Curriculum Review: World Literature ~ Cultural Influences of Early to Contemporary Voices

Master Books, a division of New Leaf Publishing, is a publisher's name that I look for on books; I know their name means quality.  That being said, I wasn't sure I wanted to review a high school literature curriculum when the request was put before me.  Our children aren't at the high school level yet but it won't be long (gulp!).  When we do reach that point, we will have our first high school level book waiting; I can already hear the cries of anticipation in the other room...well, cries for something!

James P. Stobaugh has pulled together a good selection of world literature, created critical thinking assignments based on each selection, and written in a clear way so as to reflect the Biblical worldview we should hold in this fallen world.  When I was a high school student (early-90's), many books/authors were questionable in our public school.   In this decade, I've been shocked at some of the literature students are required to read/write about.  What happened to the quality classical works?  Look no further ~ this may be the solution you are looking for in your homeschool journey.

I appreciate that this course begins with distinguishing between world views.  Everyone has a starting point for how they think and what they believe; that affects everything ~ including literature.  World Literature is a classical approach to whole books and follows a Biblical worldview.

Broken into 34 chapters, each has 5 lessons; this is set up perfectly to use through one entire school year.  Literature is taken from Sumerian, Egyptian, and Hebrew; Ancient Greece and Rome; Early church history; Japanese, Indian, Persian and Arabic, Chinese; Middle ages; Romanticism; Realism; and Modern age. Vast assortment ~ well chosen. There are easy to follow reading schedules and a daily calendar to keep students and teachers on track.  Per the description, this book/course "equips students to think critically about philosophy and trends in culture, and articulate their views through writing."



The World Literature course includes a bound student text and a teacher's guide (hole-punched).  The student text is 496 pages in length.  It is actually quite interesting to me even though I'm not teaching it yet.  Our children have already heard many of the stories, places, and characters mentioned in this curriculum.  We are following the childhood audio series Story of the World and related resources.  It's encouraging for me to see that they will continue to glean more from literature as they mature and work on deeper levels.

In addition to World Literature, there are also American Literature and British Literature texts and associated teacher's guides available.  Offering 3 credits each, these are well-suited to 10th, 11th, and 12th grade.

I appreciate the opportunity given to review this excellent work and look forward to using it personally in the future.

Book Review: This Scarlet Cord, by: Joan Wolf

There are two types of Christian fiction books.  The type that basically follows the Biblical account of lives, places, and situations; and the type that takes those same knowns and wraps a creative story around them.  This book is the latter.

Yes, this is a fictional book, very loosely based on the Biblical person of Rahab.  Joan Wolf has created an intriguing storyline about a woman who obviously led a very different (likely difficult) life.  While the Bible doesn't give away many details of the "real" Rahab's life, don't let the fact that the author took many literary liberties in creating a life story for her character dissuade you from reading the story.  I enjoyed this book but also realize Ms. Wolf wasn't saying that this is what the Bible says.

This Scarlet Cord helped me to understand better the culture of Jericho's day; a city drawn into self-desires and idol worship. I hesitate to write much about the storyline as it is unique in it's own right and I don't want to give away the plot.  Suffice it to say, it was a story I had never pictured the real Rahab living out but interesting to see the author's spin on her life in this fictional account. 

To meet the real Rahab one day will be grand; to hear how God spared her life, how she turned to the One true God in the midst of such wickedness, and became one of only 5 women listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ!

This book was provided to me for review; all opinions are my own. 

Book Review: The Discovery Saga ~ Goodbye to Yesterday ~ Wanda Brunstetter

We used to live near a large Amish area and I soaked it all in.  Even as a young girl, I remember thinking it would have been wonderful to live an "Amish life".  As a wife & mother, I now selectively choose what to take out of that lifestyle, applying it to our family.  There's something about Amish story books that I have always enjoyed though; Wanda Brunstetter being one of my favourite Amish authors.  I was happy to be asked to review Goodbye to Yesterday that will be released in February.

Luke and Meredith Stoltzfus have been married for about a year, Luke having been out of work for several months of that.  Having read Amish books before, the story is fairly typical of lifestyle.  Possibly less common is Luke leaving for a few months to learn a new trade, hoping this will get his family back on their feet financially.  Meredith has agreed it is best for her to stay at home; yet, she has a few unspokens on her heart.

