Wonder Maps - A Review

Bright Ideas Press has an exciting new program called Wonder Maps. This comes from the same people who created Illuminations (you can see my review of that here. I think that Wonder Maps has to be the best thing since sliced bread. I can't tell you how many times I've been in need of a particular map and had the hardest time locating one. But no more, because Wonder Maps covers all the bases for your map needs.

The Wonder Maps program is installed on your computer and when you open it, the Home page comes up in Adobe Reader.

You then have the option of choosing from World Maps, United States Maps, Historical Maps, and Thematic Maps. In total there are over 350 customizable maps available to you. Once you locate the map you want in the appropriate section, you then have the flexibility of tuning various layers on and off, depending upon your particular needs.

For example, if you are studying US Geography, you can print out maps for each child with all the relevant data; state and city names, rivers and their names, capital locations and names, etc. Once you're ready to quiz or test your child, you can go back to the same map and turn off those layers, leaving you with a black and white outline map to print out.

Perhaps you need an historical map. In that section, there are four categories, The Ancients (Creation to 33 A.D.), The Middle Ages (33 A.D. to 1456 A.D.), The Renaissance, Reformation, and Growth of Nations (1457 A.D. to 1707 A.D.), Revolutions to Rising Times (1708 A.D. to present).

Now let's say you want specifics about the Aztec Empire. You simply go to the Renaissance option and scroll chronologically down to the desired map.

You may now select the layers you'd like to have on or off to customize your map. There is also a Modern Overlay which will show you what the map looks like in modern times. This can provide a very interesting perspective as you study historical maps.

The Thematic Maps section includes Biblical maps, Chinese Dynasties, Native Americans, Explorers, American History, World Wars, and 20th Century Treaties. Additionally, if you use Mystery of History or All American History (Bright Ideas Press), you can easily locate the maps that coordinate with those programs.

There is also a Teacher's Guide page on the Home site which provides you with additional resources; quick start guide, video tutorial, user manual, bonus MP3 workshops, and other helpful resources.

There is so much flexibility and so many map options available and yet the program is only $49.95. This is a product you will be able to use for many years, grades, and subjects. It's not consumable and you can print as many different maps as you need, or just review them on the computer.


Learn what other TOS Crew members had to say about Wonder Maps at the TOS Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: I was provided access to Wonder Maps to utilize their program for review as a member of the TOS Crew. The opinions stated here are my own.

GoTrybe - A Review

GoTrybe is an online, interactive social community dedicated to the health and wellness of our youth. Their mission is to change some of the normal sedentary screen time into activity and health education. If children are going to spend time in front of a screen, why not make it productive?

You child will have an online account with GoTrybe where they can will have access to fitness, nutrition, motivation and wellness information. He or she can personalize the experience with a customized avatar and My Page. The fitness portion can be individually designed for each child, including instructional videos. They offer reward points as your child completes his or daily exercise program. The points can be redeemed for enhanced online rewards such as avatar upgrades.

GoTrybe is made up of three Trybes for kids to join:

ZooDoos up to 5th grade
Trybe180 6th-9th grade
Nextrybe 10th-12th grade

While I had hoped this would appeal to my not very active teenage son, since he loves all things computer related, I just couldn't get him on board with this. I imagine that it would be a little easier with younger or more motivated children.

You can find out more about the program and sign up for a free one-day trial at the GoTrybe website. If you want to subscribe, it's $19.95 for one year.


Learn what other TOS Crew members had to say about GoTrybe.com at the TOS Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: I was provided access to the GoTrybe site to utilize their program for review as a member of the TOS Crew. The opinions stated here are my own.

Nutrition 101 - A Review

Are you tired of fighting the food battle with your kids? Does it seem that they don't really listen when you try and tell them why some foods are good for them and others aren't? Nutrition 101: Choose Life! is a comprehensive health and nutrition curriculum that can help take that pressure off of you, while helping you teach your children to understand the effects of food on the body for themselves.

Growing Healthy Homes is a site created to educate and train families regarding God's plan to optimum health as outlined in the Bible. Their product line includes family-centered and health-infused books/e-books, as well as educational materials for users of pure therapeutic-grade essential oils.

I was excited to have the opportunity to review Nutrition 101: Choose Life!. This 448-page book (also available on a CD-ROM or as a combo package) teaches about the major body systems; particularly how they function and the effects of food, both nutritional and not.

