Challenge on the Hill of Fire, Book 10

 Book 10, Challenge on the Hill of Fire from the Imagination Station series is out!  Authors Marianne Hering, Nancy I. Sanders and illustrator David Hohn have given us an suspense filled story focusing on a bit of the history of St. Patrick's Day.  Personally, I love that they are covering the Holidays in this series.  This is the second time they have focused on a Holiday, the first was with Book 6, Problems in Plymouth.  I have not started reading this series to my children as I think they are still a little young for fully understanding some of the historical context of these stories but when I do, I will plan the reads to correspond with the right Holiday.  I am very excited to be able to add a fun story, with Historical context and Biblical truths to help us celebrate the different seasons!  This book has been one of my favorites so far.  I've never really studied this time period and am intrigued to learn more about Bishop Patrick.  I also appreciated the tie in with the St. Patrick's tradition of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and comparing/relating it to something that's even more valuable to a pot of gold, the knowledge of God.  I hope you'll check out this fun series!   

I received a copy of this book from Tyndale publishing for the purpose of this review.

Imagination Station - Books 8 & 9

The Imagination Station series is back! Battle for Cannibal Island by Marianne Hering, Wayne Thomas Batson and Escape to the Hiding Place by Marianne Hering and Marshal Younger both illustrated by David Hohn are books 8 and 9 of this 12 book series. These books are part of what I consider the second part of the series. Books 1-6 follow a continuation of a plot line working to return a lost ring to Mr. Whittaker. Books 8 & 9 while they continue the familiar framework of cousins Patrick and Beth going on adventures with the Imagination Station are written so each book can stand alone and could be read in any order. The authors continue to work through history picking pinnacle times and people for Patrick and Beth to travel to and encounter. In Battle for Cannibal Island the cousins travel back in time and meet the missionary James Calvert who ministered to cannibal tribes in Fiji in the 1850s. The cousins find themselves aboard one of the Queens ships just off an island inhabited by cannibals. This story has a strong message of missions and gladly following God's will for your life. In Escape to the Hiding Place Patrick and Becky find themselves in Holland during World War II. The cousins get to help out in a big way and learn that there are lots of ways to help God's kingdom. These are quality books for young readers. They are filled with adventure, danger and lots of learning moments. They show character, humility, bravery and many other redeeming qualities. I'm very happy to have fun and positive books to share with my two emerging readers. I received copies of these books from Tyndale publishing for the purpose of this review.

Adventures in Odyssey Devotional

Adventures in Odyssey: 90 Devotions for Kids is a wonderful new devotional for kids. The familiar characters from the Adventures in Odyssey series fill this book sharing story examples that reinforce the devotional topic. There are 13 themes each with 6-7 devotions per theme. The devotions are short, about two pages which is a perfect length for this age, but they are packed with information and Biblical truths. There's a daily challenge with each lesson and a memory versus. I'm planning on using this for our next family devotional. The themes covered include Salvation, Learning about Jesus, Discipleship, Prayer, The Bible, Exercising Faith, Forgiveness, Giving, Witnessing, Worship, Going to Church, Serving Others and Overcoming Sin. It's a great line-up that I can't wait to share with my kids. I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review.

For your young naturalists!

Jim Arnosky an author of many wonderful nature books has an absolute gem of a series with his lovable character, Crinkleroot. These books are sure to awaken the naturalist in all readers both young and old alike. Join the jolly nature lover Crinkleroot as he shares all about the great outdoors. There are all kinds of guides like knowing trees or birds or a guide to tracking. There's even a nature almanac in this series which all books offer an engaging overview of nature. The detailed illustrations are charming and my two enjoy looking for Crinkleroot’s pet snake sassafras on each page. My two have learned so much from this series and even more they have retained so much of that information. Sadly, several of these books are out of print but hopefully your library has a good selection available to choose from as ours does. Join Crinkleroot on one of his walks through nature and let him show you all the treasures there are to be found. Some of the titles in this series include: I was Born in a Tree and Raised by Bees, Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing the Trees, Crinkleroot's Nature Almanac, Crinkleroot's Guide to Walking in Wild Places, Crinkleroot's Guide to Giving Back to Nature, Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing the Birds, Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Animal Habitats, Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Butterflies and Moths, Crinkleroot's Guide to Animal Tracking, Crinkleroot's 25 Birds Every Child Should Know, Crinkleroot's 25 Mammals Every Child Should Know, and several more.

Hope For Parents of Troubled Teens by Connie Rae. This is an informative read for anyone with kid's teen years and younger. It is very comprehensive about different struggles that you and your teen might go through and how to handle them. It also is a great proactive resource helping you build a relationship with your children and prepare you for what teens may go through as they grow. I know I will reference this book in throughout the years as it is packed with useful advice and ideas. It's centered on Christian teachings and truths. There are scripture references and prayers as well as lots of ideas on actions you can do to help take a look at the bigger picture during these sometimes-trying adolescent years. It's well written, very conversational. The author, Connie Rae is counselor, mom and also a parent that went through a tough time with her own son as a teenager. She openly shares and draws from her own personal experience. This book is a great resource and help. I received a copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers for the purpose of this review.

K5 Learning

We've just completed our free blogger trial with K5 Learning and I'm excited to share about this great site. I let both my children, preschool and early elementary ages, try out this site. Both were engaged with the activities and both would ask if they could play on the site without my prompting. I think that speaks volumes when the kids actually enjoy doing educational games and activities. For those not familiar with K5 Learning it's an online site that offers reading, spelling and math skill building for levels K-5 though I must say my preschooler also found lots to do while on the site. I can see so many applications that this site could help with like; for kids that might be struggling in these areas, for keeping learning activities going throughout the summer months, for a fun but educational outlet for kids to enjoy some computer time after school and as a supplemental to a homeschool curriculum. They also offer an assessment which both of my kids took. It was great to see where they are excelling, on target or where they need a little more help in an area. You can sign up for a free trial to see if it's right for your family and there is also lots of information and resources for parents on their blog.

I Couldn't Love You More & a Giveaway!

I Couldn't Love You More by Jason Ingram and Matt Hammitt with illustrations by Polona Lovsin is a simple read to share with your little ones. There's very little text on each page but there's a powerful message in those words. This story shares two amazing truths of how God is always with us and while we parents couldn't love our children more Jesus loves them even more. It's a wonderful reassuring read, a perfect way to wind down the day with these promises from God. The illustrations are of sweet animals playing or cuddling with their parents. They are vibrant and fun. Matt Hammitt is the lead singer of the band Sanctus Real and wrote these words originally as part of song with the same title that can be found on the album, Every Falling Tear. Here's a link to a video of Bowen and his children sharing about the inspiration behind this book.


I received a copy of this book from Tyndale Publishing for the purpose of this review.