Big Book of History from Master Books®

Several weeks ago, I received something really cool in my mailbox.  It looks like this ===>

It’s called Big Book of History and it comes to us from one of my very favorite Christian publishers of educational materials – Master Books.

At first glance, you’ll think this large hard-bound item is just a book – but it’s so much more!  While you are certainly welcome to turn the pages and look at this like you would a regular book, you are also able to open up the entire thing and spread it out like a timeline (a 15 foot timeline, to be exact)!

Now, I need to insert a little homeschooling confession here ---
My kids do not like creating timelines.  And while the thought of them really appeals to me, I have to admit that I’ve not been too fond of the timelines we’ve done.  We’ve tried 3x5 card timelines and notebooking timelines.  The next format I was going to try was an online timeline.  I could just see my girls looking at me and rolling their eyes though. 

So, when the Big Book of History arrived at my door, I was excited!  This book/timeline covers 6,000 years of history, starting with the days of creation and working up to the year 2,010 (when “President Barack Obama declares the U.S. is no longer a Christian Nation”).  The pages are in full-color, making this timeline very visually appealing.  It is divided into color-coded lines, representing four different areas of history – Biblical/Christian, World Events, Inventions/Technology, and Civilizations/Empires – yet tying them all together in one great resource.

Since we have started back with ancient history again this year, this book will be a must-have resource for us for many years to come!  I’m excited about it because we can pull it out and refer to it whenever we want to (daily, even!) and I don’t have to listen to my kids complain!

While the Big Book of History is geared toward ages 7 – 13, I’d venture to guess that your older kids (and you) will get just as much enjoyment out of this book.  It sells for $19.99 and is well worth the price, as it’ll make a great addition to any homeschool bookshelf or church library.

If I didn’t describe it well enough, maybe this video will help:

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book from Master Books and New Leaf Publishing Group.  I was under no obligation to write a review. I only share products that I feel are of good quality and worthy of my reader’s attention.

The Earth – Its Structure & Its Changes

A few weeks ago, on one of my posts for The Homeschool Mother’s Journal, I confessed to my weakness in teaching science.  I’ve never been a fan of science – as a matter of fact, I don’t remember ever enjoying a science class in school.  If we run out of time during our school days, it’s always science that gets put on hold (and sometimes we never get to it – and I don’t even care!). 

I don’t think my friend Jennifer, from New Leaf Publishing, had any idea that I was this much of a science failure when she decided to send me The Earth – Its Structures & Its Changes by Tom DeRosa and Carolyn Reeves.  I’m thinking it was definitely a God-thing, because who better to review a science curriculum than a person who has issues teaching science?! 

Here is what the New Leaf website has to say about this book:

The Earth: Its Structure & Its Changes is a study of the fascinating world of geology. With explanations of how our Earth was shaped, this elementary science curriculum gives evidence to the Genesis Flood, accompanying earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other powerful processes. Students will explore 20 “investigations” through experiments and a very specific learning progression.

The Investigate the Possibilities learning progression:
Engage - Students make a note of what they know or have experienced about the topic.
Investigate - Students will follow the instructions and make observations of what happens.
Explain - Students will begin to understand the science behind what they observed in the investigation.
Apply - Here, the understanding of the investigation is related to other situations and ideas.
Expand -Each investigation also includes a few “Dig Deeper” projects to further understanding.
Assess - Students explain what they have learned.

Students will examine natural occurrences such as mountains, volcanoes, rocks, minerals, crystals, water, and dirt (just to name a few). By using household items such as hard boiled eggs, oranges, measuring cups, maps, clay and markers, these scientific truths will come to life.

This title contains a full circle view of geology, creation, and history. All three of these topics are combined to create the big picture for your student and develop a stronger root in their faith. Also available is the combined teacher’s guide and student journal.

While geology is at the heart of this newest book in the Investigate the Possibilities series, other titles within this series include: Forces & Motion, Matter, and Energy. These are perfect for elementary education, grades 3^rd-6^th.

Authors Tom DeRosa and Carolyn Reeves are committed biblical creationists with a combined 60 years teaching science. Both are excellent at helping students experience science concepts in the world around them.