The twelve main body systems are covered in six units:

Unit 1 - The Brain and Nervous System
Unit 2 - The Digestive System
Unit 3 - The Respiratory, Olfactory, Auditory, and Visual Systems
Unit 4 - The Muscular and Skeletal Systems
Unit 5 - The Cardiovascular and Immune Systems
Unit 6 - The Endocrine System & Emotions

The program is designed to be taught over the course of a year. Each unit consists of four chapters which teach all about how that particular system works. They're engaging with fun facts, colorful images, and vocabulary words. They also include discussion questions, activities, additional resources, and recipes. There's a plan which outlines teaching one chapter per week. In addition, the recipes and an answer guide to the activities follow the six units and there are also 120+ pages in the Appendix, offering charts, tables, and articles to enhance your discussion and activities.

One of the goals of Nutrition 101: Choose Life! is for your child(ren) to learn to take responsibility for his or her own health. Instead of feeling like they have to eat certain foods or can't eat other foods just because their parents say so, they'll learn why those foods help or hurt their bodies, so that they're empowered to make intelligent decision on their own. If you're concerned about having a picky eater, one of the co-authors shares her tactics in the beginning of the book for just such a situation.

The book and CD-ROM are available at the Growing Healthy Homes website. You can read an excerpt from the book here. Just scroll down a little ways to the link.

I would definitely recommend this curriculum for teaching (or supplementing) your children about health and nutrition. It's a well thought out, comprehensive program.

You can also see what other TOS Crew members had to say about Nutrition 101: Choose Life! at the TOS Crew Blog.


Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of Nutrition 101: Choose Life! for review as a member of the TOS Crew. The opinions stated here are my own.

VocabAhead SAT Vocabulary - a Review

VocabAhead SAT Vocabulary: Cartoons, Videos & MP3s covers the bases with various teaching methods. There are cartoons in the book for each of the 300 vocabulary words, as well as online video* and audio files you'll be able to access with a code from the book. Being able to teach to both auditory and visual learners is very helpful and so much more interesting for your student(s) than a dry workbook or flash cards.

Having MP3 audio files is a wonderful feature because you can listen in the car, upload to your iPod or other music player, providing another opportunity for review. It's also nice to have someone pronounce the words for those that you may not be familiar with.

From the website:

"VocabAhead, with the help of talented artists, high school teachers and professional narrators created this product so students involved in building strong vocabulary have best possible material. VocabAhead is dedicated to coming up with methods and techniques which would simplify the process of building a strong vocabulary. Strong vocabulary is not only essential in doing excellent in standardized Tests like SAT but also key to professional development and getting ahead in your career."

After every ten words, there's a review page. The first part of the review is a matching exercise and the second portion is fill-in-the-blank.

The products are available at Amazon. The book can be purchased by itself for $12.95 or you can buy the book with the DVD that contains the video* and audio files for $16.99.

There is also a book/DVD combo available that contains 1,000 SAT vocabulary words for $24.99.




* Personally, I wouldn't call them videos - they're the cartoons from the book with audio narration.

As always, go check out what other reviewers had to say about VocabAhead SAT Vocabulary at the TOS Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of VocabAhead SAT Vocabulary for my use and review. The opinions stated here are my own.

Virtual Nerd - a Review

It seems like math and science are two of the more difficult subjects for many families to teach in homeschool - particularly as the kids move into the higher grades. Private tutoring can be a huge help, but it can also be a huge expense, which some families just can't manage. If you're looking for some assistance for your kids, particularly in 7th - 12th grades, you should definitely check out Virtual Nerd.

Virtual Nerd is an online tutoring program that I've found to be pretty awesome. They currently have Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, and Algebra II and Physics videos available (1,000+) and plan to add Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Physics with Trig, and Chemistry in the next year. Biology will be following that.

You select the concept that you want some help with and a new window opens to a video with an instructor at their patent-pending Dynamic Whiteboard™. On the right side, you'll see a step-by-step script which follows along with the instructions.

If you don't need the first portion of that concept explained, you can skip ahead to the part you want, by clicking on that section in the script. Or, if there's something you don't understand, a term or concept, you can mouse over it in the script box and it will show a pop-up window that provides you with other tutorial videos which will explain that term or concept. In the meantime, it puts the original video you were watching into the background, but remains in the same place, so you can return to it. You can continue to bring up new videos over and over, as you review or learn about portions of a concept. Once you're done with that, you can close it, and go right back to the previous video.

The videos are presented in a clear and easy-to-understand manner. I love the fact that your child can skip right to the portion they need help in; they don't have to sit through a video of information they already know. This helps to keep them engaged and interested. I think the individualization is an incredible feature of Virtual Nerd.

Virtual Nerd is available on a subscription basis and there are four different options, so you're sure to find one that meets your needs. You can take a look at those choices here. And in case, you think you'll have to sign up for something long-term, there's even an option for a single day. Sometimes that's all it takes to get your student back on track.

