TOS Crew Review: Kregel Publishing-Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure from the Susan Marlow's Circle C series

At first, I thought I was getting a book called, The Trouble with Tribbles, but then I remember that was a Star Trek episode (the original version of Star Trek that is-these fuzzy little balls go on a reproductive craze and nearly destroy the Enterprise...oh sorry, I was losing focus for a second).  What I got was the book, Trouble with Treasure.  That sounded interesting enough.  At the time, I hadn't been properly introduced to Andrea Carter, so I had to do some minor investigative work to get the "skinny" on her.  As it turns out, Andrea is young girl who appears, to me at least, to be the Pippy Long Stockings of her day mixed with a tad of Ziggy (yes the cartoon character) and a dash of Nancy Drew.  All admirable traits (outside of the Ziggy-effect of getting into situations that could/can turn life upside down) for a teenage girl from the "California Outback" of the 1880s.  

This is actually one of the titles in the Circle C Adventures by Susan Marlow.  Seems Andi (as she is affectionately known) has quite a history of near mishaps, tangoing with disasters and such.  Since we had not read any of the books prior to receiving this one, I was a bit concerned we'd be out of the loop and not "get" the story line.  Thankfully, we were able to pick it up and dig right in without missing a hoof beat, because the Trouble with Treasure stands on its own quite nicely. Basically that admirable trait renders these books somewhat independent in nature-but it certainly helps to read the series in order.  As an added bonus, Andi included a letter to her readers describing who she is, and where she lives; along with a tad of a background on her, to help ease you seamlessly into the story.

In this adventure, you find Andi, her pal Jenny, Andrea's brother Mitch, and a kid named Cory, deciding life is not worth living without some sort of mischief.  It starts in town with a dunk in the local watering trough, which lands them (not Mitch) into the local slammer.  When the town is plundered by some no good bank robbers,   which leads to a quickly formed posse-and I am sure some town gossip-things really start to pick up.  Back at the ranch [after serving their stint in the jail house], it is decided it is time to high tail it up to the mountains to enjoy some refreshing and not-so sticky air (as it is hot there in Fresno), and to do some treasure hunting (since Cory was now in the possession of a tantalizing map) too.  As a mother-I would say that would happen over my dead body, but perhaps mum was tired and cranky from the heat and needed a vaca from the troublesome triplets (Mitch is not included in that equation, as he seemed to be less of a pest perhaps?)...but here, in the rugged 1880s, things were a bit different.  So off they go and well, that is when things takes on a life of its own.  I won't spoil the rest of the story for you, since I hate to spill the beans completely (which I might add-those kids probably would have sold a tooth to get a hold of during their days in the mountains), so my lips [or is that fingers?] will now remain sealed in regard to the ending. You will have to read it for yourself, dear reader of this post-and find out what transpires in the Trouble with Treasure story.

Now for the part where I give you my take on this.  Outside of the story line being a bit over the top, it was a delight to read. I know tweens/teens of today need something like this to draw them in, and for a fun read-it did its job rather nicely. I enjoyed it, and found the writing to be much better [for this sort of genre] than a lot of what I have read in a long time. I wanted to turn the page to see what happened next.  I wanted to know where this was going, and that was something I have sorely missed.  There was a good use of vocabulary and it actually [sit down folks, you may faint here] had a decent plot/story line.  So I can honestly say I would recommend this to families who enjoy fictional history with a splash of adventure, as a good way to meet their "for sport" reading needs. 

I do want to point out there there are some things going on that may not be appropriate for the sensitive child, or for those who prefer to avoid books with mild violence.  In this house, we have seen shows with gun fights and dudes "biting the dust"-so this is not an issue here.  But for those who wish to avoid such things-you may want to skip this book in the series.  I see they have it listed as 8-12 years old for their target age.  Hmm.  I don't think I would let my 8 year old read this, and so that may be a bit low...it perfectly suits a 11-14 year old though.  So use your discretion regarding this particular book. Again, not having read the others, I cannot attest to their content, but the Trouble with Treasure was not that bad in comparison to similar tales that I have read.  

