The Hidden Village - Book Review

The Hidden Village

By Bonnie Rose Hudson

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Title: The Hidden Valley
Author: Bonnie Rose Hudson
Publisher: JourneyForth (BJU)
Release Date: June 2017
Genre: Children's Fiction/ Christian Fiction 

 The Hidden Village is a children’s Christian fiction book about a boy named Manju who lives in India. When Manju finds a village hidden in the mangrove forest, he wants to do everything he can to help his new friends. But what can he do when the people in his own village won’t believe his story, and even the weather keeps him away from the hidden village?

This story is a wonderful read for children and adults alike. The story is told through the eyes of the main character, Manju who lives in West Bengal, India. He lives in a small village surround by mangrove trees. One day while climbing a mangrove tree he noticed smoke from a fire in another clearing of trees. Since he knows what can happen if a fire breaks out in the forest, he investigates to find out where it is coming from.  This investigation leads him to the hidden village that this story is centered around. From there on, the story continues with the daily life and adventures of Manju, his village, and his new friends. The vivid details and descriptions transported me to India with Manju.

This short story is great as a read aloud or for an emergent reader to read independently. The chapters are short and leave you wanting to know what is going to happen next. This is a Christian based children’s book, and I think it would be a great tool to use to teach children that they too can share the Gospel of Jesus with others.  As a homeschool mom, I have been looking for books and resources to teach my children about missionaries and examples of children sharing the good news of Jesus. I thought this book was interesting and encouraging that no matter a person’s age they can be a light for Jesus. Some of the extra features that I thought were great include the pronunciation guide, information about Manju’s home country, and ideas for the readers to help others like Manju’s village.

About the Author:

Bonnie Rose Hudson's heart's desire is for every child to feel the love of God and know how special they are to Him. She works as the Director of SchoolhouseTeachers.com, the curriculum site of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. She would love for you to explore the wonderful curriculum available there and to stop by her author's blog WriteBonnieRose.com for resources to help teach your children about missions and the persecuted Church, free history and writing printable, discover how you can write for the homeschool market, and check out her newest release from JourneyForth, The Hidden Village, an early reader  set in India. 

I received a copy of this book from the author. I was not required to give a positive review. I enjoyed this book very much and all opinions are my own.

The Austen Escape - Book Review

The Austen Escape

Katherine Reay

Title: The Austen Escape

Author: Katherine Reay

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: November 2017

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Christian Romance Fiction

                                                       A NEW Austen Fan Fiction Novel!

Mary Davies finds the safety in her ordered and productive life. Working as an engineer, she genuinely enjoys her job and her colleagues - particularly a certain adorable and intelligent consultant. But something is missing. When Mary's estranged childhood friend, Isabel Dwyer offers her a two-week stay in gorgeous manor house in England, she reluctantly agrees in hopes that the holiday will shake up her quiet life in just the right ways.

But Mary gets more than she bargained for when Isabel loses her memory and fully believes she lives in Jane Austen's Bath. While Isabel rests and delights in the leisure of the Regency lady, attended by the other costume-clad guest, Mary uncovers startling truths about their shared past, who Isabel was, who she seems to be, and the man who now stands between them.

Outings are undertaken, misunderstandings play out, and dancing ensues as this company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation, work out their lives and hearts.

The Austen Escape is truly an interesting read for any Jane Austen fan! There are beautiful evening gowns, dancing, feasting together, an exquisite mansion, and of course the reader's eye view of how relationships between people work  out. The main characters, Mary and Isabel, couldn't be any more different, and let's not forget Nathan the love interest. Even though this novel is set in modern times, the chapters about Mary and Isabel's time in Bath were well-written and true to a good Jane Austen-inspired story.

My favorite character was Mary. I loved her dedication to her father and her job that she loved. I thought she was a well-written character, and I was just as crushed as she was with that one phone call. I felt like she was dependable because when Isabel needed her the most she was there taking care of her, even if she didn't think she was doing that great of a job.

After reading The Austen Escape I need to make a date to reread Jane Austen's novel again.

About the author:

Katherine Reay has lived all across the country and Europe and has enjoyed a life-long affair with the works of Jane Austen and her contemporaries. Her first novel, Dear. Mr. Knightley, was the 2014 Christy Award Finalist and winner of the 2014 INSPY Award for Best Debut aw well as Carol Awards for both Best Debut and Best Contemporary. Her other works include Lizzy & Jane, The Bronte Plot, and A Portrait of Emily Price. Her stories are all contemporary with a bit of "classics" flair. 

