You know how Amazon.com will make recommendations to you based on your previous purchases? Well, after buying some cello repertoire for my 10-year-old cellist, Amazon recommended the young adult novel Great Pumpkin Suite by Melanie Heuiser Hill. After reading the about it, I decided to check it out from the library. At first my 10-year-old looked … Continue reading Giant Pumpkin Suite by Melanie Heuiser Hill
Recently I read The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason. It was published in 2002, and I think it was also turned into a movie, but I haven't seen that yet. I would recommend it for adults. I doubt I would have liked it as a teenager. It's set in 1886 and begins in London where … Continue reading The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason
Every once in a while, I will look around my house at all the dust and clutter (sometimes with amusement; sometimes with angst), and I wonder if I'll ever make it to the other side of homeschooling. And if I do make it, will there really be more free time? More time to clean and … Continue reading October
When Stacey O'Brien was introduced to a little barn owl chick that had nerve damage in his wing, making it impossible for him to return to the wild, she knew she was meant to become his caretaker. Wesley the Owl is a heartwarming memoir that I believe both mature teens or adults could enjoy. Stacey … Continue reading Wesley the Owl by Stacey O’Brien
Chickadee by Louise Erdrich is the fourth book in the Birchbark series for young adults, and I read it out loud to my boys last year. We love this series, and I highly recommend it. You can find links to my reviews of the previous books on my book recommendations page, starting with The Birchbark House. … Continue reading Chickadee by Louise Erdrich
I don't always have the resources to delve deeply into a topic, but as far as the Islamic World, the thirteen-year-old and I have read over a few texts and listened to his dad's podcast on the topic, and I think that's good for now. We will eventually watch some Great Courses on Islam, but … Continue reading History Lesson Log #5: The Islamic World
September brings with it the relief of a new school year. A fresh start. It brings cool mornings, though, unfortunately, not cool afternoons. In fact, it's some of the hottest weather we've had all summer, and I'm pining for cooler temperatures, but I know I should be careful what I wish for. I love sitting … Continue reading September
My son has finally reached junior high school or 7th grade. I won't dwell on how quickly this happened. 😮 {Note: Every state seems to have different terms for these middle years. In Georgia, they call 6th-8th grade "middle school," but for simplicity's sake, I consider 6th grade part of elementary school and 7th & 8th … Continue reading Planning Junior High Homeschool
August has been a hefty month, but this will be a brief post. Where do I start? Well, I guess I'll start with the end of July. My husband and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. Yay, us. But then, at the beginning of August, my husband had a heart attack. What a shock to all … Continue reading August
I was lucky enough to receive Michael Clay Thompson’s Language Arts Program, Level 1, a.k.a. The Island Level for free when I wrote a comprehensive article on grammar programs for home/school/life magazine. Being able to see a full curriculum before buying it is a luxury most homeschoolers don’t have, and for that reason, I was … Continue reading Quick Review: Michael Clay Thompson’s Language Arts Program, Level 1 and Part of Level 2