    

Oh and goodness-that 19th century gal has 21st century knowledge to boot!  She hosts the Andi and Taffy's Blog, which you may enjoy just as much as the books!  And on the Circle C Adventures site, you can download a free study guide for each book-how sweet it that?  To add to the mix, there are lapbooks to accompany those books too!  Head over to my Scrapbooks and Lapbooks by Sheri Blog, or click the lapbook icon on the Circle C site for more info.  

Saddle up your horses gang-this is one adventure you will truly enjoy.

This is by a Christian writer and has reference to the Lord/Bible, but it isn't dripping with it-hence this symbol



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Kregel Publishing

$7.99 paperback Tween/Teen Fiction (price for any of the Susan Marlow's Circle C Series books)

Be sure to visit the TOS Review Crew Homepage to see what my crew mates had to say about this, and many other fine homeschool products.

***Kregel Publications provided me with a free copy of the book, Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure by Susan Marlow, to be read and used by family.  I have discussed my opinion regarding this product, and have not received  financial compensation for writing this review.

TOS Crew Review: US Gov and Politics AP Exam Prep DVD by Cerebellum/Standard Deviants

Give me a "C", an "O", a double "L" , "E", "G" and another "E"!  What does that spell?  Yes, well outside of a quick way to empty the savings account, and make even the most hearty parent faint dead away-it spells a whole 'nother season of life for those of us who have precious fledglings about to fly the coop.  

Being the astute and ever-ready homeschooling parent that you are~you are probably already thinking of ways to provide opportunities to not only save on the eye-popping bill; but to prep your academically driven student for the multitude of tests they will have available to them in high school. One type that a lot of homeschoolers forget about and/or are unfamiliar with (as most have heard of the ACT/SAT tests) is the Advanced Placement courses/tests.  I had an inkling of them when my two oldest were in high school, but never truly investigated them.  We were not able to afford the enormous costs of a university for our kids' first college experience [we simply didn't qualify for any real scholarship money or any other assistant programs], so we decided to go the community college path [which has been a wonderful experience for all involved]-so there really wasn't much of a need to pursue the AP tests.  That said though,  I was rather excited to see what these Light Speed AP test prep DVDs had to offer, especially since I still have two students in my home-one being a high schooler at the perfect age for this very thing.

We received the US Gov and Politics DVD to review.  I highlighted the website's ditty on the product, then listed my thoughts about it for you.  I also listed some links, so you can do your own research regarding the AP test requirements.

Light Speed AP Exam Prep DVDs info page

U.S. Gov & Politics AP* Exam Prep program takes a look at factors that influenced the adoption of the Constitution, the institutions of National Government, and much more! Topics are taught in a lively and accessible style combining colorful graphics with fun and entertaining programming.

Light Speed Advanced Placement videos reviews the 30 most tested topics, provides tips and strategies on passing the test, and gives insightful advance on writing the short-response answers. This is the first program of its kind, so go paperless and use this test-prep video to pass the exam! Digital Workbook included with handouts, quizzes, and activities to reinforce the topic before and after the video. 

When they advertise Light Speed on the label, they mean lightening speed. These tutorials fly by like a swarm of bees on a mission.  The facts are presented in a manner that requires the student to be fully attentive, in order to truly benefit from them.  The actors are age appropriate, clear speaking and animated in a way to engage the viewer.  The "pop-up points" highlight the topics being discussed, in an easy to understand manner.  With the addition of the student materials, we were able to glean the gist of what they were covering, and could easily see that this is a valuable asset to getting the most out of the lightening round prep session. This series is by no means a complete study of the subject, but rather a great introduction to the material to be covered,  and/or a great way to wrap up the study-so that the student can take a stroll down memory lane, in order to have better recall, and [the main goal here] get higher test scores later on.  

If your child is inclined to take the AP tests, then these DVDs are perfect for pulling the material all together to offer an excellent review for them.  My teen has not yet decided whether she wants to take any AP courses/tests, but if she does-I know where I will go [Cerebellum/Standard Deviants] to get the materials to pull it all together for her.  Since we received the Government DVD, I plan on intertwining that into our regular study for her next spring.  It offers plenty of material to ponder and will fit nicely into my curriculum.  I will just have to remember to swig down about a case of Red Bull before watching it, so that my elderly brain cells can follow along again...as this Light Speed version is definitely suited for the spring chickens roosting about our hen house.  