Here are the things that I like about this book:

• It’s Biblical and God-honoring
• Each lesson (called an “Investigation”) is short and broken up into smaller segments – this makes this curriculum easy to schedule – you can do a few segments each day, or do the entire Investigation all in one day – whatever works best for you and/or your child
• The Think About This section is personal – the stories get the child involved in the lesson and wanting to learn more
• The Procedure & Observation section is very well laid out – the steps are simple to follow.  The items needed to perform the experiments are almost all items you probably already have laying around your house – and they are  broken out in such a way that you don’t have to go searching for them within the text.
• The Science Stuff portions are very informative without sounding too “textbooky”.
• I love the Making Connections section (tying the learning together with life) and the Dig Deeper ideas (these would be great for getting older kids involved as well). 
• The What Did You Learn? section is a great way to wind up each lesson and will help the homeschool parent determine what the child is retaining and where more study may need to be done.  These can be done orally or on paper, and could actually be used as quizzes, if desired.
• The Teacher’s Guide contains the full text of the book (love that!) In addition, it contains objectives for each lesson, extra notes, and answers to the What Did You Learn? questions. It also includes some ideas for further study and resources that are available from the publisher for those who want to learn more.
• The back of the Teacher’s Guide contains reproducible Student Journal forms.  I love these!  There is one for each lesson. They contain the Procedure and Observation activities and places to record your experience with it, as well as a place to illustrate what you’ve learned.  The What Did you Learn? questions are also on these forms. 

Gracie and I have done the first several investigations contained within this study.  They are quick and painless and – dare I say it? – even FUN!  I would definitely be interested in adding the rest of the books from this series to our homeschool.  If you have a science-minded child, these would make great personal reading as well!

