For me summer screams, READING!  Each summer I would walk to the library and spend hours reading.  I still remember the benches that were in front of the book cases at the Des Moines South side library then. 

My love for reading has never been squelched, I still have a passion for reading good books.

I have a HUGE stack of books to read this summer.  I am looking forward to many afternoons spent at our local swimming pool.  While the girls play and have a blast, I’ll have my nose in a book. 

Here is what is on my stack for the summer of 2010:

Non-Fiction

A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning by Karen Andreola

When Children Love to Learn: A Practical Application of Charlotte Mason’s Philosophy for Today

 by Elaine Co0per

Homeschooling for the Rest of Us  by Sonya Haskins

How to Learn Any Language by Barry Farber

Not So Fast by Ann Kroeker

Conversation Peace by Betty Hassler

Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

The Meeting of the Waters  by Fritz Kling

Radical by David Platt

Real World Parents by Mark Matlock

Forgotten God by Francis Chan

Momology by Shelly Radic

Start Here by Alex and Brett Harris

~Finish~

Strong Women Soft Hearts by Paula Rinehart

Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore

Fiction

Love Finds You in Homestead, Iowa by Melanie Dobson

Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico by Lena Nelson Dooley

Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon by Miralee Ferrell

Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs

Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist

She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell

A Hopeful Heart by Kim Vogel Sawyer

What are you reading this summer?

Loved to hear about it….

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I am still trying to figure out this new formatted Homeschoolblogger.  A few things frustrate me, such as the fact I don’t think the JavaScript is enabled making it now impossible to post my Amazon books in the same format that I used to.  I also don’t have any clue how to change the font in my post.  Also I LOVED being able to change my background.  But I am still not totally desiring to make the BIG move, I have a lot of posts and moving means a lot of work.  Also I’ll miss my friends at HSB, but I still don’t feel the sense of community that was once here four years ago.   Blogging has become HUGE over the last five years, and there is more oceans for this little fish to swim in .

I still remain a little surprised at the format TOS has chosen.  HSB was a huge advertising platform for TOS.  There is no way, currently, to advertise.  The banners are gone, the front page is relatively blank.  Perhaps they have BIG plans, but it isn’t materializing yet. 

But there are things that I really like about WordPress.  Things like auto save, where was that when I was doing those endless Crew Reviews?  I also like the way that I can easily categorize and the clean/fresh look of my entries in the current template. 

So I remain in this quandary, do I stay or do I go?  Does it really matter?  I want to start really blogging.   I loved our last homeschooling year, but it was exhausting.   I also need to find my blogging voice again, all of the Crew reviews gave me blogging laryngitis.  I miss writing about our home, our schooling and sharing book reviews.    So I pray and look forward to returning to writing. 

Off to clean my closet….UGGH….I”ll post pictures soon.

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The following item is my review, it is a free resource that I was asked to review as part of the TOS Crew.

Lobster Network makes it easy to share your stuff.

Share your videos, books, video games, audio, tools or anything else.
Let your friends see what you have to share. Find out what they have to share.

Lend it. Borrow it. Trade it. Sell it. Give it away.
All with the click of a button and only with whom you choose.  

Lobster Network has a great introductory video click HERE.

I think this is a great resource that I would love to use with my homeschooling friends.  It is simple to use and a great resource to network your stuff with others.

To view other TOS Crew reviews of this product, click the logo below.

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I received the following item for free as part of the TOS Crew, for the sole purpose of review.  I receive no monetary compensation for this review.

From Kregel Publications comes the latest book in the Andi Carter series entitled, Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure.

Andi felt small drops of sweat trick down her neck.  Her heart slammed against the inside of her chest like a hammer.  She reached into the sack.  Everything depended on what she did next.

When innoncent horseply temporarily lands Andi and her friends in jail, they decide that a trip into the mountains will leave their troubles far behind.  Accompanied by big brother Mitch and armed with a map showing old gold diggings, they can’t wait to strike it rich.  What could be better than two weeks of camping and horseback ridiing? 

But instead of gold they find heaps of trouble –trouble that leaves Mitch gravely wounded.  Andi needs help fast.  But who can she trust?  And what good is a bag of gold when her beloved brother lies near death in the middle of nowhere? 

About the author…

Susan K. Marlow, like Andi, sometimes finds herself in bizarre situations usually while trying to help others.  Susan is a freelance editor, teacher, and homeschooling mom.  In addition to writing her Circle C Adventures series for tweens, she speaks at young author conferences and teaches writing workshops for kids.  She and her family make their home in Washington State.

My Thoughts..

I think Susan Marlow is a very engaging children’s author.  Elizabeth(9) really enjoyed this book, the characters and mystery of it where engaging for her.  She quickly got through the 141 pages and then asked for the next book in the series.  I told her that she would have to wait. 

Click here to purchase from Kregel Publications for $7.99.

To view other TOS Crew members review click the logo below…

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I received the following item for free as part of the TOS Crew for the sole purpose of review.

Peterson Directed Handwriting
A Method And Materials For Teaching Fluent Print and Cursive Handwriting Skills

The Peterson Method curriculum uses a unique movement based strategy to teach skills for fluency and legibility. It has always been evidence based instruction. Teachers and parents who are trying to develop handwriting skills face several problems. One is knowledge about how to evaluate for needs. The other is knowledge about how to coach toward changes that result in improved skill. The files provided  for download offer a plan for establishing an evidence based process for regular evaluation of specific qualities that relate to process skills. A number of special tools and techniques to make the evaluation process work are also provided.

The Self Evaluation Guide will show you how to put the plan in place. The various tools will guide needs assessment and selection of specific legibility sub skills for practice that will lead to improvement of legibility through understanding and thoughtful application. You will have a simple technique to guide critical thinking that your child can use and understand. You will learn how to measure and track fluency with objective data that can be gathered easily.

The difference is rhythm!

This is just one of the unique movements that you and your child work through as they learn cursive using the Peterson Directed Handwriting.

The Peterson Directed Handwriting method is evidenced based and has been used since 1908.

Please click this link to view a great 20 minute video by Rand H. Nelson,  VP Director of  Training and Research at Peterson Directed Handwriting. 

 I highly recommend viewing the Peterson Directed Handwriting website.  There is a lot of very helpful information on it.  In our home it has been a huge blessing to begin using a product that reinforces the motor skill before beginning the actually pencil to paper writing.  One of my children has difficulty with handwriting, but she is gifted in language arts.  By using the Peterson Directed method, her brain has established the pattern so she does not have to process the method while getting her thoughts on her page.

To view other TOS Crew members review of this product click the logo below.

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