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Blind Spot: Chesapeake Valor #3 - Book Review

Book Review: Blind Spot

Chesapeake Valor Book 3

Dani Pettrey 

Title: Blind Spot

Series: Chesapeake Valor, Book 3

Author: Dani Pettrey

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: October 2017

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Christian Fiction

"The wrath is coming"!

From the back cover:

"The wrath is coming" were the final words that FBI agent Declan Grey heard the suicide bomber say. Now Declan is in the chase of his life-but isn't sure exactly what he's chasing after or when the threat will be unleashed on American soil. When his investigation's best clue leads him to a closed immigrant community, he turns to Tanner Shaw for assistance. She's sought justice for refugees and the displaced around the world, and if there's anyone who can help, it's Tanner.

Tanner Shaw has joined the FBI as a crisis counselor ...meaning she now has more opportunity to butt heads with Declan. As they work together to uncover the mounting threat, the tension between them also includes a spark she can't deny-and she's pretty sure Declan feels the same. But before anything more can develop, they find themselves in a race against time to stop the coming "wrath" that could cost thousands their lives.



My review:

I love a good mystery or in this case a suspense, and that is exactly what Dani did in her third book- Blind Spot. It was another "can't put down" read that I enjoyed. I liked the tango that Declan and Tanner's characters had between them. They liked each other, but neither seemed willing to let their guard down until it was almost too late. I am drawn to books that not only have a great hero but also a leading heroine. Tanner's character reminded me of Ziva from NCIS but that is all I am going to say about that. I think one of the best parts about Blind Spot is that Dani has more than one major crime happening in this book. Griffin and Finley from Cold Shot, Parker and Avery from Still Life, and Kate (who is still looking for Luke) join Declan and Tanner to solve both cases. I just love the group comradery! I would recommend reading the books in order even though you could still follow along if Blind Spot is your first time meeting this group of characters. If you enjoy a clean romantic suspense then get ahold of Blind Spot for your next good read. 

About the author:

Dani Pettrey is the author of two great series: Alaskan Courage and Chesapeake Valor. She is a wife, former homeschooling mom and author. She feels blessed to write inspirational romantic suspense because it incorporates so many things she loves - the thrill of adventure, nail-biting suspense, the deepening of one's faith and plenty of romance. She and her husband reside in Maryland, where they enjoy time with their two daughters, son-in-law, and two super adorable grandsons. 


 You can connect with Dani by visiting her website. -  Up All Night Suspense - Dani Pettrey 

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for review. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own. 

Language Arts Spotlight - Schoolhouse Teachers

Language Arts Spotlight

Schoolhouse Teachers.com

This post contains my affiliate link. Thank you for supporting my blog and our homeschool!

Do you ever have those moments as a homeschool mama that make your eye twitch and you realize that Language Arts just isn’t your favorite thing to teach? No? Well I'm here to share a spotlight on some great Language Arts classes!

Back in my teaching days, I was the Language Arts teacher, but to this day I still do not like teaching spelling. All. The. Rules....now that makes my eye twitch. This is just one of the reasons why I'm grateful that I have access to SchoolhouseTeachers.com. With so many classes to choose from, I know that I can provide the opportunities to help my children to be thoughtful spellers and master the English language.

I had already planned to read several different versions of well-known fairy tales to my children this year, but I had not create the lesson plans yet. (Yes, so much to do and not enough time.) The other day I was scrolling through the Language Art classes offered on Schoolhouse Teachers.com and found this gem: Fun with Fairy Tales. Happy dance!! Now all I have to do is download and print the lesson plans then grab our stack of fairy tale books. As a busy mama of five that is a win-win in my book. 

Each class offered at SchoolhouseTeachers.com provides a clear and straightforward approach to the subject of Language Arts. Visit now to see what classes are available for your child. There are over 350 courses to choose from at Schoolhouse Teachers.com

Here are just a sampling of the classes available:

We have pre-reading, reading, and literature covered with courses such as:

ABC: What Will I Be?