You can learn more about The Earth – Its Structure & Its Changes at Inspire4Less.  The price is very affordable, at only $10.40 for the paperback student book and $5.39 for the accompanying Teacher’s Guide and Student Journal.

~~~~~~~~

On February 22nd, at 8pm (CST), we will be having a Twitter party to discuss this  book and several other new resources from New Leaf Publishing.  We’d love to have YOU participate with us!  (I’m totally new to Twitter parties, so this will be an interesting experience for me!)

Hashtag for the party is #masterbooks.

If you would like to check out the other books that will be discussed, you can do so by visiting the links below:

Case of the Missing Mountain by Kim Jones  - My Home in the Smokies

Passport to the World by Craig Froman – Mama Hall

Dragons: Legends & Lore of Dinosaur by Master Books – Daze of Adventure

Hope to see you at the party!

NOTE: I received a free copy of the above-mentioned curriculum in order to use it in my homeschool and share my honest opinion of it. I have not been compensated in any other way.

Evolution: The Grand Experiment Vol. 1 by Dr. Carl Werner

We received Evolution: The Grand Experiment Vol. 1 several weeks ago.  I was excited when it arrived because it’s an 8 1/2 x 11” hardbound book containing 276 pages in full color!  It’s very much a textbook, which appealed to this homeschool mom!  Here’s what New Leaf Publishing has to say about Evolution: The Grand Experiment (I’ll share my thoughts below):

“A BOOK THAT CHALLENGES YOUR VIEWS AND DEMANDS A VERDICT.”

If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down. -Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species

Darwin’s book on evolution admitted that “intermediate links” were “perhaps the most obvious and serious objection to the theory” of evolution. Darwin recognized that the fossils collected by scientists prior to 1859 did not correspond with his theory of evolution, but he predicted that his theory would be confirmed as more and more fossils were found. One hundred and fifty years later, Evolution: The Grand Experiment critically examines the viability of Darwin’s theory.

Separate the science from myth:

Primordial Soup

Survival of the fittest

Mutation

Similarities

Adaptation

Fossils

Meet scientists from around the world:

What do they say about transitional fossils?

What do they say about the fossil record?

What do they say about the origin of life?

Dozens of special features:

Interviews with scientists from leading universities and other institutions

Hundreds of color photos

Balanced views

Informative summaries of scientific concepts

Easy-to-understand, concise format

In addition to the book, we also received the Teacher’s Manual, the Presentation CD, and the DVD.  (You can click on the links to see more information about these supplemental resources.)

Heidi Says . . . I’ve been very impressed with this book/set.  I wanted to take some time to use it with the girls in our homeschool before writing my review.  So, we’ve completed the first 3 chapters, done the chapter tests, and just finished up the review test for chapters 1-3.  We plan to continue using it throughout the remainder of our school year, so that’s a testimony to my thoughts on it.  Here’s more - - -

The book is made up of 20 chapters.  We cover one chapter per week – starting out with a pre-reading discussion, then reading the text. We spend the next few days going over the chapter objectives (these and the discussion questions are found in the Teacher’s Manual).  Then, we take the test (also found in the Teacher’s Manual, or available to print from the Presentation CD). 

There are 3 different versions of the chapter tests.  Test A is to  be taken after each chapter, Test B is used for the chapter review tests (after every 3 chapters), and I think Test C will be used at the very end of the study (as a LARGE, final review). 

The course is designed for students in grades 6-12.  I wasn’t sure that Gracie would be quite ready for it yet, at only 10, but I made her follow along anyway.  It’s been amazing to me how many times throughout our week – when we’re watching a movie or driving along in the car – that she’ll bring up something that we learned in this book.  Even though she seems to complain when I say it’s time for “evolution”, she is picking up much more than I could have imagined. 

The text is rich with pictures and actually rather light on words.  So each chapter is quick and really simple to read, but the questions get you thinking.   It’s shocking to us to think of the number of people in the world (many that we know) who believe in evolution and some of the other scientific theories that seem ludicrous to us (because we know the truth).  It’s nice to know that my children are being grounded in the truth.

I’d recommend this study.  It’s not only great in a homeschool, but would work nicely in a co-op setting, or even in a church setting.  It’s not just  for students, but for adults also.  If you don’t have time to do the full-course study, I’d recommend checking out the DVD.  It’s worth watching and pretty much covers everything covered in the book.  I’m counting this as a 2nd science credit for Ashley this year (though I’m not sure how I’ll word it on her transcript yet!)  I’m thinking that we’ll plan to add Vol. 2 to our homeschool schedule for next year (if it’s available in time). 

For more information or to purchase Evolution: The Grand Experiment and other great resources from New Leaf Publishing, click here.

NOTE: I received free product from New Leaf Publishing in exchange for my use and honest review of it.  The thoughts expressed herein are my own and I was not compensated in any other way.