This book was shorter than I anticipated, as I read it through in just over an hour.  The first of 6 mini-novels, one will be released each month beginning in February.  I enjoyed what I read in this first of "The Discovery Saga" mini-series, but I'm not the type of person who would read a few chapters each month for half a year to get through a book.   I think I'll wait until the whole series is out to read in its entirety.  If you're a Wanda Brunstetter must-have fan, you'll want to pre-order the entire series now though!

Like The Discovery Saga on Facebook and join in their Scavenger Hunt for a chance to win some great prizes, including a Kindle pre-loaded with Wanda Brunstetter books and the 2nd book in this series, The Silence of Winter.  February 5, 2013 is the release date for this first book, available now as  pre-order!

All opinions are my own in this review.

Book Review: The Lie: Evolution/Millions of Years ~ by Ken Ham

25 years later, this book still rings true and is even more important to read today as evolution and millions of years is taught as "fact".  Over the last several decades, schools and society in general have been steering people to look within themselves for some type of enlightenment.  Accepting that there truly is a God who is Creator of all means accepting individual responsibility for our sinful lives.  It would mean acknowledging that God really did set beneficial rules in the beginning.  Our choice to not obey and follow His guidelines means eternal separation from the most High Lord of all life.  Ken Ham brings lies we are told to light and stresses the additional concerns we should have over Christians buying into these lies.

While I didn't read the original The Lie book, it seems that one of the most important additions to this book is found in addressing Christians who are compromising the Truth; those trying to make evolution fit into the Scriptures.  There is no possible way for evolution and Biblical Creation to mesh.  The most pointed fact is found on the 6th day of creation, when God created man in His own image (not in the image of an ape or pond scum).  There was no death before sin, thus no death before Adam disobeyed God.  Trying to fit millions of years into 6 days just doesn't work because there was no sin/death before Adam and Eve's devastating choice.  In addition, God ended each day commenting that His creation was "good", culminating in it was "very good."  God would never call sin or any of it's horrific after-affects good; thus there was no sin/no death/no millions of years.

Differentiating between OBSERVABLE science and HISTORICAL science is something that is left severely understated (or missing completely) in many circles (Christian and secular).  How many times have I heard or read the argument that someone is "all about science" so to them that is the end-all to the Creation vs evolution debate!  Just being able to give someone the definition of what observable and historical science mean is a huge first step to understanding how "science" itself is defined and how it relates to the past.  I love that this is explained and expanded on in this book.  It's something we need to not only know for ourselves but is of utmost importance to teach this differentiation to our children so they understand and will know how to defend the Bible/Biblical Creation against attacks to God's truths.

One quote that stood out is, "The public has genuinely been misled into thinking that evolution is only scientific and belief in God is only religious." (pg 72/73)  Ken Ham explains this in much more detail than I could.  Even secular museums displaying fossils, plants, and animal specimens are merely displaying evidences that they are interpreting based on "evolutionary beliefs"; a hypothesis of what could have happened.  The same fossils, plants, and animal specimens could be on display in a Creation museum with interpretations based on the Biblical details of Creation, the sinful fall of mankind and and resulting corruption of everything in this world, the worldwide flood of Noah's day (with resulting upheavals/carving-out of the global surface and laying down of massive amounts of rocks layers/fossil-creation), etc.  Interpretation is all relative to the glasses you are looking through.  No one is here now to tell us all about the beginning of creation/time itself, but God was there and as Creator He has left us with THE record of the history of the world.

This is an excellent book to begin with or to read in addition to other Biblical-creation based books.  Expand your knowledge on the subject and don't be the one to shrug your shoulders or walk away the next time someone throws the "well, I just believe in science" card on the table.  Evolution and millions of years isn't observable, testable science.  It's a theory that has no proof; just many voices that try to fit pieces together in an effort to push the one true God they don't want to acknowledge out of the picture.  If you look at the same 'evidences' through the light of what God tells us happened in the last 6,000 years, there is ample proof (using the same 'evidences') that what God said happened did happen. 

Psalm 11:3 "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?"  Our battle today isn't just evolution/millions of years versus Creation.  The Christians who are trying to fit evolution into the Bible are ultimately destroying the foundations of God's Word.  His Word is infallible.  What He says is truth and when you mess with God's Word you are causing people to question that anything in the Bible is true.  Don't be the one to corrupt His Word with lies or you could be the one to lead others on a wide path away from the God who created and loves them.