So where does one go to find these courses anyhoo?  Well the College Board's AP info page has plenty of insight to get you started.  I have linked the course description for US Gov't and Politics (since that is the one I have the DVD for-but search for the other courses too) for you to look over as well .  I don't see why one couldn't put together the course themselves, (if so inclined) then go ahead and take the test (of course after watching/studying the Cerebellum Light Speed DVD about it).  You can also ask your local school, and/or search for on line classes to find the prep classes you need, but remember though-only those courses that are OK'd by the College Board can be listed as an actual AP course on your child's transcript.  The tests are administered in May, and I believe the student will need to have spoken with the AP Services by March.  So unfortunately, for those who are thinking of taking it this spring-you'll have to wait til next year, but for those who are already registered-and are without this valuable series, you may still have time to purchase and study it prior to the test date.

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Standard Deviants/Cerebellum Homepage

AP Light Speed DVDs (English, History, Chemistry, Gov't) each:  $14.98 -on sale for $11.24

Use this code (OSH20)  to get 20% off any Cerebellum product, until the end of the year.

Don't forget to see what my TOS mates had to say about this, and many other fine homeschool products over on our TOS Review Crew Homepage.

***Cerebellum Corporation provided me with a free Light Speed U.S. Gov and Politics, AP Exam Prep DVD to test and use with my family.  I did not receive any financial compensation in exchange for my honest opinion of this product.

TOS Crew Review: Lesson Planet

The now infamous dwarf planet-Pluto

I was taught (back in the good ole days) that there were 9 planets circling our sun, but due to a series of unfortunate events (we'll leave Lemony Sniket out of it)-Pluto was kicked to the curb. What could possibly fill that void? Determined to forgo the lack of sensitivity the world was showing ole Pluto-we decided to keep it. I was obliviously unaware that another had moved in to fill the position-that this planet was now orbiting the sun too. Well, Pluto lovers-you need not panic, this cyber-orb is a "horse of a different color"-one called Lesson Planet.


But what exactly is a "Lesson Planet"?  Does one need to propel several light-years through space to find this place?  With a click of a few keys on your computer-you can access over 150,000 lesson plans, and some 75,000 worksheets designed to address most educator's needs.  This search engine has several different components that can assist a gal or guy, in locating a variety of topics and subjects to use in the classroom.

In general, this is a pretty good idea...especially for time-strapped teachers. But even with best intentions, there are bound to be a few problems.  Unlike my usual approach to reviews, I have decided to note "what I like" and what I "don't like" about this service.  Remember-I am a homeschool vet that has a stash of goodies at my fingertips, in various forms that can be easily added to our regular studies-so my need for such things is purely random.  I may need to pull up an additional activity or two in order to "cement" a concept or topic into my precious students' minds.  But I do not use this as a way to carry on our regularly scheduled courses. Those reading this, may actually prefer this route-so keep that in mind and consider what your very specific needs are before drawing your own conclusion.  Better yet-take advantage of the free 10 day trial to see for yourself.

So here we go-

What I liked:
*pinpoints age level (fairly accurately)
*has a rating system-so you can see what others thought of it (but this is subjective-so it may not meet your standards)
*search sections for lesson plans or worksheets
*wide variety of subjects and topics
*pages that have been reviewed by someone (so at least you know you are not hitting on some unsavory site)
*if you need such things to meet state HS requirements-the lessons point out the standards/assessment tools
*you can save your finds into a folder for later use
*informs you right below the title: the subject heading, where it came from (source), time duration to present/complete, type of method and the group it is meant to address
*there is a section directly relating to homeschooling
*could click on the Homeschooling Guide section to browse through articles with links relating to various subject-actually found that more refreshing than the other parts

Not a bad list really, but of course-there is always the down side to things.  Here is where it gets rather disheartening.