Marvels of Creation (Magnificent Mammals) by Buddy & Kay Davis

Did You Know?

A camel can go without water 10 times longer than a human.

A cheetah can run up to 70 miles an hour.

25,000 sharp-pointed quills cover the porcupine.

It’s two feet long and weighs 132 pounds—the heart of a giraffe.

What an incredible design these animals have! The Master Creator made such wonderful and beautiful animals for our enjoyment!
Children and adults both will delight in this illustrated guide to birds of the world. Filled with spectacular photographs and “bird brevities”- it is great for any home or school library.

And God created…every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good (Genesis 1:21).

8 X 8 • Casebound • 80 pages

Buddy Davis is a speaker and singer/songwriter for Answers in Genesis (AiG) in Hebron, Kentucky. There he leads the “Creation Adventure” children’s workshop at AiG conferences. His easy-to understand style makes him popular with listeners of all ages and he plays a variety of acoustic and folk-style instruments.

Heidi Says . . . I previously reviewed another book from this series  - Sensational Sea Creatures – here.  This year, as we’re planning to study Land Mammals, I thought this book would make a great supplement to our science studies once again, and I was not disappointed. 

About the Sea Creatures book, I said:

“ . . . a full-page picture (in full color) on the left hand side, and an information page on the right.  In addition to the information, each page also contains a box with extra information about each creature, such as scientific name, length, weight, life span, special design features, and a “did you know?” fact.  The color pictures are real photographs, and are bright and eye-catching.  The information is easy to read, yet very informative and interesting.”

That same description holds true for the Magnificent Mammals book as well.  Some other things that I like about this book are the fact that they don’t just share about common, everyday mammals; but, instead, include some more unfamiliar mammals such as the two-toed sloth and the echidna.  The back of the book contains an appendix with sketches of each mammal’s footprint and a handy-dandy glossary of terms. 

I’ve come to expect quality, educational products from Master Books and New Leaf Publishing.  I can trust them to include God and Creationism, which is something I really appreciated when using books to educate my children.  The very first paragraph in the introduction by the authors sums it up perfectly:

“It seems that no matter what book about wildlife we read, God isn’t even mentioned. Wildlife programs are full of indoctrination in evolution. This book erases all evolutionary concepts and gives God the glory for His creation.”

And to that I say emphatically “Amen!”

Introducing Charlie & Trike (and a giveaway!)

I am super excited to have the opportunity to introduce you to some new friends – Charlie, a spirited monkey, and his triceratops buddy, Trike.  Charlie & Trike  are the main characters in the new book Charlie and Trike in the Grand Canyon Adventure – first book in a new series by Ken Ham called The Green Notebook Series.  This series is published by Master Books, a division of New Leaf Publishing Group – one of my personal favorite publishers of children’s books and educational books with a creationist worldview.

Here’s a bit about what you can look forward to in this book:

In this first presentation of the Green Notebook Series, Charlie and his triceratops buddy, Trike, set off with a burly one-eyed tour guide and a passel of mules to hike deep into Grand Canyon. But there’s trouble on the trail when Charlie goes off on his own to dig for fossils. What’s more, Charlie’s convinced the tour guide is a thief, but any plans to catch him are quickly foiled. Once in the Canyon, Trike does his best to explain to his friend the worldwide Flood and why we can trust the Bible. Finally, with the help of the tour guide, Charlie sees and understands the truth in a way that will change his life forever.

Heidi Says . . .  I love this book.  It’s a good-sized hardback book that contains an interesting adventure story featuring some fun characters.  The pages are very sturdy and durable and include flaps to list, mini-books to read, maps to open, a glimpse into Charlie’s “green notebook” and a few more surprises.  In other words, it’s not your typical book – it’s much more fun and interactive! 

And, it’s by Ken Ham.  ‘Nuff said, right?  I love listening to Answers . . . with Ken Ham on the radio, and have found all of his books to be interesting and thought-provoking.  And have you been to the Creation Museum yet?  We visited not long after it had opened, and would love to return sometime.  Anyway, all that to say that this book is no exception to what you’ve come to expect from Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis (and New Leaf Publishing Group). 

I think Charlie & Trike will work their way into kids hearts everywhere, and I’m sure that The Green Notebook Series will be a favorite in our home.

NOW FOR THE CONTEST ===>

I have FOUR copies of Charlie and Trike in the Grand Canyon Adventure to give away to four of my readers.  Yeah!  (Unfortunately, due to the high cost of shipping, this giveaway is only available to U.S. residents.)

Now, since Charlie & Trike are having such a grand adventure, I thought that we should too.  So, in order to be entered in the drawing for a copy of this fun book, you need to do at least one of the following.  For more chances to win, do more than one.  Leave a separate comment for each adventure item that you participate in.  The more adventures you take, the more chances you have to win!

