Catholic Stories for Boys and Girls (Neumann Press)

Catholic Stories for Boys and Girls is a four volume set of children's books that were written by Catholic nuns in the 1930s. They are similar in style to the set Angel Food for Boys and Girls, but I would say for a slightly older age as the Catholic Stories are longer and contain chapters. Each book contains between four and six chapters and is approximately 150 pages long. The Catholic Stories books are also similar to Angel Food in the color scheme. Volume I is blue. Volume II is red. Volume III is green. And Volume IV is white. The illustration style for Catholic Stories can best be described as silhouette, which allows the reader to focus mainly on the story and not let the images overpower the message. Each chapter of the story closes with a two-line rhyming verse that provides both a chapter summary and pithy message. I would now like to share some summaries of some of my favorite stories from this series.

Volume I begins with a story called "The Best Deed." In this story, there is a class of Confirmation students. Their teacher has a beautiful statue of Mary that is admired by all the children, so the teacher issues the children a challenge. Within the next week, find a remarkable deed to perform. One little girl decides to give up candy, which I'm sure was a challenge for her. However, the deed she performed was more amazing than that. Since her dad was a doctor, she often went to the hospital to visit him. During this week before her Confirmation, she met a dying man in the hospital. He was not a good man, but she visited him daily, bringing him little gifts and pleading with him to see a priest for Confession and Communion. Her persistence finally paid off, and he did what she requested. So instead of just giving up candy, she saved a man's soul, and that was indeed the best deed of all!

Volume III has a story called "The Tower of London," which tells the true story of Edmund Campion. He was a Jesuit priest during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. During her reign there was great persecution towards Catholics. Priests and laypeople were pressured into converting to Protestantism. Those that did not convert were imprisoned and/or murdered. Fr. Campion did not back down from his convictions and beliefs. He still said the Mass and was imprisoned in the Tower of London. While there, he was put on the torture rack many times. He eventually was martyred by hanging. At the time the book was written, he had been beatified but it would take until 1970 for him to be canonized.

The above two stories were just a couple of the great stories found in this wonderful series. It is truly a blessing that Neumann Press cares enough about classic Catholic books like this to continue to print them. I cannot recommend this series enough, but that is true of all Neumann Press books. If you are looking for a great selection for the Catholic classroom or the homeschooling environment, you will want these in your collection. I will be reading these aloud to my son, until he is old enough to read them himself, and the books are so well-made that I know they will stand the test of time, just like the stories within them.

These books were provided to me for free by Neumann Press in exchange for an honest review.

A Child's First Book of American History (Beautiful Feet Books)

Beautiful Feet Books is a publisher that has been around since 1984. It's almost as old as me! They provide quality books for private schools and the growing homeschool movement, and they do this by combining quality literature in all aspects of a curriculum. Authors that they publish come mainly from the "golden era of children's historical literature," which spans from the 1930s to 1960s. A few of their many are Genevieve Foster, Scott O'Dell, James Daugherty, and my personal favorites Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire. Today, I am reviewing their title A Child's First Book of American History.

A Child's First Book of American History is a book that has long been out of print, under its old title "The Rainbow Book of American History." It is a little over 300 pages in length and spans from 1000 A.D. to 1945 A.D. Each chapter ranges from five to ten pages and is chock full of illustrations, both black and white and color. The illustrations have a charcoal look to them, and feel very Americana. Before the author (Earl Schenck Miers) dives into the history though, he tells us about his childhood and reading Mark Twain. One can see Twain's influence in this book, as the book is not dry history but fascinating tales. Mr. Miers tends approaches history by focusing on influential figures for a specific time period. Such figures included are Leif Ericson, Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Davy Crockett, Thomas Edison, and even Mark Twain.

The book reads like a storybook, because it engages the reader and draws them in, especially when read aloud. There were times I felt like I was transported back in history sailing with Vikings, fighting the British, and travelling with Lewis and Clark. What I liked best about this book was that there was no whitewashing of history. Europeans were portrayed warts and all in their greed to colonize the New World and exploit the Native Americans for their riches. What I wish was included was a chapter on the soon to be Saint Junipero Serra. He was a Catholic friar who founded a mission in California in 1769. Think about that for a second. While we were still under the rule of the British, this great man was doing God's work and so few people know about the impact he had in our country.

