Sarah's Wish - A book review

Product: Sarah's Wish - a novel

Author: Jim Baumgardner

Price: $9.99 (Free s/h)

Where to buy: sarahbooks.net

Brief Overview:
The first in a three-book series, written by Jim Baumgardner, Sarah's Wish is a Christian historical fiction novel. It is set in 1858 in Wapakoneta, Ohio.

In-Depth Look:

Jim Baumgardner's novel, Sarah's Wish, is a historical fiction novel. It is set in Ohio during the late 1800s. Reading this book is a history lesson all in itself. Young readers will experience slavery, the Underground Railroad, travel on riverboats, apothecaries, and the Orphan Train. They will expand their vocabulary with "dated slang" such as cut shines, hatchel, mudsills and slantindicular. Children will be exposed to different classes of people from the sophisticated plantation owner to the back-woods granny to the slave longing to be free. When asked why he decided to write about history in fiction instead of non-fiction, the auther stated "telling the facts within the framework of historical fiction brings it to life." I agree whole-heartedly. My daughters and even I learn and retain so much more from reading a "living book" than we ever have from a textbook.


In addition to the history lesson, the novel is a Christian work. Young readers will learn about faith in God, waiting on God's timing, the value of honesty, and a man's right to be free. Sarah and several other characters in the story have a strong relationship with God that strengthens them during difficult times and leads them during confusing times.


Besides the benefits mentioned above; it is in fact, a good story. It has strong characters, a good plot, moral lessons, and unexpected twists and turns. After a tragic event at the start of the book, Sarah must find her way during the challenges that lie ahead. I won't disclose the tragedy but it is the reason for Sarah's wish. And the rest of the novel leads her on her journey to make this wish a reality.


If you enjoy this book, you will have two more books in the series waiting on you. A fourth book is planned. If you prefer to listen to the novel, the book includes instructions to download an audio version.


As an added bonus, the author will autograph your book. I just love autographed copies. So I greatly appreciated this extra "touch".


The author also has a free newsletter that he sends via e-mail. It has interesting facts about Sarah's books, but also about American history. You will find the link to sign up on this page.

Note: I feel I should mention that my daughters had a hard time getting through the first two chapters. The chapters were "less than cheery" and introduced several characters during a short amount of time. But by chapters 3 and 4, we were very much "into the story" and eager to see what would happen next. So if you find this to be the case with your youngsters, encourage them to wait it out a bit. It WILL be worth it.


Want to read more reviews? Click here.


Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge to review, as part of the TOS Crew. The above is just my opinion. Please remember that opinions may, and do, vary.

Nature Friend Magazine - A Review

Product: Nature Friend Magazine

Company: Dogwood Ridge Outdoors

Price: $36/12 issues. Study guide is an extra $2/issue
Until Nov. 30, save $3 on a new subscription with code "BLOG93"

Where to buy: Nature Friend

Brief OverView:

Nature Friend Magazine is a Christian magazine whose motto is "Helping families explore the wonders of God's creation." While ages 8-16 seem a good fit, the magazine may easily be enjoyed by the younger ones and also by the parents and grandparents.

In-Depth Look:

I have tried several Science textbooks over the years with my daughters. Some we enjoyed more than others. Some we disliked so strongly that we put them away FOREVER. I had struggled over which book to use this school year. I finally came to the conclusion that this year, I wanted science to be FUN. I didn't want it to be a drudgery, something that we read and endured because we had to. Science is all about God's creation and how it all works and fits together and as such, it should be enjoyable. So that was my plan for this year...to make it a pleasant experience that we would enjoy together.

Well, lo and behold, if God didn't plop an answer to prayer right smack into my lap with the arrival of this magazine in my mailbox. The magazine is Nature Friend, a monthly publication focused on exploring God's creation.

The first thing that caught my eye and left quite the impression was the quality of the photographs. No dull black and white sketches here. These are full-color, crisp and clear, with amazing detail. The photos are beautiful.

The next thing I noticed were how many hands-on activities there were for the children.
-Invisibles (finding the hidden items in a picture) - my girls love these
-Word Search
-Vocabulary Match-Up
-You Can Draw
-Who Am I (guessing the animal from the clues)
-Experiment Ideas
These hands-on activities help to draw the readers in and reinforce the lessons. Many learn and remember better when they listen and write on a subject.

We have enjoyed reading the articles. In the August and September issues, we learned about the cicada, soft-shelled turtle, eastern screech owl, California tree frog, banana slug (it really does look like a banana), animal tracks, pygmy owl, a walkingstick, and the malleefowl (this bird is amazing). And we have many more interesting articles awaiting us.

My daughters enjoy the short, informational articles and I've learned several facts right along with them. Have you ever heard of the malleefowl bird? I sure hadn't. It doesn't sit on its eggs. It builds its own incubator and when the male gets the incubator to a perfect temperature of 92 degrees, the female starts laying eggs. How amazing is that?

And check out the walkingstick insect. I thought they were totally harmless. So, my kids and I were astounded to learn that God gave it a defense system. The American walkingstick has a potent spray that is not only painful, but can cause temporary blindness!

These are just a sample of the many interesting things that we have learned. And I am excited to keep on learning.