You'll find an introductory video as well as a lot of other information and FAQs. It's definitely worth taking a look at - for both you and your student.

If you need more proof, take a look at what other TOS Crew members had to say about Virtual Nerd at the TOS Crew Blog.


Disclaimer: I was provided access to the Virtual Nerd site to utilize their program for review as a member of the TOS Crew. The opinions stated here are my own.

Wits & Wagers Family - a Review

My family loves to play games. Hubby, the boys, and me, but also my parents, sister, and her family. We all love Wits & Wagers Family from North Star Games. We played when the game arrived and then on Thanksgiving night, we played with family members ranging from 11 to Grandpa and everyone had a terrific time. Well, we've also played plenty of times since then, too.

From the website:

Wits & Wagers Family simplifies the rules and scoring system of the popular Wits & Wagers. Now families and kids can get into the Wits & Wagers action! First, every player writes down a guess to a fun question. Then players try to score points by choosing which guess is closest to the right answer without going over. That is it!

The game features 300 new family-friendly questions. And even better than that, Wits & Wagers Family includes Meeples-- fun, cute, human shaped wooden pieces that the players use to select which answers they think are correct. Meeples have been a hallmark in European style strategy games for years, but this is the first time they have made an appearance in a party game.

The Meeples are the cutest! I think I'll have to keep an eye on them. I have a certain niece who might like to take them out for a spin. Or ClayGuy may think they'd make a good clay accessory.

On the box, the game is for ages 8 and up and can be played by 3 to 10 people. With 3 to 5 people, you an play as individuals, but more than 5, you play in teams of two. We've played both individually and in teams. Both ways are every bit as fun as the other. It's great that you don't have to know the answer to the questions, you just have to be good at figuring out who has the closest answer.

If you're in the market for a new family game, I would absolutely recommend Wits & Wagers Family.

Oh, if I didn't do enough to convince you, you can go to the TOS Crew Blog to read more reviews.

Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of Wits & Wagers Family to play and review. The opinions stated here are my own.

ALEKS Math - a Review

ALEKS (Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces) is a web-based math curriculum that utilizes artificial intelligence to provide an adaptive, individual learning program. It able to identify what your child does and doesn't know and then directs him/her to the next appropriate math skill to learn. It provides examples, assessments, and immediate feedback for the student.

Yes, I am able to do high school algebra, but there's some re-learning involved (it's been more than a few years!), so it's nice that my son has a program that gives him individualized lessons and help. He really likes using ALEKS in our homeschool. While math is a sequential subject, he has the flexibility to jump around from one math skill to another - all within the confines of what ALEKS identifies appropriate for his learning path. So if he's a little stuck or bored with a specific topic, he can work on something different for a time, and come back to that later.

He also really likes being able to see his progress immediately (no waiting for mom to grade papers!). A Student Pie Chart is provided which is split up into pieces for various learning areas. At the center of each pie wedge, a darker segment of color extends out, indicating mastery in that particular skill set. It's nice for both him and me to have a visual review like this. As you mouse over a particular area, a window comes up which further explains what's covered and includes a link to an example of that skill.

ALEKS doesn't use multiple choice questions, so your child has to come up with an answer, not just guess. Because it's individualized and the student has to reach mastery of foundational skills, he/she is not moved on to new topics until ready. ALEKS is also able to identify gaps in your child's math knowledge and provide the lessons and practice needed to cover them. Courses are available from 3rd grade through 12th, from basic arithmetic to Pre-Calculus and Trigonometry. There is also a wealth of resources available and are listed by education role (parents, students, homeschoolers, and tutors).

ALEKS uses Java and is compatible with both Windows and Mac. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial to try it out and see what you think. If you decide to continue, it's a subscription-based program with three payment options. Monthly - $19.95, 6-months - $99.95, or 12-months - $179.95 (one child). For multiple students, there are family discounts at the 6- and 12-month levels. There are no textbooks necessary, just the internet.

There's so much to this program, I'm not sure I've done it justice! Please be sure to read more about ALEKS in other reviews at the TOS Crew blog.


Disclaimer: I was provided with a free trial subscription to try out ALEKS. The opinions stated here are my own.

Illuminations - A Review

As much as I like to make my own way, there are certainly times that having things planned out for you is an wonderful blessing. So it is with Illuminations from Bright Ideas Press.

I reviewed the High School, Year 2 edition. Illuminations is a wrap-around program designed to be used with Mystery of History or All American History (also from Bright Ideas Press). It's available for grades 3 through 8 and high school. The flexibility of this program is so cool! It has lesson plans all laid out for you, just ready to print when you need them. But the terrific part is that if there's a particular subject that you have different curriculum you prefer to use, you just click in the box and type your own plan, replacing what is there. Then you can print it out, all nicely modified and personalized for your own students.