Adventures with Books

African American Literature

All About the Alphabet

American Folklore

American Literature

Christian Values in J.R.R. Tolkien

Daily Puzzlers

Everyday Games

Literature Kits

Monthly Book Lists for Families

Pre-K Activities: Read and Play

Reading Lessons for Young or Struggling Readers 

Teaching Reading through Play
Worldviews in Literature

We can help your kids brush up on grammar, spelling, memorization, and research skills with courses including:

Daily Grammar

Fun with Memorization

Little Language Arts

Research Skills 7th Grade

Schoolhouse Spelling

Ways to teach writing abound with courses such as:

Adventures in Writing

Beginning Handwriting

Benjamin Franklin Writing Method

Creative Storytelling

Creative Writing

Daily Writing

Essay Writing 101

Everyday Copywork

Lapbooking

Sparking the Noggin: Creative Writing with Pictures

Writing

Writing: Advertising Copy

Writing: Mechanics

Walk It Out - Book Review

Walk It Out by Tricia Goyer

I am planning on making this into a series of posts about books that I have been reading, reviewing or just books that are in my "to-be-read" pile. I haven't decided if this will be weekly, bi-weekly or monthly yet. Sometimes I write about books in my homeschooling posts too.

 This is my review of the book, Walk It Out by Tricia Goyer and all opinions are my own.

If you ever get the chance to be a part of a book launch team, then I say go for it! This is something that I have been getting to do for awhile now, and I love it!!! This opportunity is great for book people. My favorite part of joining a book launch team is getting to interact with the author. I think that is just the coolest thing. OK, so here is the short and long of it. This is a first for me, but I am so honored to be working on three different book launch teams currently. They are as follows:

1. Walk It Out by Tricia Goyer
2. The Lifegiving Table by Sally Clarkson
3. Blind Spot by Dani Pettrey

Today I want to talk about the first book listed above, Walk It Out by Tricia Goyer. I am just going to say that if you are only familiar with her novels, then Walk It Out which is non-fiction will NOT disappoint you. I am greatly enjoying reading, highlighting, and making notes while going through this book. My heart has broken for the tragic events that have happened in Tricia's life, and my heart has also beamed with happiness for the awe-inspiring events. There is nothing cookie-cutter about this book. She has sprinkled gems of wisdom gleaned from her walk with the Lord. Every time that I read another chapter I am even more inspired to find more or different ways that my family and I can serve others. I come away encouraged to keep finds ways to walk out my faith. I think that it would be so neat to meet her in person, by the way. 

This post would get way too long to share all of my favorite quotes from the book, but I would like to leave you a few. 

1. "I trust and follow Him as He leads me in His perfect will. I've learned that God's good plans are not always easy or neat, but when we step out in obedience we never walk alone."
2. "His purpose for your life is one that will not only fulfill you but will also benefit the world."
3. "It seems to me that God does His best work through ill-fitted yet determined servants who willingly follow His directives."

I also have a treat for you. Tricia asked her launch team members to share the first chapter of her book Walk It Out with everyone. Yay!! Click here for more information. Thank you for sticking around until the end of this post, and I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I have. Blessings!

Introducing This Grace Place Book Club

Announcing 

This Grace Place Book Club!!!

I had mentioned earlier this year about starting a book club, and now I would like to cordially invite you, my readers, to join my book club. I enjoy reading and having someone to chat with about the book. Really, there is only so much my dear husband wants to hear about my mom books. 😉


Here are my thoughts about how I will be preceding with this fun idea. I have a good selection of books that I would love to read with a group of like-minded moms. We will meet every other week in a private Facebook group to discuss each chapter until we finish the book.

Sometimes the book will be a Mom book, a book about the CM method, a devotional, a classic, or Christian fiction. This book club will be a place to share what we love about what we are reading, a place to talk about areas that maybe we are struggling in, and a place to enjoy a book with a cuppa of your favorite drink and a few friends.

I hope to see you there. We will be starting our first book, Monday, September 11th. We will be reading Sally and Sarah Clarkson's book,The Lifegiving Home. You can find the Facebook group here:This Grace Place Book Club

If you have any questions or comments, leave them below or send me a message. I hope you will join my book club!

The Lifegiving Home - Book Review

Building a Lifegiving Home

I am planning on making this into a series of posts about books that I have been reading, reviewing or just books that are in my "to-be-read" pile. I haven't decided if this will be weekly, bi-weekly or monthly yet. Sometimes I write about books in my homeschooling posts too.