Something that I found nice about the magazine is that it encourages its readers to send in items of interest for a chance of publication. Each issue has quite a sampling of reader input.
-Drawings
-Poems
-The Mailbox (Readers ask a question and Nature Friend gives an answer)
-Reader submissions from the "You can draw" segment
-Articles about animal encounters
-Funny captions to be printed along with the back cover photo

As a stand-alone, the magazine is impressive. But for $2/issue, you can have a study guide enclosed in the magazine. This takes the lessons to another level, making it great as a unit study. Here are some of the things that you will find.
-Word puzzles
-Fill-in-the-blanks
-True or False questions
-Research questions
-A lesson in writing
-Photography Tips
-Motto for the Month

What I Like:
I love that this magazine is from a Christian point-of-view. I don't have to skim ahead as I read aloud. No worries about "millions of years" or evolution references. And I appreciate the references about God having a hand in it all, a reminder that it didn't all just happen by chance. The photographs are gorgeous. The articles are not only enjoyable, but informative.

What I Don't Like:
The only thing that I don't like is when I get to the last page. I wish there was more.

Extra Tips:
Check out their website for some great resources.
-Sample Issues of the magazine and the study guides.
-Homeschoolers Guide to Nature Friend
-A recipe to neutralize the odor of skunk spray

Special Offer:
Save $3 off your first subscription until November 30th, with Coupon Code "BLOG93".

Some of my favorite quotes

"Never argue with a fool. Someone watching may not be able to tell the difference." - Author Unknown

"Tis better to be thought a fool, than open one's mouth and remove all doubt." - Abraham Lincoln



"The mind is like a TV set - when it goes blank, it's a good idea to turn off the sound." - Anonymous

"All I am, or can be, I owe to my angel mother." - Abraham Lincoln

"Failure is not falling, but refusing to get up." - Chinese Proverb

Nutrition 101 - A Review

Product: Nutrition 101: Choose Life!
A Family Nutrition and Health Program

Company: Growing Healthy Homes, LLC

Price: CD-ROM $79.95 / Book $99.95 / Combo $129.95

Where to buy: Healthy Homes

Brief Overview:
This is a 448-page full-color book on the study of nutrition: how we eat, what we eat, how the body works and how these foods affect the body. This book intends to assist families in understanding the real relationship food has on our "fearfully and wonderfully made" bodies (Psalm 139:14).

In-Depth Look:
For years, I didn't think much about nutrition. I ate what I wanted when I wanted. Then along came my daughters, the "picky eaters". For the longest time, I humored them...figuring it was a phase that they would grow out of. Well, they didn't. So I began gradually trying to make changes in our food choices. Then last year, I was blessed with the pregnancy of our 3rd daughter. This time around, I ended up with gestational diabetes. This increased my chances of getting diabetes again in the future. This was a wake-up call. So I began thinking even more about our food choices. Well after so many years of being stuck in a rut, it was very difficult for me to make any substantial changes for any significant amount of time. But I still wanted to and was still trying. Well along comes my latest product to review for the TOS Crew - Nutrition 101.

I was eager to read through the program and see what it was all about and what we could learn from it. The program isn't about dieting or about a bunch of low-fat, cardboard-tasting recipes. It is an in-depth study of biology and nutrition, of how are body works and how the foods that we eat affect our body (for better of worse).

Of course, one of my first thoughts was "Sure this is all fine and good for the authors of this book. But it will never work for my family of finicky eaters." So I was encouraged to read the testimony of another home-school mom, Sera Johnson (president of operations for Growing Healthy Homes LLC). She is a self-labeled "Former Fast Food Queen". And she had the "Princess of Picky Eaters", who only ate three kinds of food at home and chicken nuggets from two particular fast food restaurants. She realized that the Lord wanted her to help her family establish long-term healthy eating habits. Sera gives six quick tips to get you started on the right track. I decided that if she could make these drastic changes, permanently, then there is hope for our family as well.

The book is divided into 6 units (1. The Brain and Nervous System, 2. The Digestive System, 3. The Respiratory, Olfactory, Auditory and Visual System, 4. The Skeletal and Muscular Systems, 5. The Cardiovascular and Immune Systems, 6. The Endocrine System and Emotions). Each chapter includes discussion questions for the whole family, activities (for younger and older children), additional resources for deeper learning, and Power Recipes. The Activity Guide in the back has an answer key for all the activities. At the end of the book is an extensive Appendix, including: A Vitamin Chart, Milk - The Big Debate, Asthma - Taking A Deep Breath, Cancer, and Sleep.

What I Like:
This book doesn't just tell you what to eat. It tells you why. For exampe, I know that I should drink a lot of water. But Nutrition 101 doesn't just tell me to drink a lot of water. It tells me that if I don't drink enough water, several of my body functions may be affected...such as my body's ability to regulate its temperature, process waste and protect my joints. Sounds a bit more important now, right?

What I Don't Like:
A good bit of the book is above my daughters' ability to understand. Some of it was even a struggle for me to follow. But that is to be expected from a book of this magnitude - this is a HUGE book with a LOT of information. It is easy enough, though, to pick and choose what is of interest to your family and what would be of benefit to your children.


How We Use It:
I read the information on my own, ahead of time. Then I discuss the items of my choosing with my daughters, at their level. The book has many wonderful activity suggestions. And we easily find printables online to tie in with the topic and to help reinforce the concepts.