The weekly schedule prints out in a grid format and they lightly color each subject in various shades for easy readability. My boys and I all love having a weekly plan at a glance, so this is a great format.

Just what does the product cover?

History - Mystery of History (or All American History)

Bible - reading plan that includes memorization and journaling

Writing - WriteShop 1 & 2 or The Write Stuff Adventure

Literature - Literature Guides are included; you'll need to purchase specific works separately, although some are from the Bible, and some are available online or at the library. There's a nice variety of literary works included.

Vocabulary - English from the Roots Up, Volume 2

Grammar - Winston Grammar

Geography - The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide

Humanities - The Art of Poetry

Life 101 - Cracking the SAT, Do Hard Things, Hollywood Worldviews, Precepts: Finances

You provide your own math program, which makes the most sense since student can be in so many different levels at this age.

The program runs in Adobe Reader 9 (free!) and is very simple to use. Everywhere you need to go has a clickable link. The start-up screen offers you the following choices:

1. Quick Start - Provides an excellent introduction and instructions. Here you will find directions for individual subjects. There is also a User Guide, Book & Program Checklist, Notebook Spines you can print out, and a Literature Evaluation form to assist you in grading literary assignments. You will also find Supplemental Activities and an Evaluation/Grading Rubric in this section.
2. Browse by Subject - Specific lessons related to each subject. Also included are Supplemental resources and Graphic Organizers (a tremendous asset, particularly for visual learners).
3. Browse by Date - Click on any week of the year to see that week's specific plans.
4. Contact Info/License - Contact Bright Ideas Press through a variety of means, take a look at their catalog, or read the license agreement.

The high school program is priced as follows:

Full year download = $95.00
One semester download = $47.50
Full year on CD = $115.00

Pricing for grades 3-8 can be found on the Illuminations site. Many of the necessary resources can be purchased from Bright Ideas Press.

For a look at the actual product, check out their sample pages.

If you want to have well thought out, organized, yet flexible, plans for your homeschool, I highly recommend looking into Illuminations. Bright Ideas Press, check out the TOS Crew Blog.

Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew, I was provided a free copy of Illuminations - Year 2, High School to review. The opinions stated here are my own.

The Write Foundation - a Review

The Write Foundation offers three levels of writing, recommended for ages 11 - 17.



Level 1: Sentence to Paragraph Writing (ages 11-13)
Level 2: Paragraph Writing (ages 12-15)
Level 3: Essay Writing (ages 14-17)

While my boys are of the appropriate age for Essay Writing, I chose Paragraph Writing, because writing is one of those topics that hasn’t had much attention in our homeschool. Of course, it’s hard when you have a child who despises writing in any way, shape, or form. Fortunately, the Write Foundation doesn’t throw your kids into things like creative writing, compare and contrast, etc. right off the bat. Their focus is primarily on first building a solid foundation of writing skills, which is precisely what we needed.

From The Write Foundation website:

Many writing curricula focus on the different types of writing, such as creative writing, story writing, poetry writing, persuasive writing, argumentative writing, informative writing, descriptive writing, book writing, fiction writing, novel writing, but the basic foundation of writing is assumed. The Write Foundation begins with the writing process, how a student formulates a topic, then a thesis, then supporting points, and by incremental teaching drills in the basics. In most grammatical subjects, we have found that failure is almost totally because the basics have not been learned.

The Write Foundation writing curriculum is a result of 8 years of successfully teaching homeschooled students in a one-day-per-week co-op setting. It has been adapted for a homeschool and used by numerous homeschooling parents to give their own children the tools of how to quickly organize and write an essay with excellence.

One of my favorite things about this curriculum is that my kids didn’t have to come up with their own ideas for what to write about. That can be an enormous hindrance in the writing process when a child is trying to remember all they need to know in order to write, which leaves little to no room to consider what topic they might wish to write about. In the beginning, this program use existing paragraphs and your child has to pull important information from which to generate an outline and then write a new paragraph based upon the outline. They’re not expected to perfectly replicate the original paragraph, but demonstrate the ability to create a good paragraph from block outline notes.

From there, a variety of lessons are presented which systematically increase the student’s writing skills, such as using quality adjectives to some fun poetry forms. When I normally mention the word poetry, I have one son who’s ready to head for the hills. But the poetry presented in the Paragraph Writing curriculum is much less intimidating than many programs. I hope to move from tolerable to enjoyable one of these days.