Reading good books is like breathing air for me. There are very few times when I do not have a book with me. Since becoming a mommy to now five munchkins, I have to be intentional about making time to read books that I want to read. This can be hard sometimes when we are in the thick of our homeschool year. Does anyone else binge read over the holidays or is it just me?

Today I am going to share with you about a book that I read awhile back but have picked back up to reread. It is Sally Clarkson's The Lifegiving Home book and study guide. I had the privilege of being apart of her launch team  before this book released back in 2016.  If you follow me on any of my other social medias then you know that I LOVE reading Sally's books. Her books are so inspiring to me on this journey of motherhood. I've even nicknamed her my "mentor mom". I love that she encourages her readers to turn to God and His Word for guidance because when the day is done ultimately God is the only One with the answers.

So let's get back to her book and the wonderful ideas that she shares with her readers. Sally actually co-authored this book with her oldest daughter, Sarah. I love Sarah's writings as well. I have some of her books too. The Lifegiving Home is a great book written to show you how you can bring back an element of beauty that seems to be lost in today's society.  So many times I have read where Sally encourages ladies to bring both beauty and truth into their lives, homes, and that of their families. Home should be the safe haven from this world that ridicules God and His Word. Our homes should be "Lifegiving" and a place of blessing for our families.

The book is broken down into two parts and includes a chapter for each month of the year. Each chapter has information about special times that can be celebrated during a specific month, stories about the Clarksons, questions to ponder, and fun ideas to incorporate or even spur you on to create your own. If you want to dig even deeper, then you will need to get the book, The Lifegiving Home Experience by Sally and Joel Clarkson. The study guide provides further study by showing you how to apply what you have read and planned in the main book. It is filled with even more ideas, questions to ponder, and book recommendations. I love books with lists of books!! If you are new to Sally Clarkson and her books, then I urge you to visit her website and to sign-up for her newsletter. She has some exciting news going on right now. You can find her at Sally Clarkson

Have you read any of Sally's books? If so, I would love to hear from you and how her books have encouraged you! 

Summer Fun 2017

Wow! Our summer has flown by this year! It is hard to imagine that it will be time to start a new school year soon. My children are actually asking to start school, which we will start (hopefully) in about three more weeks.  How has your summer been? Are you (or your children) ready for "Back-to-School"?


We have participated in summer reading programs, played card and board games as a family, the children loved making mud puddles with the water hose in the backyard, they spent time with the grandparents, and they played at a near-by creek. Summer memories have been made! 


If I were to ask my children to name their favorite thing we did this summer, it would probably be the Summer Reading Program for our local library with some homeschooling friends. A sweet homeschool mama headed up this great program. They had a goal of reading 400 minutes over a 5 week period and were able to collect pledge money for meeting this goal. Afterwards, they each got to pick out a book from Usborne as a reward. Usborne also let the children pick out a book valued at half of their pledge amount collected to be donated to our local library. I love having opportunities for my children to help their community as well as our local library. 

Summer is also my time to plan for our upcoming school year, review what did or did not work for us last school year, and to continue my teacher training. I read a lot of books and online articles concerning how to teach children, child development, and educational methods. Over the past year, we have been dipping our toes in the Charlotte Mason philosophy. A good many of my books in my reading pile reflect this as well. Here is a list of what I have been reading here and there over this summer:

1. Different by Sally and Nathan Clarkson (rereading)
2. A Different Kind of Hero by Sally and Joel Clarkson (rereading)
3. Buried Secrets by Irene Hannon
4. Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison (rereading)
5. More Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison (rereading)
6. Give Your Child the World by Jamie C. Martin
7. Beyond Survival by Diana Waring
8. Drawing with Children by Mona Brookes
9. Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola

My summer reading!

In other news, I wrote my first magazine article this summer for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine! I am still tickled pink that I had this opportunity. I've been reading the TOS magazine since we first decided that we were going to homeschool. You can read the current issue online at The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

My copy of the Summer 2017 issue.

Explode the Code 2015-2016 Review

Today I want to talk about the Explode the Code Book series by Nancy M. Hall. We have used at least one of the books in the series for the past two years. All together we have used Books A,B,C, 3 and 4 for two of my children. These were not the only books we used for our language arts, but they were definitely favorites for my children. I felt like the books were a great fit for us because each one was on target for the individual learner.