The Lie is published by Master Books, a division of New Leaf Publishing Group.  I received a copy to review and all opinions are my own.

Book Review ~ The Genius of Ancient Man (Don Landis & Jackson Hole Bible College)

Evolution's nightmare, indeed.  Jackson Hole Bible College and Don Landis have put together an engaging book that exposes the evolutionary discrepancies regarding ancient man.  At over 100 pages, this hardcover book offers fabulous photographs/illustrations and is full of indisputable facts.

Evolution basically brings man from slime through animalistic behavior (and form) to a "highly intelligent" version of man by modern standards.  God's creation of man is that of an originally-perfect human with great intelligence and the ability to gain/apply knowledge.  After sin, the perfection was broken; death entered the world and life itself became difficult.

The Genius of Ancient Man is a book that should be handed out alongside school textbooks that teach evolution as "fact" versus "theory".

As pointed out in the book, "every person has a bias, whether they realize it or not; an assumption that influences everything they believe to be true."  The starting point of this book is that God is the living, eternal Creator of all; the Bible and God are Truth.  For someone who disagrees with this standpoint and considers tuning out, I would highly recommend taking the time to read this book to find out if your disagreements are legitimate or unfounded.

Important to take note of this fact:  God is the ultimate Creator of all.  Satan cannot create anything; he can only distort and pervert God's creation into something it wasn't intended to be.

As detailed throughout The Genius of Ancient Man, there is much that men and women accomplished and studied thousands of years ago that we don't understand today.  Many ancient people groups had knowledge that we simply (no pun intended) don't have access to today.  Their vast knowledge is displayed through elaborate building projects, artistic styles, structural celestial alignments, and in the very fact that they lived globally.  Ancient man understood far more than evolution gives him/her/them credit for!

This book condenses information shared by ancient cultures from around the world into fact-packed chapters.  When worldwide commonalities are laid out end-to-end, it's difficult (impossible?) to refute the astounding discoveries found around the globe.  Such commonalities between people groups living in many different areas on Earth attest to there being a common background between all; said background being traced back to Babel.  The Genius of Man goes into detail regarding similar building styles (including recreations of the tower of Babel), twisted but similar stories regarding a worldwide flood and creation itself, common distortions of Biblical symbols, shared interest in celestial movements/meanings of celestial bodies, and the parallels that echo God's plan for humankind that have been counterfeited by Satan.

Written and illustrated in layman's terms, this is a book that you could easily read through in a day or two....then come back to read again to sponge up even more information.  I love that it's an oversized hardcover book that is equally intended for adults and children of about 10-years-old and up.  Our 8-year-old son loves to read/listen to books like this. I love that even at a young age, he is giving reasons for why certain evolutionary events couldn't have happened, and backing up his reasons with facts he has gleaned from various AIG scientific evidences.  These are the books we need to share with our children!

I was happy to review this book for New Leaf Publishing in exchange for my honest opinion. The Genius of Ancient Man ~ Evolution's Nightmare was published by Master Books, a division of New Leaf Publishing.

LEGO Theme Birthday Party

This was our 8-year-old's first "real" birthday party and the Lego theme was so fun to play with (literally)!  If you're looking for more ideas for your own Lego party, I hope you will find inspiration here.

This was my first attempt at cake pops.  I saw the smiley face idea online (easily adapted to Lego minifigure heads) and they seemed like a great treat for his class at school; always fun to share treats with your friends.  My previous post goes into more detail on their creation.

 

Did you realize that the official LEGO website has these fun printables and so many more?  It was my 10-year-old who informed me of this wonderful "free" decoration.

However, the trick is to actually find them!

  

1. Go to "Products" (top bar)

2. Once on "Products", you can select "City", "Star Wars", or "Super Heroes".

3. On each of these pages you will see "Comic Builder" (top right); click on it.

4. Build your comic on the page provided.  I selected the page with one single full-page frame.  It's pretty self-explanatory and you'll get the idea once you start.  

5. I added 4 minifigures per 8.5x11 page.  You can adjust the size larger or smaller to fit the page.  There are also many other Lego items (trees, flowers, Star Wars ships!!, etc.) to select from.

6. Copy and paste your page to Microsoft Word and print it!  It's that easy! (Be sure to select "photo" in your printer options or the images will come out streaky).