The student’s paragraphs and poetry are to be typed, which is a bonus for anyone who struggles with putting pencil (or pen) to paper. Every week’s lesson follows a similar format, adding new skills while including previous skills, so the students become familiar with what to expect. Each child has a well-organized binder, complete with checklists and guidelines, making it easy to access necessary information for assignments. This organization also makes it helpful for the parent to review and grade the completed work. They also provide a standard grading system, so you’re not on your own in figuring out grades.

Each Write Foundation level has 30 lessons. There are a few different options for how to purchase this product. You can purchase a complete package which includes the Teacher's Guide, the Student Worksheets, and an Additional Resources CD for all 30 lessons for $100*. Or you can purchase the same items for just 15 lessons for $65*.

You can also purchase just the Teacher's Guide (Instruction Manual) for all 30 lessons for $70* or 15 lessons for $45*. The worksheet sets (200 pages, 3-hole punched) run $25** for all 30 lessons or $15 for 15 lessons. The Additional Resources CD is optional and can be purchased for $15*.

They provide a recommended daily schedule for five or ten days per lesson. The 15-lesson program can taught over a semester or a year, depending upon which schedule works best for you and your child(ren). You can go here to take a look at sample lessons.

Mind Benders® are also incorporated into each lesson, though they are optional. They are deductive, logic puzzles which helps the students learn to organize their thoughts in a sequential and systematic way. If you want to include Mind Benders® you can purchase them from The Critical Thinking Co.™

If you decide to purchase any of The Write Foundation curricula, be aware that you will need to allow for plenty of time to review the product and prepare. It took me a little bit to follow the instructions because there’s a fair amount of page flipping within the teacher’s guide and the student worksheets until it began to come together for me. Once I had done a couple of lessons down, it made more sense.

* prices exclude S&H and tax

You can also go here to check out other reviews of The Write Foundation.

Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew, I was provided a free copy of Paragraph Writing Lessons 1-15, Teacher's Guide and Student Worksheets to review. The opinions stated here are my own.

PG Key - a Review

In this day and age, parents really can't afford to be without parental controls for their kids. Even the best of children can stumble onto sites that you'd rather they didn't; it's just the nature of the Internet. I've used a couple of different products and recently had the opportunity to review PG Key.

PG Key looks like a red USB flash drive. You just pop the PG Key into an available USB slot and follow the instructions to install and activate the program. Some of the things you can do with PG Key:

• control the amount of time spent on the computer
• provide a safe, filtered search page
• block undesirable words, phrases, and sites
• receive activity notifications
• see both sides of chat and email conversations
• keep track of user names and passwords
• update your settings any time from another computer
• review all of your child's activity

While many of these features and typical fare for a filtering program, I really like the Activity Tracking. With this, you can quickly and easily review all of your child's recent Internet activity. In the settings, you determine how often you want PG Key to take a screenshot. This is recorded like a stop-motion video. You'll be able to see every page your child has visited.

Your child will only have access to the computer when PG Key is plugged in. If your child isn't allowed on the computer for a certain period of time, you can remove PG Key and he or she will be unable to get on. On our desktop, my husband and I have password-protected accounts and our boys have non-password accounts. If I take out the PG Key, neither of them can access anything on the computer. I made it very clear that they are not allowed to remove the PG Key or take it anywhere to prevent each other from having computer access.

The controls were a little confusing at first, as some are accessed by clicking on the PG Key in your system tray, while others are available when you log in online. I wouldn't say that it's hard, I just had to look around a little bit to find some settings.

I was also disappointed that the only time controls limit the total amount of time per day for each user. With the program I was using prior to this review, you could set the time of day for each day of the week, which is a much better option for our family. Hopefully that's a change they can make in future versions.

There is no annual or monthly fee to use PG Key. You just need one for each computer. But you can monitor multiple users on a single computer. So once you've made your initial purchase ($49.95 retail), you're set. You can buy PG Key online or check their store locator for a local retail store. They'll also let you try the product out with their free trial.

You can also go here to check out other reviews of PG Key.

Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew, I was provided a free PG Key to review. The opinions stated here are my own.

Yuck - a Review

Just to set the record straight, Yuck is a noun, not a verb. So this is not a review that's yucky. It's a review of Yuck from the folks at Buckets-O-Fun.

So here's the short review: my two teenage boys loved this stuff! They played with it for an hour and a half! The first time.

And the long version: We received a sample pack, so there were small portions of each of four types of Yuck; Chunky Yuck, Snowy Yuck, Saucy Yuck, and Sticky Yuck. What you start with is some dry stuff resembling rock salt, sugar, or powder. You place the Yuck into a bowl (or wading pool) and add some water (don't worry - they'll tell you how much to add). It absorbs the water and becomes some wild and crazy polymer substance that is loads of fun to play around with. It's a blast for most ages, although I wouldn't recommend it for kids who like to put everything in their mouths.