What I didn't like:

*encountered a lot of problems when searching. For example-when looking under US women in history and US history, I got more spelling/ vocab activities than the history worksheets I was looking for (common event when searching a vast amount of subjects)

*too wide of a scope,  it made it so that I spent more time going through the lists, in order to find perhaps one or two things, that fit that category-very time consuming. It is just too broad of a pool of hits, it needs to be fine tuned to not pull up every document that may have that word/subject matter listed in it

*found very few items I would consider even printing-not a big worksheet user, but on occasion will add it to notebooks or tear it apart to use components of it-was not finding what I needed

*Too many dead links (yes, there is a report button-but I would have spent more time doing this than searching) to make it worth my time/effort

*the price is way too high for this type of service-esp. when I can find the majority of these things on free searches, or through free websites

*types of activities/worksheets were somewhat lame, or rather mindless.  I would not even consider using the majority of the ones I searched.  Very typical of what you would see a PS child (no offense here, I am not teaching 30 kids in one hour blocks, trying to keep the peace whilst expounding the material to them all-meaning that I do not usually have a call for said material) use/bring home.  Out of all the searching and investigating-I found 3, yes only 3 items I would use.  One was a guideline to create a comic strip about mutualism in organisms (for my teen's biology), one was a website with a virtual tour of the Lascaux caverns (early cave drawings in France) and one worksheet for my 8 year old.  Not exactly the best results one would expect.

So there you have it. Simply stated, this was not a good fit for us.  I have been able to procure more links using free searches (and within a quicker time frame), and by going to sites that are also free or priced significantly lower.  I truly do not have a great need for this type of service because I tend to steer clear of using tons of worksheets.  I use them when needed, but as a way to highlight the studies at hand, not to teach it.  It is not that this service is without merit-for a particular niche it could serve as a gateway to finding just the right material one needs (esp. if having to meet the state standards), or providing avenues to enhance the textbook coverage of various subjects. But for us, we'll need to gently jettison Lesson Planet back into deep space to frolic with the asteroids. 

I want to only give this a 1/2 a raft-as it simply did not serve our needs-but it very well may be just what you need

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Lesson Planet Homepage

$39.95 year subscription fee

10 day free trial offer available

Don't forget to check out what my TOS mates had to say about this and many other fine homeschool products on our TOS Review Crew Homepage.

***Lesson Planet provided me with a free 4 month (approx.) access to their site, in order to go through and test out the site.  I did not receive any financial compensation in exchange for my honest opinion of this service.

TOS Crew Review: AAS Reader II: What Am I?

Well, again All About Spelling has published another reader in their All About Reading Series.  This particular one is designed to match the All About Spelling Level 2 guide (Steps 1-14). These are meatier stories, with more print and use of words (which your student should be able to read at this point), dotted with charming illustrations like you find tucked within the first reader.  What Am I?  offers the wonderful-good features of being a hardback, "low-glare" papered book, that I have come to expect from this series.

There are 10 charming stories (note: one is about elves-so if you have any aversion to such things, you most likely will want to skip that chapter) which we are enjoying as we work through this.  I personally am fond of the Matt the Musk Ox story due to its engaging humor and that lovable [albeit stinky] ox.

Look at that face-rather enduring I do believe.

We also loved the Skunk Hotel, which brought to mind the (all too familiar) reminders of that ewwy stench of such critters, and their spray-abilities, which usually reeked (pun intended) havoc upon my poor pooch and our home. But thankfully-it was just a story and not a true situation. It sure reminds the reader that one should never let a skunk move in, especially if you need to utilize the area where they have set up camp. My son and I got a chuckle out of how dense that man was about being so open to allowing such guests.

Uh yes, the ole locate new digs, smell up the joint and take over maneuver.

Overall, we enjoyed this second reader in their series.  I should note here, that my son is still working through this one, as it is much more challenging for him at this point in his reading career.  I was a tad disappointed to see that they did not continue on with the light dots under each sentence, to help assist with left to right reading...especially since there is a lot more text on the pages.  My son was hopping around from line to line and became quite frustrated, to the point we had to put the book away and come back to it later.  Frankly I am a bit perplexed over why this feature was dropped.  My son has not lost his dyslexia from level I to II, and most likely never will.  I truly hope in future editions, that they include that much needed component.  Thankfully, the Broken Robot was illustrated like it was written on paper [IE: lines under the text] because that encouraged my struggling boy.  He could actually follow it through to the end, and not become disoriented.  Obviously for children that do not have such issues, it is but a small change-but for emergent readers like my son who battle this nemesis, it would be a major help.  Maybe even offering 2 choices from with which to choose-one for children with, and another for those without dyslexia/major reading issues, would be a wise idea (if it were an affordable and possible option that is). 