Let's start with the beginning books. I used these with my Kindergartner/1st grader. He completed all three books over the course of 1 1/2 school years. He loved these books which is a plus in my book! The book order is "Get Ready for the Code, Book A", "Get Set for the Code, Book B", and "Go for the Code, Book C". All three of the books cover the consonant letters and sounds, but there is a certain set of letters covered in each book. These were a great way to introduce my son to the consonant letters. The books could be used as a stand-alone program or in conjunction with another beginning reading program. There are letter and picture cards that can be purchased separately as well as a wall chart to display the cards, but we didn't use that part of the program. There are about 6-8 pages of activities for each letter. The pictures are simple black-line drawings that are appealing for young kids, and the activities are simple but engaging. I did purchase the Teacher's Guide to go-along with the Student Books. The Teacher's Guide is necessary for some of the activities because you will need to read a description of a picture for your child to identify. The Teacher's Guide also offers different teaching ideas, hints, literature links and introduces sight words. Once your child completes these books then it is on to "Explode the Code, Book 1". My son has requested to continue using this series, and I am happy to oblige.


The other books that we used were "Explode the Code, Books 3&4" with my 2nd grader. She completed these two books in about 2 school years. We slowed down when she needed extra practice which helped to stretch out the books as well. In Book 3 the focus is on long vowels. In Book 4 the focus is on compound words, common word endings (such as -ful, -ing, -est, -ed, -ness), and syllables (such as open, closed, silent -e and digraph). The pictures are still the same black-line drawings in the A,B, and C books. The activities are more advanced than the books that my son used, but I felt like the books were still a good fit for her level. There is a consist amount of writing with these books. According to the product description on Christian Book Distributor Books 3 &4 are geared for children in grades 1st-3rd. I also purchased the Teacher's Guide for these books. The guides are grouped for two books at a time. So the first Teacher's Guide is for Books 1&2, the second Teacher's Guide is for Books 3&4, and so on. There are also half step books between each level for extra practice. We haven't used any of these books yet. I normally google ideas or hit up Pinterest for activities to help if my children are struggling to understand a concept. My daughter enjoyed these books for the most part, but I am not sure if we will continue with this series for next year yet.



For the record all opinions are my own. I am not a paid representative for Explode the Code. I just love talking about homeschooling, curriculum, methods and styles. I would love to hear which language arts curriculum that you use and why. Also if you have used the "Learning Language Arts Through Literature" for the elementary grades I would love to hear about your experience. Thanks a bunch, and have a blessed week!

Busy As Bees

When I was younger I could not wait until I was grown up and could do my own thing. I had all these big dreams and high ideals. I was going to travel all over the world, discover new things and learn all that I could. I am all grown up (well at least I think I am) and I do my own thing. I still have big dreams, and I am working on some of them now. I still have high ideals of what I would like to see happen, but I am also learning to accept that sometimes life just doesn't happen the way I had planned. I am learning that sometimes I have to just roll with the punches so to speak. I take one step at a time, one day at a time, and sometimes just one minute at a time.

Slowly, slowly we are making progress on our house. I will be so glad to just have it to the point to move in. It has been difficult to live in one house and have most of our stuff in the other house. If we could just stop finding leaks that would be great! It has been a long adventure that I will be glad to see finished! I need some peace and a place to call my own.

Schooling has been different, again, this year for us. We alternate working on a different subject each week. Sometimes we are all about math, all day, every day for a week. I am still learning how to organize my time so that I can offer individualized teaching to my two children who are on different levels for math and phonics instruction. It has been a learning curve for me to see just how different my children are when it comes to learning styles and preferences. What worked in the classroom of 15 students does not work at home with my two who are currently the only ones old enough to "do school". I have just started reading one of Diana Waring's book on homeschooling. I am excited to see what gems of wisdom I can learn from her.

And then spring has brought more than green grass, flowers blooming and birds singing. It has brought allergies and yucky colds. My little ones have been sick for at least a week and a half. I have been up most nights, and then had to turn around and be up early the next with either a sick kid or a teething baby. I am busy, but I am right where I need to be. I use to think that if I wasn't doing great and big things then I wasn't living my life to the fullest. I am living my life to the fullest! I am taking care of my family, homeschooling, working part-time, working on my house, cooking, cleaning, and the list keeps going on. Is this what I dreamed life would be like when I grew up? No. But it is what it is. I can't and don't want to waste my time on the what-ifs, could-have-been or any other distraction from what is before me. I want to run the race set before me! I am living my life everyday so that God gets the glory and recognition because without Him this life is not worth living.