7. Cut out characters, laminate, then cut out again for a clean look!  I love having our own laminator; knowing we can reuse these neat Lego printables again!  Boys bedroom decor!

 

 

How fun are these Lego minifigure and brick molds (trays)?!  I ordered them to make ice cubes, finger jello, or chocolate but they didn't arrive in time.  That hasn't stopped us from making ice ever since the party though. I've also seen people make Lego crayons and soap out of these; creative!

...and the Lego birthday cake!  

This was my first time making fondant and creating any kind of "fancy" cake.  If I can do it, you can do it!  Be forewarned though: it is a loooong process.  I have a new found appreciation for why *real* cake artists charge the prices they do.  A future post will detail the process for building this cake.  I didn't have it put together until after 2am, so it was fun to hear our children giddy over the finished product in the morning.  ...then I went back to bed!  Our 10-year-old added the "real" Lego guys and ladders to the cake, making it into more of a construction zone.

I wasn't sure how colouring would go over, but most of the kids took to this activity; drawing their own Lego minifigures.  Thanks to an idea on Pinterest for these pages.
See the square pretzels?  Lego-ish.  ;)

Guess how many Legos in the jar.

Pose and have your picture taken with Lego friends!

I thought these would make for a fun picture to include in thank you notes to friends who came to the party. 

Ideally, these would be square mini-pizzas, but we're not living in a perfect world. ;)

See the cute Lego minifigures cut-out on the wall?  Another cute Pinterest idea for Lego decorations.

Lego Bingo was a hit ~ great game and totally free printable!
Link to the thoughtful family who shared it via Pinterest!

Such a fun birthday!

LEGO Minifigure Head Cake Pops

This was my first attempt at the infamous "cake pops" ~ Lego minifigure head style!  Yes, I realize they are far from Bakerella-perfect but at least they are somewhat recognizable and the kids enjoyed them.  Perfect party or bite-sized treat to send to school on your child's birthday. 

Honestly, they weren't all that difficult to make; easier than I anticipated. Healthy?  Not in any way, shape, or form.  If I had time, I would have at least made the cake "healthier" by scratch, but as time would have it, a red velvet cake mix sufficed.  I basically followed Bakerella's instructions for the cake based on these cute cake pop smiley faces.

Where I differed with her was on the icing.  If nothing else, I avoided the partially hydrogenated oil in the store-bought frosting.  I've never cared for the taste of that stuff anyway...  So, my icing (or "frosting" per the American language) consisted of my usual recipe: butter, icing sugar, vanilla, and milk.  Just for the yumminess factor, I also added cream cheese.

The gist of making your own icing is pretty simple.  You're looking for a creamy, smooth, and spreadable texture.  Soften and beat about a 1/2 cup of butter and a 1/2 brick of cream cheese with your first cup or two of icing sugar (American terminology: "powdered sugar").  From this point on, you just continue to add in the icing sugar and tablespoons of milk until you get to the consistency that you want.  Do NOT add a good dousing of milk unless you want to go purchase another bag of icing sugar; add it only as needed.  (Believe me, I've done this several times in the past few decades; you would think I'd have learned by now....).  When you are at the approximate consistency you want, add about a tsp of vanilla and you're done.  This is the icing/frosting I use to mix into the crumbled cake (per Bakerella's instructions).

Following the basic cake pop instructions, I formed slightly elongated circles (think minifigure head shapes) and stuck them on the sticks.  I used little dabs of chocolate to attach half of a mini-marshmallow to the top of each "head" and put these sticks in the freezer for about 10 minutes.  I was a bit apprehensive about the "dipping into chocolate" part of this project, but it wasn't a big deal at all.  It's really more of "rolling" in chocolate than dipping.  Each head was rolled in the chocolate, then tapped repeatedly (and not too hard) on the side of the pot/bowl to get the chocolate thinned out.  After leaving them propped up in a large piece of styrofoam for a few hours, they were good to draw faces on.

For the drawing of faces, I wasn't sure which direction to head, so I opted for black icing.  In hindsight, I should have purchased the edible pen that was available in the cake decorating section.  I read that the edible marker/pen doesn't exactly work all that well, but the black icing wasn't that great either.  I used a toothpick to draw the black icing faces.  It would be insightful to find out what the best alternative is for drawing faces on any cake pops; do share!

Would love to see your creations!

