Finally, a science textbook

Awesome news!

  Just fabulous!!

  Homeschoolers, there is a GIFT for U!!  

Many moons ago a great friend of ours began to venture into the teaching and writing world of science.  She had always been a scientist at heart; 

her mind just worked in the way of botany, biology, and organisms.  

This friend had an idea; that idea has been gifted to the home educating world.

Discovering Intelligent Design

by

Gary Kemper, Hallie Kemper and Casey Luskin

available here

Yes this is a TOTAL PLUG, absoluetely!  

Why?

Because, I took her course, I was one of many guinea piggies homeschooling parents that was asked to teach and study this book, and finally because this is a factual, evidence packed, science book that has inspired our kids to ask real questions about the science behind Darwin, evolution, and through investigation come to their own conclusions, that "life is complicated".

Our kids took this course in the 8th and 9th grades.  Which was, I think, a great starter point before they hit biology and chemistry classes.  They are there now and I can tell you by my own Lucy's experience, this book and course totally prepared her for those heavier classes.  

 "Discovering Intelligent Design is a comprehensive curriculum that presents both the biological and cosmological evidence in support of the theory of intelligent design. It equips young people and adults to critically analyze the arguments in the debate over evolution and intelligent design, and it encourages them to follow the evidence wherever it may lead."

From chapter 10

"... the biggest head-scratcher in evolutionary biology would have to be the origin of the holometabolous insect larva"

Why?  There is such a large jump in complexity for an organism to survive and complete metamorphosis that the theories explained in Darwinian evolution just don't cut it.  The book explains whys in laymen terms.

By the way,

There is also a workbook!

Also available here

*DISCLAIMER::

Yes, I personally know two of the authors.  Though, I was gifted the textbook and workbook I am not affiliated with the publishers and am NOT getting a single cent from this plug. 

 Honest!  

What's New in Books...for Advent

Yesterday, I posted our reads for this Advent & Christmas season.  I thought, today, I would do an introduction to the new reads on the list.  And add the book(s) that Lucy will be reading.

For Lucy

Since she is the older kid (15 to be exact) she'll read along with us all the story books we have but she'll ask for something older for her list.  I like to give her a little more meat to digest with her readings anyway.  Last year we read Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce, which was super good and thought provoking.  This year we opted for these two books:

The Real St. Nicholas: Tales of Generosity and Hope from around the World

by Louise Carus

and

The True Saint Nicholas: Why He Matters to Christmas 

by William J. Bennett

This one is carried by our library

New in Picture Books

The Christmas Day Kitten

by James Herriot

The Christmas Path: A Legend of the Luminarias

by Sue Wright

With a surprise at the end, there is the telling of the focus of Christmas and an introduction to luminarias.  Luminarias have been used in various forms by different cultures.  Mostly by the Spaniards and in Latin America, they serve in offering light along dark paths. Isn't it telling, that here  these little flickers of light lead us to Jesus?

A Possible Tree

by Josephine Haskell Aldridge

Finding this book at a book store was a SCORE!

It's so cute and will go nicely for our plans for the third week of Advent.

"Deep within Joe Bracken's woods there is a tree. But this isn't just any old tree. This is a very special fir tree where animals go to seek shelter. From a top branch, a clever raccoon hides from a hunter and his dog. After flying away from Mrs. Bracken and her wash water, a dripping wet blue jay dries his feathers. And it isn't long before other animals discover the friendly old tree that protects them from harm"

The Shepherd's Christmas

by Michelle Andrews

It's a POP-UP book! 

Another find from our local book store.  If you can get your hands on a copy I highly recommend it.  The illustrations are beautiful and not at all cartoonish! 

Young Mary of Nazareth 

by Marianna Mayer

I'm not sure yet about this one yet. 

From what I've read, the illustrations are beautiful and the book is worth getting alone for how it portrays Our Lady.  There are these comments that I saw though,

"Though the previous reviewer is right, there is the one line about Our Lady being pale and in pain, the rest of the book is beautifully written and amazing in all ways."

I'm going to still check it out and probably skip over anything too far off when describing Our Lady in Bethlehem.

Off to plan now...

and clean!

"The Hunger Games" (SPOILERS) - A Commentary by Fr. Barron

Lucy wanted to read these series when they first started circulating among her friends.  At the time I didn't think she was ready for the details of violence and sacrifice the book describes; she wasn't exactly pleased about this but accepted it. 
I just now allowed her to read it and then had her listen to Fr. Barron's take on it.  There is a lot of violence in the this book so I would NOT recommend it to a child younger than 14.  Lucy spent some time learning of the massive persecutions of the early Christians.  So I was comfortable with her reading and being able to discuss the details with me. 
Fr. Barron makes some great connections between The Hunger Games books and history here in this 10 minute clip.  I'm not sure about the movie yet, but I've heard that it stays true to the book; but scaled down the violent to get a PG-14 rating.