So how have things been your way? I hope wonderful. I hope you find the good and the beautiful that this life has to offer and hold on to it. Hold on to Jesus. He is my hope and my anchor.

Hebrews 6:19a "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."



Thanksgiving Heart Story

So how was your Thanksgiving? I hope that you made wonderful memories, enjoyed spending time with family and friends, and ate some wonderful foods. But most of all I hope you took a minute or several to thank the One who has given you all the many reasons that you and I have to be thankful for this season.

 I had the joy of cooking for my little family of six this year. My husband smoked a turkey for us. The children and I were  "all hands on deck" in the kitchen. Together we made a few casseroles, dressing, gravy, peas and pies. It may have not been fancy, but it was a time to eat together as a family.

My husband said a prayer of thanks once we were all gathered around the table. He helped to fix each of the three older children's plates while I fed the youngest he first bowl of rice cereal. As they were enjoying taste-testing the food on their plates, I asked each one of the children what they were thankful for this year. My oldest, proclaiming loudly, said she was thankful for her family, friends, church, and God. My next to youngest said that he was thankful for his sunglasses and a pattern block game; then he just smiled at me with pride about his answer. My second oldest didn't want to tell us. He said he was too hungry to think of a reason. (Go figure.) I then told them I was so very thankful for each of them as well as their daddy. Then I also said that I was thankful for each year that I had been blessed with since the birth of my oldest child. (I will have to write about that in another post because it is a praise story in itself.) Finally it was my husband's turn. He began saying he was thankful for family, the food, a house, his job and a few other things. Then he stopped to clear his throat before saying that he was thankful for God and His forgiveness, mercy and love. One of the children noticed that daddy was getting "water" in his eyes.

 That was just one of the moments that I stopped and silently thanked God for a husband who is not afraid to live his faith in front of his wife and children.  I am thankful that I married a man who is a Christian. No, he is not perfect nor am I. Does he get it right all the time? No, but he is quick to ask for forgiveness. Whether he knows it or not, he is admired and loved by his wife and children.

Later in the evening the children and I piled up in my bed to finish reading our Thanksgiving chapter book. This year I read, "Thanksgiving on Thursday, Magic Tree House #27" by Mary Pope Osborne. It took two days for us to read this book from beginning to end. I enjoyed reading this book to the children, and for the most part I think they liked the book also. I liked that the chapters were short enough to get to a stopping point because on the first day of reading I was running between cooking and reading. I love reading books whether for my children's enjoyment, my enjoyment or for learning something new. Just one of the many reasons I love being am to homeschool my children. I get another chance to learn about this wonderful world that God created.

Even though we had a small, non-fancy Thanksgiving we are blessed. We have each other and love one another. My husband and I hope to instill in our children the blessed gift of family, and that they will cherish that gift for years to come.

A Great Teacher is Always Learning

I believe that a great teacher is always learning. This teacher never feels like the quest for knowledge is finished. There is always something new to explore or ideas already learned to be explored again. While I was in college going through my childhood education program, we had to keep an online page with the different things that we were learning about. This was apart of our on-going professional development. For me it was more than just professional. Even from a young age I wanted to be a teacher. I have always enjoyed learning and reading. It is just what I do. Some of my hobbies include reading and reading and more reading.

Even before my first child was born I knew that I wanted to homeschool any children that my husband and I had. So I started my research then to learn all that I could about the task of homeschooling and the young child. And to this day I am still reading a variety of books about the topic of homeschooling, learning styles, child development, parenting from a Christian perspective, and so on. Over the last year and half I have found some great blogs and/or websites by other homeschooling moms. I appreciate the time these moms have put into sharing with the rest of the world about their homeschooling journey. I have gleamed so much from them. They are apart of the reason why I am giving blogging a chance.

I have read some great books to help me with this important task of educating my children. Here is just a short list of some of the books that I have read or I am currently reading:

• "The Way They Learn" by Cynthia Ulrich Tobias
• "Homeschooling Gifted and Advanced Learners" by Cindy West
• "Homepreschool and Beyond" by Susan Lemons
• "Educating the WholeHearted  Child" by Sally Clarkson
• "A Charlotte Mason Education: A Home Schooling How-To Manual" by Catherine Levison
• "More Charlotte Mason Education: A Home Schooling How-To Manual" by Catherine Levison