With fifty chapters, there is enough for you and your children to read one a week with a one week break in both the winter and the summer. This book is not perfect, but it is a strong introduction to American history. There were times I was reading through the book and I felt I had to re-read some paragraphs because it felt like some punctuation was missing or that they were run-on sentences, but perhaps that was just the way Miers wrote. I also found myself wishing that this book was hardcover. With a paperback version, even one as sturdy as this one, I know it is only a matter of time before I need a new one because this one has fallen apart from reading and re-reading it. Those quibbles aside, I highly recommend this book for the classroom, and that includes public, private, or homeschool. Children won't learn history from dry facts and dates. They need it to come alive, and this book does just that!

This book was provided to me for free by Beautiful Feet Books in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Our Island Story (Naxos Audiobooks)

Our Island Story is the second audiobook I received for review from Naxos Audiobooks. While, Naxos Audiobooks has a good variety of audiobook genres, my personal favorite is their unabridged selection, which contains a great many works of classic literature including Dante, Homer, Shakespeare, etc. For those unfamiliar with the premise of Our Island Story, it is a sort of history book of England. However, it is more than boring dates and facts, it is a history book for kids, so it is more lively; playful; and at times, embellished. The author is Henrietta Elizabeth (H.E.) Lawrence. She shortened it to the two initials, so that she could conceal her gender. She also wrote other works, which dealt with other parts of the "Empire," such as Canada, India, and Australia. While these works are all in public domain now, I believe most are long out of print.

The beginning of Our Island Story immediately draws the reader, both young and old, further into the book, as it traces England's origin all the way back to Greek mythology. Neptune and his wife, Amphitrite, had several sons. As each son became old enough, they were given an island to rule over. Neptune and Amphitrite love their fourth son, Albion, the best, so they felt he had to have the BEST island. Therefore, all the mermen and mermaids had to scour the globe, until a suitable island was found. Eventually, an island was chosen and named Albion. Eventually, it was conquered and renamed Britannia. We know it today as England. Now, of course this is completely mythological and made up, but it is a fascinating and makes you want to keep reading.

After this tale, we dive into several chapters on the Romans and Britain. It seems that early on the Romans were always invading and conquering Britain. Yet, the Romans never stayed and set up rulers, so they kept returning, and according to the author Britain always survived. You start to notice early on that this is a very biased book toward Britain, which is to be expected, but can be a bit annoying at times to the non-British reader. Other biases that pop up are pro-Protestant/anti-Catholic bias. I won't walk you through the entire book, as that would take pages to accomplish. The main driver of the book was monarchs. There was occasional deviation from this theme, like when they talked about the Industrial Revolution, but it was a very royal-centric work. I appreciate there being some mention of King Arthur, but I have to admit that part of me wanted a little more. The book ends with the reign of Queen Victoria, Britain's longest reigning monarch and the last of House of Hanover.

As for the presentation of this audiobook, I was pleasantly surprised. There were two narrators in this audiobook - Anna Bentinck and Daniel Philpott. It's always weird to me when there are two different narrators in a book, but somehow they made it work. I had a personal preference for Mr. Philpott over Ms. Bentinck, but that's just me. They both were very lively in their reading, and despite the biases I mentioned earlier, they made me want to keep listening. As I listened to these in my car, I found myself disappointed whenever I arrived at my destination. My wife is an English history buff, so she absolutely raved about this book. I can't wait to share it with my children when they are older, as it is a very approachable way to teach a subject that many consider boring. So whether you are someone who likes history mixed with some mythology/legend, or are a homeschooling parent looking for a way to get your kids interested in history, you will enjoy this book. And it's also available on Audible, if you prefer your books on the cloud,

This book was provided to me for free by Naxos Audiobooks in exchange for an honest review.

The People of Ancient Israel (Angelico Press)

The People of Ancient Israel is the shortest book in Dorothy Mills' six volume history set, spanning only 210 pages. The book begins by describing the land of Palestine, including its size, terrain, vegetation, and climate. Ms. Mills then briefly details both the Hebrew Scriptures and "tales" such as Creation, the Flood, and the Tower of Babel. She points out that the world owes a great deal to the Hebrews, because they taught the world about God in their writings.

After these few brief chapters, we reach the main focus of this book - the people. Of course we start with the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Included in this section is a lot of what you would find in Scripture. However, there is also some personal commentary on certain topics, like why Abraham would listen to God and agree to sacrifice his son Isaac. Her reasoning and viewpoint seems centered on cultural reasons for this near-sacrifice and that Abraham obtained the idea from culture and not from God. She also doesn't say that God sent an angel to stop the sacrifice, but that Abraham reached a level of understanding that this sacrifice would not be pleasing to God. That is definitely one way of looking at it, but not how I would teach it.