Book Club

Once a month a group of young teens meet at my home for a 'book club'.  The kids choose the books for the group to read and our gatherings usually involve food, drinks and LOTS of chatting.  Just think of what a cluster of 13-16 year old kids sound like.

It's just amazing how much this age group eats...

and since most of didn't see each other for Pentecost Sunday

I thought I'd add a little bit of the Holy Spirit

Tongues of Fire Cupcakes

idea from Kelly @ Catholic Cuisine

now to the book

This month's book "The Phantom Tollbooth"

was whimsical, fun to read and sparked an evening of word plays among the kids.



The suggested  grade level for the book is 5-6th grade

but

I think, and the kids agreed, that this little book is suited for

all ages.

It's a book of philosophy, using creative words to make many intelligent points.

The kids all agreed that they would rather stay focused than end up in 'Doldrum'

and

going beyond the 'Land of Expectations'

was sometimes harder for adults to do than them.

I'd have to agree.

Next month's book takes us in a whole other genre

Happy reading

Book Review ~ part II

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

Oh Mr. Trenton Lee Stewart did it again!

I was glued once more to the pages of this book. 

Dishes were left to build a small hill, lunch resembled PB & J, "what math" I mumbled inbetween a line or two....

Just kidding!

But, I did search for any time available and did carve out  time to sit and read.

Book 2 (the first beingThe Mysterious Benedict Society)

dives us right into the lives of the amazing four; Kate, Reynie, Sticky and Constance.  This time though their friendship takes on a different task.  What is to be an exciting reunion with Mr. Benedict becomes an adventurous journey to save Mr. Benedict.

The schemes, excitement, and clue finding continue with the Perilous Journey and I found myself more intrigued with these four kids jetting off on their own to save the adults...yet again!  Their skills have blossomed as their trust and loyalty to one another has.

Mr. Curtain is back, of course.  But the added wickedness of his plot to control is...

Aaahhh sorry can't go on.  Really the book is great and should be read.

The age group is still around 9-12...but I haven't been 9 or 12 in, well, in a VERY long time.  So I'd say it's a fun read for most ages.

Up next, and already read, is the review for

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma

and yet another Book Review

Once a month a group of the most amazing youths come over to my house for a book club.  We started this club to engage in some literary discussions while sipping tea and munching on cookies.  I have to say that I love my group of 10 teens.  They are bright, strong (headed), goofy and I just adore our time together.

The kids choose the books we read; but once in a while I come across stories that need some attention too.  The Mysterious Benedict Society is just one of those books.  Some where in this bloggin' world I heard about The Mysterious Benedict Society, I wish I could remember where :).  It's the first of a trilogy and involves 4 of your most brightest children in the world, adventures and friendship. 

There is a lot packed into this first book.  

More than adventure the book delves into issues of abandonment, insecurities, loyalty and control.  We are invited to join eleven year old Reynie Muldoon as he answers a newspaper ad calling for "gifted children looking for special opportunities."  He joins an elite group of kids through riddles, twisted plots and turns.  Their goal, to save the world from the controlling (and loony) Mr. Curtain.

As a parent there was nothing in the book that would give me caution.  Most sites rate this book for grades 5-9, but as an adult I enjoyed it.

Book 2, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey is next.

Book Review

It's been a long Lenten season for me and I've stayed away from much of the blogging world during it.  Some of it was intentional and some of it came from just being so crazy busy.  There hasn't been too much time left over to go on the computer.  And when there was time, husband dear would throw "that" look my way.  Thus no computer.

There have also been lots of books added to my reading list.  There are a few books I want to post about but I'll wait until after Easter to do so.  Today I wanted to post about this...



Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time

I joined a book club through my county library and this was the newest book to read and discuss about. I thought it was FABULOUS.

Why?

Well it was a glimpse to a people truly not seen enough.  It was about simple people, people like my mother frankly (no, she is NOT Muslim).  The people from this story are poor, humble, fair and uncomplicated. 

On a side note:  I know the ugliness of extremists.  I've been in enough conferences and discussion groups about Islam to know what many think about Islam.  This is not a post about that nor do I want to go there.

The book is a gem.  One man began a journey to climb a huge mountain, K2.  He failed.  In that failure  a new path was opened.  It led him to a remarkable journey.  He found a bigger mountain to climb in the poverty of small villages all through out Pakistan.  Greg Mortenson met children so in love with education they would endure the severe cold, sit without a teacher on the frozen ground and use the dirt floor as a writing tablet.  Mr. Mortenson dedicated his life to these children.  Opening schools throughout the most remote, forgotten villages of Pakistan. 

I personally liked it, though I heard that some from the book club 'hated' it.  Should make for an interesting meeting :)