our
election process.
These really are special books. Each one contains
beautiful illustrations and pictures of historical sites, historical documents
and more. For more educational fun, you
can also go to The Adventures of Rush Revere website.
So these books are not only about true historical
events, but they are just plain fun. They are written in such an entertaining
and engaging manner. I think they would be a good edition to any family
library.
Just a P.S. before I leave you. No matter what your
political affiliation it is important that we all engage in the study of
history. I personally didn’t find anything offensive or objectionable in any of
the books. I believe they are meant to bring us together and emphasis our
shared history.
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