Lilla Rose Free Shipping November 8 - 10, 2012

Only 3 days to receive Free Shipping on your Lilla Rose order over $20!  Beautiful hair accessories that make your quick updo into something more fabulous!  Click above to shop through my consultant store ~ and thank you!

Book Review ~ The True Account of Adam & Eve

If you are looking for an accurate Biblical account of Adam & Eve for your children, look no further.  Beautifully illustrated by Bill Looney and written by Ken Ham, this book is one that should be kept at arm's reach.  Of this 64-page book, the fabulous 38" fold-out section in the middle of the book makes if difficult to keep reading; you just want to snuggle with your children as you search out every inch of the panoramic views of the earth before and after the fall of man.

Jesus coming to save us from our sins means nothing to a world that doesn't know the history of mankind from God's creation of the world.  The True Account of Adam & Eve briefly addresses the first 5 days of creation, then heads into the crux of the story: Adam & Eve, the first two humans.

The unfounded theory of evolution is taught as fact in nearly every secular institution around the world.  By virtue of necessity, evolution would brand the story of Creation at God's hands and the creation of man and woman little more than fairy tales.  However.....

God is truthful.  God's Word is truthful, infallible, historically and archaeologically accurate; it has never failed and never will.  Knowing the true account of how sin came into the world is of utmost importance.  Otherwise, how will people understand the significance of God loving us beyond comprehension to send His sinless Son into the world to free us from the eternal penalty for our sins? 

I love that this book begins with Bible passages to read with your family.  It's not just any story; it's the story of our great, great, great, great, great, great, great,.....etc. grandparents.  Ken Ham also brings up questions that tackle why things are so messed up in the world today, why God instituted marriage between one man and one woman, why fossils aren't a result of millions of years, why sin is such a big deal, and why we look forward to a time when there will be "no more curse."

Delve into this book with your children.  It's the story that brings life out of death.  It's a story to have on their minds as they fall asleep.  It's the story to read and study further when they are alert during the day.  Encourage them to ask questions, dig into God's Word, and wrap everything in you around the fact that God didn't allow Adam & Even to live a hopeless existence after their fall into sin.  He provided the ultimate rescue for those who would seek Him with all their heart; the only way to spend eternity in close relationship with the One who loves us more than any other ever could.

I was happy to review this book for New Leaf Publishing in exchange for my honest opinion.  The True Account of Adam & Eve was published by Master Books, a division of New Leaf Publishing.

Book Review: Tangled Ashes ~ by Michele Phoenix

Tangled Ashes was the first fictional novel I have read in a long time.  Locations, historical buildings, and events that occurred during World War II reflect an accuracy that surrounds fictional characters.  Knowing this book was set during the Nazi occupation of France, I looked forward to reading it.

Marie and Elise are two 17-year-old girls, forced to grow up overnight when France is invaded by the Nazi regime.  To support their families, they take on jobs at Nazi headquarters, Meunier Manor.  When questionable changes begin happening, the girls must decide who to remain true to and which version of "the truth" is the real thing.  

50 years later, main characters, Becker (Beck) and Jade, are two wounded souls; each seeking solace in different ways.  Beck has come to France as a skilled architect/woodworker to tackle an immense castle renovation.  He finds himself fighting the same emotional, self-medicating battle that he yearns to be free from.  Jade, who seemingly has everything put together in her life, is fighting a battle of her own.

As characters' lives begin to unfold, mysterious events of vandalism at the castle put individuals on alert.  Seeing how puzzle pieces fit together weaves an intriguing story where the past becomes the present and choices are forced on everyone involved.  Even 50-years later, decisions made by Marie, Elise, and others involved are affecting lives.

I don't believe this book lacked for interest.  However, I was disappointed that there was minimal Biblical outreach.  As a Christian-authored novel, Tangled Ashes possibly offered more potential Biblical discussion by way of the "questions" section, where you could dig deeper into the hows and whys of the story.  In addition, while remaining true to Beck's tormented character, the reader is given fill-in-the-blank cuss words; I don't care for that aspect.  I feel the author developed Beck's character well in my mind without the addition of said words.

Knowing that the author actually grew up in the setting of this book and enjoyed the beautiful historical buildings she describes makes this book feel closer to "real life".  Michele Phoenix holds these places in high esteem and brings her cherished memories into your imagination.

I received this book from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.