Each product includes instructions for mixing, as well as a variety of ideas for fun and games. There is also information for mixing each product in a scientific manner as you go through the steps. I imagine most kids could probably come up with a bunch more ideas for their Yuck.

We started with Chunky Yuck because it has a longer absorption time. We ended up with a big bowl of resembling jello-y ice cubes. Well, not cubes, but blocky-shaped pieces. According to the packaging, Chunky Yuck is great fun for hydrating in a wading pool and you can hide things in it for kids to find, wrestle in it, or other such things. Personally, I'm thinking you could even lay in it in the summer and just chill.

Next up, we mixed up Sticky Yuck. Emphasis on the word sticky. Once you're in it, you're not sure you'll ever get out. One son loved it, the other one preferred to play with other Yucks.





The much-anticipated Snowy Yuck was mixed next.

water being poured into Snowy Yuck


This stuff is amazing - it looks exactly like snow. But it's not cold, nor does it melt. I was thinking this could be really fun for some sort of centerpiece at Christmas. They recommend using this one in a wading pool for similar games as with the Chunky Yuck. You could also put it down on a Slip-N-Slide™ for some extra slippery sliding. Great way to have a Christmas in July party.

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow


Last, we mixed up the batch of Saucy Yuck, which gives you some Yucky fun in the consistency of applesauce. They recommended using Saucy Yuck in water balloons or on the Slip-N-Slide™. You can also purchase a Yuckooza (Yuck accessory) with which to shoot your Saucy Yuck at friends and family.

If plain old white Yuck doesn't cut it, you can also purchase tints to add for someone colorful Yuck fun. Yuck comes in one, five, and fifty pound packages. The one pound packages range from $16-20. You can check the website for the larger amounts. If you'd like to try each one to get a Yucky feel for them, you can request a sample packet. They'll send one out per individual/organization. Then you can decide just which Yuck is right for you.

While you're at the site, be sure to take a look at the other terrific things Buckets-O-Fun carries. Things like inflatable Belly Bumpers and Mammoth Beach Balls or perhaps water balloon launchers and Sqwistles.

My high school boys thought Yuck rocked! They're very excited to order some more.

Disclaimer: I was provided a free sample packet of Yuck to review. The opinions stated here are my own.

Not to worry - Yuck is a non-toxic, water-based product. They all clean up with warm water, and in the case of Sticky Yuck, a little patience and some paper towels.

You can check out others TOS Crew members' experience with Yuck here.

Foundlings - A Review

Foundlings
Book One of The Peleg Chronicles by Matthew Christian Harding

Although I don’t personally read fantasy fiction these days, when I received Foundlings, and read the cover, it sounded like this could be a refreshingly different story.

“There be dragons. There be giants. And God: our maker, our help, and our righteous judge.” The Warrior’s broad hand rested upon the eager shoulder of a boy. “Does it not stir your soul?”

It was in the days of Peleg, when the world was divided. After the flood of Noah, after the tower of Babel and the dispersion, when men wondered where they were upon the earth, and where their fellows had gone to, when beasts were more numerous than men – predators in the wood, in the water, and in the air. But men struggled and fought, carving their place. And in the process of time they once again began to multiply upon the face of the earth.

Fergus was shield-bearer, sworn protector of his liege Lord. Armed with spear and sword, his purpose, he knew was to defend his master, anticipate danger, and support assault. But keeping up with McDougal’s long legs was difficult, and he trembled with excitement of what might come next.

A human voice screaming, and McDougal exploded down the hillside. A moment later, he leapt upon a rock twenty feet from the bog’s discernable edge and drew back the first arrow. Fergus scrambled up beside him.

On the other side of the marsh, a man of dwarf height, thickset and slightly hunched, staggered from the woods – a mace outstretched above his head. He peered into the high branches of the forest. But the pursuing creature, whatever it was did not emerge from the canopy above. Down at the forest floor, near the base of the great dead tree, a black mouth, imbued with yellowed teeth, hissed and snarled. The dwarf screamed and swung his mace through the air…” (from the back cover)

Peleg is not a very well-known Bible character, but he was the great, great, great grandson of Noah. He was born about 100 years after the flood. While this is a fictional book, Mr. Harding has done quite a bit of research into this timeframe (approximately 2249-2010 B.C.), which he skillfully uses in the story. He holds to a young-earth, creationist view of history. If you’re interested in the more of the historical aspects of the time of Peleg, Mr. Harding shares a timeline on his website, along with biblical references to dragons and giants, and other information.