• Post about this contest on your blog, with a link back to this post.
• Find me the most amazing picture of the Grand Canyon that you can (online, of course) and post a link to it in a comment.
• Have you ever visited the Grand Canyon?  If so, tell me one thing that you enjoyed about your trip.
• Post about this contest on your FB page, with a link back to this post.
• Tweet this contest.
• Follow my blog.
• Put my blog button on your sidebar.
• Visit New Leaf Publishing Group and tell me what one book (or product)  you would order first, if money were no option.
• Become “friends” with Master Books on Facebook.
• Like Heidi’s Reviews & Reflections on Facebook.
• Have you ever visited The Creation Museum? If so, tell me what your favorite exhibit is, and why.
• Visit the Creation Museum’s website, and tell me something interesting you learned there.
• Follow Master Books on Twitter.
• Follow The Creation Museum on Twitter.
• Follow me on Twitter.
• Post the Charlie & Trike Badge on your blog.
  <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Trikes-Canyon-Adventure-Notebook/dp/0890515697/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281473173&sr=8-1" target="_blank"><img src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs116.ash2/39131_416515777285_211733932285_4868243_1377017_n.jpg" border="0" alt="Charlie and Trike's Grand Canyon Adventure" /></a>

That’s lots of ways to share in the adventure and lots of chances to win!  I will draw a winner on Tuesday, September 7th, at noon EST.  So, set out on your adventure, remember to leave a separate entry for each one that you do, have fun, and GOOD LUCK! 

FYI: Charlie & Trike have their own web page where you can see all the stops they are making on their blog journey.  Be sure to stop by and visit them!  In the meantime, you can watch the video trailer for the book ===>

NOTE: I received a free copy of Charlie & Trike in the Grand Canyon Adventure from New Leaf Publishing in exchange for sharing my honest opinion of it with my readers.  I was also compensated for participating in this blog tour and have a chance to win a family pack of tickets to the Creation Museum as well (hope I win!)

In God We Trust by Steve Ham

Biblical faith is being undermined and criticized with an increasing fervor in schools, on job sites, and in the marketplace. Are you equipped to face the onslaught of secular, anti-Christian values and viewpoints? Can you clearly state why you believe in Christ and the authority of the Bible? How does this work in your daily life? In God We Trust is a guided journey that will help you:

• Identify the influence of the secular worldview and how it attempts to compromise the Word of God.
• Distinguish between genuine authority and the counterfeit authority of so many at present.
• Realize how your commitment to God’s authority will impact your church, family, and others for Christ.

Author Steve Ham, Director of Outreach at Answers in Genesis, clearly delves into the issues of faith and God’s authority in the life of the believer in order to prepare you to stand firm. An intriguing exploration of why man was never meant to rule himself, but instead to operate within an authoritative structure designed by God. Steve is co-author of Raising Godly Children in an Ungodly World, and the popular evangelism series, Answers for Life.

In God We Trust from New Leaf Press on Vimeo.

Heidi Says . . . I was excited when the offer came through to review this book.  I love listening to the author’s brother, Ken Ham, on the radio. There’s just something about that thick Australian accent that compels me to listen!  So, I was anxious to see what Steve had to say on this topic – one that i think very important. 

I haven’t yet had the time to read through the book in its entirety, but what I’ve read contains some very good information.  I was especially interested to read what Mr. Ham had to say on the topic of “Taking Back the Family: Authority and the Christian Family” in the chapter by the same title.  Most of what he had to say lined up pretty closely with my own beliefs, and it’s always nice to be affirmed. 

Another chapter that really said a lot to me was titled “I Want It Now: Authority in Christian Living”.  I appreciated Mr. Ham’s stance on this topic and the fact that he was not afraid to “tell it like it is”, even if it meant mentioning some big names in Christian media these days.  I won’t go into details (you’ll have to read the book) but, suffice to say, you should not always just believe every “Christian” author/speaker who comes along.  This life is not all about what we can get – which is hard to remember when living in the “now generation”. 

I’d recommend this book and think it’s worth reading.

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book from New Leaf Publishing Group in exchange for my honest thoughts on it.  I was not compensated in any other way.

Marvels of Creation by Buddy & Kay Davis

Did You Know?

The skin on a walrus can be over three inches thick and the fat under it up to six inches thick, protecting this amazing creature from the 100º below temperatures of the Arctic.

A giant squid’s eye can measure up to nine inches across.

What an incredible design these animals have! The Master Creator made such wonderful and beautiful animals for our enjoyment!
Children and adults both will delight in this illustrated guide to birds of the world. Filled with spectacular photographs and “bird brevities”- it is great for any home or school library.