This certainly will be utilized as we work through the Level 2 AAS lessons and for additional practice.  I cannot say enough good things about this company. The reader What Am I?,  being but another fine product from them.  As always, reviewing material from Marie was a pleasure! And be sure to check out my thoughts about the first reader:  Cobweb the Cat, to get a good idea of what this series has to offer your family. If you are an All About Spelling enthusiast, then these are a perfect way to round out your program.






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Oh! If you use workboxes-I have the first two levels of the AAS books broken down into "what to pack into the workbox" for each step. That way you can load and go.  Saves you the time hunting for each individual tile/card sets and makes prepacking a breeze (this is especially helpful if you are like me and do not have permanent space to keep the tiles/info when not in use).  Visit my Scribd pages for the documents, and my What's in the Box? blog, for more info regarding this.

All About Reading Homepage
Reader II $19.95  (book will be up on their site hopefully by mid-April 2010-so please keep checking their page for more info)

AAS homepage

Don't forget to check out what my TOS mates had to say about this and many other fine homeschool products over on our TOS Review Crew Homepage.

***All About Spelling provided me with a free copy of the What Am I? Reader to read and enjoy with my family. I have provided my opinion of this product and did not receive financial compensation for my review.

TOS Crew Review: Terrestria Chronicles: The Crown of Kuros (BK 4) and The Dragon's Egg (BK 5)

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!  Strap on your armor, take up your shield and mount your trusted stallion. The battle is about to begin. Take heed oh ye young Knights in training.  Lend yourself to step back into the time of gallant men, goblets encrusted of gold and gems, of Ladies in Waiting and prudent princesses.  Set off on one adventure to another to learn what it is to be a member of the King's court. Straight from the printing press of Sir Dunlop comes a series called The Terrestria Chronicles, written in the Christian allegory manner, with which to bedazzle the young lords and ladies of 10 years and older.

Presented here before ye are but two of the seven of the bound parchments (which one does not need to read chronologically to understand) to which I dare say that I received to review. I implore thee to come hither to reflect and ponder what stories I shall tell of these.  Nay, only you can determine for yourself if this will suit your family and find honor upon your bookshelves. As my tale may not be what you yourself find to be true, but alas I must speak as Sir Wisdom would encourage me so to do.

The Crown of Kuros

4th in the Series

Due to the inpatient Prince Josiah, the Crown of Kuros is swiped from the castle-opening the possibility that it will fall into the hands of the evil Argamor.  It is a quest that the Prince must undertake alone, although he is guided by several knights of King Emmanuel.  Will the young, newly adopted son of the King be able to withstand the challenges and the final battle to regain the Crown?  Will the underground reconnaissance Prince Josiah and Prince Selwyn encounter help thwart the plans of Argamor's Council?  Take a step back into time to the land of Terrestria, where knight sightings are more frequent than at a Renaissance Festival, and trips through an underwater abyss reflect what can happen from choices righteously made, or from choices simply  gone bad.  Where evil tempts to crack the very walls of the King's Golden City, and the good and faithful struggle to slay the dragons which grip the residents' hearts.  Castle facts, glossary and a notation regarding how to yield one's heart to the Lord included as an extra bonus as well.  Please note-there is some discussion in several chapters about Argamor's tactics for gaining the hearts of the King-which directly relate to today's common goodies-the TV, rock music, women who are not Biblically grounded, etc. that I have discussed below.  I do not agree with most of these assumptions and find the inclusion to serve as being over the top preachy-rendering this one my least favorite of the two.

The Dragon's Egg

5th in the Series

Could Prince Josiah have just made one of the most common yet life-fracturing decisions that could bring down an entire castle?  The desire of a forbidden object has been planted in this young man's heart-only to grow and fester into an out of control need to feed the dragon (literally here).  Denial is rampant, while deceit and ultimately despair rule the Prince-until he wisely learns to take advice from those who love him.  How can he be used to help others when he himself is struggling with his own heart issues?  Mount up and take a ride through the land of Terrestria with young Prince Josiah, as he learns what it means to live a life truly dedicated and submitted to King Emmanuel.  Where little things grow to humongous proportions like the current National debt, dragons speak with forked tongues and the slaying of one's grotesque Carian Greatwing is the means to living in victory.  Again-castle facts, glossary and information regarding the yielding of one's heart included at the end.  Although I found Prince Josiah's ability to quickly resolve or change the situation (like saving a man in a fire, and then helping Prince Selwyn and Princess Gilda to put out the cottage fire within a mere couple paragraphs) hard to believe. I wondered at times if these kids (because they are not adults from my understanding and even so) were bred with Spider Man, Wonder Woman, Batman and other various Super Heroes, which would explain their amazing abilities. Kind of hard to swallow.