Personally, it was a little hard getting hooked in the beginning of the story. It did come around and become more interesting and intriguing. I found myself eager to finish the story and learn the outcome for the various characters. I know there are varied opinions regarding magic in fantasy fiction, but this book is promoted as having no magic, evolution, or humanism. Additionally, the truths of God are woven throughout the story. The message comes across pretty heavily, but it wasn’t an issue for either my son or me. We’ll be placing our order for Book Two, Paladins. There will be a third book in the series, Lord willing.

There are some darker portions of the book, though it’s not a gruesome and gory tale. This would be a good book for pre-teens and up, particularly those who are fascinated with fantasy fiction stories. Foundlings and Paladins are published by Zoe & Sozo for $11.95 each, or they can also be ordered through Amazon.


If you'd like more input, you can read more reviews of Foundlings by other members at the TOS Crew blog.

Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of Foundlings to review on behalf of the TOS Crew. The opinions stated here are my own.

Out of the Mouth of the Lion - a Book Review

I recently had the opportunity to read and review a book from Salem Ridge Press, entitled Out of the Mouth of the Lion. This book was written by a Victorian children’s author, Emma Leslie, and originally published in 1875.

The story follows the lives of Flaminius, a high Roman official, his wife, Flavia, and her sister, Sisidona. After attending the sacrifice of Christians to a lion at the Coliseum, Flavia is profoundly affected by the faith of these believers, even in the faith of such a horrendous death. Flavia ultimately comes to faith in Jesus Christ, putting herself and her family in a precarious situation as the Roman persecution of Christians continues to escalate. Fearing for his wife as well as himself, Flaminius obtains a transfer to another city. As the persecution continues to spread and intensify, Flaminius and his family are forced to move a number of times, ultimately traveling to the seven cities mentioned in Revelation. Each city is living in the time of the letters written to them. Throughout their journey, Flavia prays in earnest for her husband to come to a saving knowledge of Christ. Flaminius is repulsed by Christianity, and although he loves his wife dearly, he decides that the only way to remain with peaceably with her is to agree never to speak of her newfound faith. He remains adamant in his belief and worship of the Roman gods until something happens that causes him to question not only all that he has believed, but also that which his wife believes.

As this book was published over 130 years ago, the language is rather archaic, however, when republished, the unusual vocabulary words were included on the bottom of the pages along with their definition. Because of the wording, I wasn’t sure how well my two boys would manage, so we used this book as a read-aloud story. I found it to be a fascinating and intense story, as did the boys. It was very powerful to read of the faith of the characters as they remained true to the Lord, in spite of the threats and persecution of Christians. It was interesting to read about the cities in Asia Minor, and look at how the way they were commended and rebuked might have actually played out at the time the letters in Revelation were written. It’s refreshing to read a book where Biblical truth is maintained.

Salem Ridge Press was founded by Daniel Mills, a young man who is a homeschool graduate. Because of two old books which Daniel read while still a teen, a desire to republish similar books was born. Salem Ridge Press is a family-owned business in Pennsylvania and Philippians 4:8 provides their underlying philosophy. Daniel strongly believes that what we put into our minds contributes significantly to our character. As such, he seeks to provide reading material that fits the qualifications outlined in the Bible. Not all books published by Salem Ridge Press are specifically Christian, but they all have strong moral values and encourage positive character.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8

You can read other reviews of not only Out of the Mouth of the Lion, but also other books by Salem Ridge Press at the TOS Homeschool Crew blog.

Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of Out of the Mouth of the Lion to review. The opinions stated here are my own.

Math Tutor Reviews

I recently had the opportunity to review two of Math Tutor’s DVDs: Pre-Algebra Tutor, Volume I and The Texas Instruments TI-83/TI-84 Calculator Tutor.

Pre-Algebra Tutor, Volume I
I would love to have had the Pre-Algebra Tutor before my boys started down the Algebra path. The instructor, Jason, does a good job of explaining things in laymen’s terms. There can be times when you read a definition or rule in Algebra in your textbook and come away feeling a little confused. Jason just tells it like it is. Both of my boys agreed that even though they’re both beyond the scope of this particular Math Tutor DVD, it was a helpful review as they jump back into the school year. In fact, my older son has struggled with Absolute Value, but when Jason explained it on the DVD, it suddenly clicked for him. I think this year will be a little easier now that he understands it better.

Jason writes everything on a white board, provides plenty of examples, and speaks conversationally. Now I will admit that when I watched it, I kind of got drowsy. But I think it doesn’t fit my learning style, as I seem to get that way with most instructional DVDs (my apologies to all those wonderful people who make them!). There are also sample videos on the website, so check those out to get a sense of what the DVDs are like.