And God created…every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good (Genesis 1:21).

8 X 8 • Casebound • 80 pages

Buddy Davis is a speaker and singer/songwriter for Answers in Genesis (AiG) in Hebron, Kentucky. There he leads the “Creation Adventure” children’s workshop at AiG conferences. His easy-to understand style makes him popular with listeners of all ages and he plays a variety of acoustic and folk-style instruments.

Heidi Says . . . We love this book.  My 9-year-old has  been studying swimming creatures throughout her 5th grade year, and I thought this book would tie in perfectly.  I was not disappointed. 

Each 2-page spread of Marvels of Creation – Sensational Sea Creatures contains a full-page picture (in full color) on the left hand side, and an information page on the right.  In addition to the information, each page also contains a box with extra information about each creature, such as scientific name, length, weight, life span, special design features, and a “did you know?” fact.  The color pictures are real photographs, and are bright and eye-catching.  The information is easy to read, yet very informative and interesting. 

Not only would this book make a great supplement to any marine life study, but it’s also just plain fun.  This is definitely a book that we will pick up and look at over and over again throughout the years.  My youngest (4) loves looking at the pictures, while the rest of us very much enjoy the information gained from this book. 

One of my favorite aspects of this book is the fact that it is written from a Christian perspective.  I love this quote, taken directly from the introduction:

“It say in the Bible that God created the sea creatures on day five. In most of the books, films, or programs you see today, God is not even mentioned, but these media are filled with evolutionary theories stated as facts. This book is meant to give God the glory for creating these wonderful creatures of the sea.” [emphasis mine]

I would highly recommend this book.  If you’re looking for other books where God is the focus, check out New Leaf Publishing.

The World of Chemistry by John Hudson Tiner

Chemistry is an amazing branch of science that affects us every day, yet few people realize it, or even give it much thought. Without chemistry, there would be nothing made of plastic, there would be no rubber tires, no tin cans, no television, no microwave ovens, or something as simple as wax paper.

This book presents an exciting and intriguing tour through the realm of chemistry as each chapter unfolds with facts and stories about the discoveries and discoverers. Find out why pure gold is not used for jewelry or coins. Join Humphry Davy as he made many chemical discoveries, and learn how they shortened his life. See how people in the 1870s could jump over the top of the Washington Monument.

Exploring the World of Chemistry brings science to life and is a wonderful learning tool with many illustrations, biographical information, chapter tests, and an index for easy referencing.

160 pages • 8 1/2 x 11 • Paperback • Includes Black & White illustrations

Other books in this series can be found here.

Heidi Says . . . This book came to us at exactly the right time.  My 16 year old daughter and I were plugging away at chemistry and wondering why in the world we were wasting our time!  John Hudson Tiner’s Exploring the World of Chemistry actually makes sense!  Now, we not only know why people study chemistry, but we also understand how various things are made. We learned how chemistry ties in with a lot of the things that we are using in our day-to-day lives.  And, guess what?  We’re pretty amazed by chemistry now!

If you’re trudging along through chemistry with no end in sight, I’d highly recommend adding this book as a supplement to whatever chemistry curriculum you are using.  It’s very simple to read, there are black and white illustrations throughout, and each (short) chapter concludes with a question section (these work great for quizzes). 

I will definitely consider adding more books in this series to our school shelves in the future.

Would you like to have a book character named after YOU?

When I was little, I used to imagine that I could jump into my favorite books.  Even as an adult, I still can get very wrapped up in a book and feel like I’m there. 

Yesterday, my friend Jennifer from New Leaf Press shared a really neat opportunity with me – and I want to, in turn, pass it along to you, my readers ---

Julie Cave, author of Deadly Disclosures and the Dinah Harris Trilogy,  is kicking off a great contest STARTING TODAY to increase Facebook fans. Julie will be naming 2 characters in her next book after 2 of her Facebook fans - 1 current fan and 1 new fan. The contest runs thru May 27.

A few more details:

• The first winner will have become a facebook fan of Julie Cave before May 4^th and will have successfully invited at least one new fan.
• The second winner will be someone who becomes a facebook fan of Julie Cave after May 4^th. All new fans must report who invited them on Julie’s fan page.
• Any facebook fan who also subscribes to the RSS feed at www.juliecave.com will be entered into the contest a second time.

Simple enough, right?  So if you’ve always dreamed of ACTUALLY BEING IN a book, here’s your big chance!  Go for it!  And, if you win, be sure to stop back here and let me know – I want to read the book! :)

A Trip to the Ocean by John D. Morris