Now-for the most part these were OK.  I have truly debated with myself, over how to properly handle what I am about to pen.  Then the Lord spoke to my heart and this is how I choose to address such things.  Let it be said that I am not anti-Christian literature, allegories nor the use of fiction to help spread the Word-as I am not.  But there are times when certain issues within the material "rub me the wrong way" and there is my dilemma.   I do not want to make it sound like these cannot be useful or a good fit for your family-but what I am saying is this:

I take the same position Paul reflected upon (when discussing how the preaching of Christ's truth was being handled when he was in chains-preaching for selfish gain or out of love) when considering the Terrestria Chronicles.  Meaning because they promote Christ-I am not against them entirely. 

Paul stated, 

"...But what does it matter?  The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached.  And because of this I rejoice..."

Philippians 1: 19

Now, not that I am saying the Dunlop Ministry is falsely teaching the Gospel, because I do believe they are promoting these stories out of love and in the truth to Jesus Christ. That these can be used for spreading of the Gospel and the betterment of our youth.  But rather that some areas they are fixated on, do not necessarily reflect our family's opinion and practice  [the very personal and private matters-issues that are better left up to the discretion of the parents, the family's religious views and mostly-up to the Lord to convict upon. IE: the anti-TV, anti-rock music, anti-strong women lean].  Some of these points are valid and address the same concerns that I have-but they seem very bent on one side-one that could easily set a wrong impression and cause guilt, confusion and disdain-all of which are not of God.  

It is Man's heart that is evil, no matter what surrounds a person, and it can go from good to bad in a literal  heartbeat.  Man has been sinful since the fall in the Garden of Eden, with or without the use of modern technology.  After all, the heart is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23)-hence the very reason we all need our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Because without Him, there is no hope.  Granted these things do, and will continue to set the "wheels in motion"-but such things are not the whole reason for the state of the world. Adam and Eve were not texting each other, Moses was not gyrating across the Pharaoh's palace floor, Debra the Prophetess/Judge wasn't holding "Down with Dudes" rallies, and Paul certainly wasn't surfing the Internet-yet each were used greatly by the Lord all the while they sinned over and over again-without these noted tactics [in the Terrestria Chronicles] from Argamor and his council. Any of those items, used in a positive Godly manner can and will be used by the Lord to enter the homes and hearts of millions, by whomever He chooses-to show the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, I implore you to please keep this in mind, if you choose to use these books as witnessing tools.   Pray for wisdom and discretion.

For us, we'd rather open the Bible and read through the parables of Jesus. They use real life situations that are easier to comprehend without the use of a fanciful allegory approach.  I personally really struggled with these, I ( a veracious reader) actually became quickly bored and had to struggle to get through them.  The names of a lot of the characters were long and laborious to read, and the situations the main characters found themselves in seemed to be "wrapped up" way too quickly.  Rendering much of the storyline into to the "way too far fetched" category.  My teen felt this was like trying to sum up every lesson of the Bible into one chapter or book.  That it needed to stay focused on just one or two topics at one time-that it was too "all over the board" making it less effective.  

That said, it doesn't mean that it won't suit your needs.  I would recommend borrowing one from the local library or friend, to get a feel for the nature of these.  It may be exactly what your children love to read.  Again, take into consideration my notes above, and be sure to read what my other TOS mates had to say to get a good idea if these books will be right for you.

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Terrestria Chronicles Homepage

$7.99 each (PB edition)

Don't forget to read what my TOS mates had to say about this, and many other fine homeschool products, over on our TOS Review Crew Homepage.

***Dunlop Ministries provided me with one free copy each of The Crown of Kuros and The Dragon's Egg, to read and enjoy, in exchange for my honest opinion of them.  No financial compensation was received for providing this review.