My youngest son has a hard time learning Algebra from me, even though I understand it just fine. As you can imagine, this has caused some issues during math for us. But a program like this makes all the difference in the world. He loves computers and videos and this really works for him. There are those times that you need a little outside help and if it’s in Pre-Algebra, I would recommend getting this DVD set. Of course, they also have DVDs covering all other areas of Math, so whatever your need, you should be able to find something to help.

Because the concepts are divided into different segments, you can easily get to a specific concept to work on with your child – whether that child is learning it for the first time or needs a little review. These can be watched by your child independently, but if you watch along, you’ll be able to reinforce what Jason has taught. The two DVDs are broken down into nine lessons for a total of five hours of instruction. Concepts covered in this set are:

1. Real Numbers
2. The Number Line
3. Great Than, Less Than, Equal To
4. Absolute Value & Adding Integers
5. Subtracting Integers
6. Multiplying Integers
7. Dividing Integers
8. Powers and Exponents
9. Order of Operations

The retail price of this set is $34.99 – quite a value for a good foundation in your child’s Algebra education.

Texas Instruments TI-83/TI-84 Calculator Tutor
If you’re not familiar with them, the TI-83 and TI-84 are both graphing calculators with advanced functions. For those who don’t really enjoy reading through typically dry product manuals, Math Tutor’s DVD is the way to go. They have an enlarged working calculator on the screen and they walk you through the myriad of functions available on this calculator. It’s great to see exactly how to operate it. They give a number of examples for each function, allowing you to follow along and try it for yourself.

The DVDs work very well for anyone. Personally, I’m a right-brained, visual person, so seeing the functions done in a way that I can follow along was great. My son is right-brained and doesn’t always learn as well directly from me, and he thought this was a wonderful way to learn.

It comes with three DVDs which contain a total of eight hours of video. With 37 total lessons, they average around just 13 minutes each. Having your child use the DVDs will enable them to learn all the functions of the calculator and get the most out of it. At a list price of $31.99, it’s a good value for all your child can learn (or you, if you’re interested!).

Your child could watch these independently as they don’t require any parental oversight. Since it’s on DVD, you have the convenience of letting them watch on the computer, TV, or a portable DVD player – whatever works best for your family.

You can also see what other TOS Crew members had to say in their reviews here.

Disclaimer: I was provided free copies of these two Math Tutor DVDs to review. The opinions stated here are my own.

Travel the World Review

The Old Schoolhouse has a wonderful addition to their annual Schoolhouse Planner – monthly modules. Each module is available as a downloadable e-book ($7.95 each) and is a great way to supplement your homeschooling efforts (you don’t have to have the Planner to use these).

I had the opportunity to review the June 2010 Module, Travel the World, which offers a fun and interactive journey into geography. The beginning section is geared toward younger kids, and then there’s a high school portion for the older students.

I thought that the younger kids section was quite interesting and enjoyable. This module has an amazing number of links and resources that really help your children as they learn about geography. They'll have access to games, informational pages, and quizzes. If they’re old enough to read on their own, they can do this independently. If not, you can sit down at the computer with them, read it aloud, and work through the games and resources together. I showed my husband some of the links and he and I even had fun playing the country matching games and refreshing our memories.

The geography concepts are explained in a very clear and straight-forward manner, along with handy ditties and ways of remembering facts. Sometimes we may find those a little silly, but let’s face it – they really do work. Is there anyone who can’t complete this?

In fourteen hundred and ninety-two . . .

There are also puzzles, colorings sheets, lapbook ideas and links, manuscript and cursive copywork, and recipes. Because it's an e-book, you can print out the specific pages you want and as many copies you need. With such a variety of activities, you’re sure to keep your kids engaged, whatever their learning style.

I think that for the younger kids, especially those who haven’t had any geography, this is a terrific program. The section for high schoolers is quite a bit smaller than for the younger kids, but by that age, they really should have the basics down. There are still some ideas and resources that can be implemented in conjunction with their current high school studies, which is a nice way to supplement what you’re already doing. With the many links available throughout the module, you’ll have access to plenty of activities to help your children learn about geography.

Remember, there are different modules every month, and you can purchase them all the way back to 2008, so if geography isn’t on your list of needs right now, take a look at what else the Schoolhouse Store has to offer. At just $7.95, you’ll find a wealth of information, and best of all, since it’s an e-book, you’ll have access to it right away with no trips to the store or waiting for the mail!

Disclaimer: I was provided a free copy of the June 2010 Module to review. The opinions stated here are my own.

**Edited to add: You can go here to read more reviews.