Riding the waves and exploring the depths, popular characters Tracker John and his sidekick, D.J., take us on a special exploration of the seas. This full-color children’s book helps us understand this mysterious frontier, while introducing young readers to a wide variety of God’s ocean creatures. A delightful children’s story with plenty of teaching information, this book will make an instant connection with kids. A study section can be found in the back of the book and includes terms, facts, and what the Bible says about the ocean.

John Morris, Ph.D., is president of the Institute for Creation Research in El Cajon, California and has a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Oklahoma. He is a popular speaker and author and in addition to his writing and research, has searched Turkey’s Mt. Ararat several times for Noah’s ark.

A Trip to the Ocean seemed like a perfect supplement for our science study this year.  (Gracie and I are working through the Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day book by Jeannie Fulbright and Apologia.)  We enjoyed adding this book into our school days.  We split it up and read it in shorter sections over a few days.

We enjoyed the story, the colorful illustrations, and the gospel message that is shared at the end.  It's hard to find books like this that don't include the whole "millions of years" theory. The fact that this one is based on Creation Science and has a great message for non-Christians, made this one a must-have on our bookshelf.

The Appendix at the end is PERFECT for homeschoolers!  It includes Interesting Facts About the Ocean (did you know that the oceans covers 3/4 of the earth?), Interesting Animals In and Near Tidepools (you'll enjoy learning more about abalones, starfish, sea urchins, and more), The Ocean's Biggest and the Smallest and the Fastest and the Oldest (there are some very interesting facts here), and What the Bible Says About the Ocean (with Scripture references for further study).

This book was received for free from New Leaf Publishing. My thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the publisher.

A is for Adam by Ken & Mally Ham

 The Three-in-One Multipurpose Family Book

•  Entertaining ABC Rhyme Book
•  Sunday, School, Christian School, Home School, Home Devotional Teaching Book
•  Coloring Book

The Gospel From Genesis
Many adults today cannot adequately defend their Christian faith because the do not understand the book of Genesis—yet all major Christians doctrines, including salvation, have their foundation in this book of beginnings.
Turn to the front of the book and look through the pictures. Each picture is worth a thousand words! When you go through these strikingly colorful and oftentimes humorous illustrations, the Gospel message will be spelled out.
As you read the rhymes, the theology that we all need to know and understand will come alive. And as you read the parent and teacher notes, you will think you are reading a commentary on the book of Genesis that presents the Gospel in a unique way.
You will be excited to go through this book with children of all ages in your home, church, school, or other groups. It will help them to understand and defend the Gospel against the increasing tide of evolutionary humanism that is taking over Western society.

Ken Ham is the founder of Answers in Genesis-U.S., the president of the Creation Museum, and a popular Christian speaker. He is the author or co-author of many books, and is heard daily on the radio program, “Answers...with Ken Ham,” on more than 300 stations worldwide.

As a lover of children's book (especially those set to rhyme), a former Sunday School teacher, and a homeschooling mom, I have to say that I LOVE THIS BOOK!  I've picked A is for Adam up at several homeschool conventions in the past, and now I regret that I didn't buy this one sooner. This book can be used in so many different ways that it's versatility raises the value.

The first section of the book is the main story.  I love how each page (for each letter of the alphabet) contains a short (4-line) poem on the left-hand side of the 2-page spread, while the right-hand side contains a large, colorful, fun illustration. It's simplicity makes it easy enough for my 3-year old to enjoy; while my 9-year old can still learn so much from this book as well!  (Even adults will benefit from this one!)

The third section contains black & white copies of the illustrations, with the 4-line corresponding poems at the top of each page.  Permission is given to reproduce these pages for home or church use. Some children learn best by doing, so they will enjoy coloring the illustrations while the parent reads.  My perfectionist daughter would love to color these illustrations just like the originals, while I can see other children taking liberties to make them their own creations.

As a homeschool mom, though, my favorite part of this book is the second section. The book says that this section is "almost like reading a commentary on the book of Genesis" and that is so true. For each poem/letter of the alphabet, you'll find information and corresponding scripture verses to help you better understand the concept you are teaching.  You can read these to yourselves, read them aloud to your children, or have older kids read these to themselves.  Then, following each information section is a Student Exercise. I love the ideas here!  Not only are they fun, but they encourage your kids to dig deeper into the Scriptures and learn more about what they are learning.

I would highly recommend A is for Adam (which can also be purchased at Amazon.com). I'm planning to use it each day with my 9-year-old.


NOTE: This book was provided to me by New Leaf Publishing in exchange for my honest thoughts.