After the Patriarchs is mention of Joseph and Moses. Following Moses, we begin to see the nation of Israel take shape with their wandering in the desert. The reason for this is because they were issued the Law (or the Ten Commandments). The nation finally gets roots with their conquest of Canaan, and leaders (also known as Judges) ruled over the people. Ms. Mills talks about several of the more famous judges, primarily Samson and Ruth. The nation then becomes a kingdom under Saul, who was followed by David and then Solomon. The most interesting sections to me dealt with the Divided Kingdom, Israel's fall, and their time in captivity.

The book then ends with "In the fulness if time, the Teacher came. At Bethlehem, in the days of Herod the King, seventy years before the destruction of Jerusalem, Christ was born, who by his life and teaching made possible the fulfilment of the ancient visions." I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, Dorothy Mills does a nice job making history interesting and come alive. On the other hand, there are a few troubling statements in the book. Overall, I would give this book 4 stars.

This book was provided to me for free by Angelico Press in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Encyclopedia of Saints (Our Sunday Visitor)

I'm a sucker for a good reference book. If you recall, I once had ambitions to read through the entire encyclopedia. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), this never happened. With the advent of Wikipedia and religious websites like New Advent and OrthodoxWiki, hardcover encyclopedias are becoming a thing of the past. Luckily, there are still publishers like Our Sunday Visitor who are in the business of printing these hardcover texts!

Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints is the second edition of this massive tome. The first edition was published in 1998, so it was overdue for another edition, especially since Pope John Paul II canonized many saints during his reign as pope. The editors for this book are Matthew and Margaret Bunson. You might recognize these names as they were also the editors for the Encyclopedia of U.S. Catholic History. The book's tagline says, "From Aaron to Zygmunt and 10,000 in between - her are the 'holy ones' of the Church!" This tagline made me immediately turn to the end to read about St. Zygmunt. He was a "Ukrainian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph." He was beatified by Pope John Paul II and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI with his feast day on January 1st. How blessed for him to share a feast day with Mary, Mother of God.

Disclaimer: I did not read all 1,000+ pages of this encyclopedia. I read up on my favorite saints, did a lot of browsing/letting the book fall open and reading about a random saint. As this is a reference book, there is no right or wrong way to read it. I will tell you about some of my observations, though. Most saints received a few lines in the book. Some received a few paragraphs. Fewer received full pages. Those who received full pages would be considered "superstar" saints. As an example, Saint Pope John Paul II received slightly more than a full page. Early saints like St. Joseph or St. Mark the Evangelist received two paragraphs. I understand that space in this issue is at a premium; that more is known about recent saints than early saints; and that people tend to gravitate to the "superstar" saints. However, it would have been nice to see important saints get more words than they did or mentioned at all. For example, St. Augustine of Hippo received just over two pages of material. This was equal to the total space (pictures excluded) of the three Cappadocian Fathers (Sts. Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and Gregory of Nyssa).

Overall, this was a solid work. I was pleased that included both Saints and Blesseds in it. I also found the twelve (yes twelve) appendices extremely helpful. Just a few of the appendices are a glossary, list of U.S. martyrs, list of patron saints, and a list of Doctors of the Church. There was also a helpful introduction/history on the process of canonization. Was this book perfect? No, but it never will be. For starters, there will always be people, like myself, nitpicking entries and saying that they wish St. X had received more information and St. Y had received less information. However, if there was as much information printed as available, we'd need a 26 volume Encyclopedia of Saints! Also, there are new saints added every year. This book did include two of our newest saints, Popes John XXIII and John Paul II, but we could have new Saints and Blesseds next year that would then be missing from this book. You must do what I did, though, and appreciate the book for what it is. This is a well-researched, jam-packed tome for learning more about the saints in general and specific saints. Use this as a starting point for learning the basics about a particular saint, then dive deeper in your studies with primary sources and works written by them or about them to learn even more. This is a must-have book for every religion teacher, homeschooling mom, or lover of the saints!

This book was provided to me for free by Our Sunday Visitor in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

The Book of the Ancient World (Angelico Press)

If you're a homeschooling mom (or dad) or one considering homeschooling, then you know there are a TON of curriculum options out there. Some are better than others, but it really boils down to what style of homeschooling you are going to employ. If you are taking the classical approach, like my wife and I intend to do, then you definitely know the name Dorothy Mills. Dorothy Mills wrote a six book series on ancient history. Two different publishers have taken the time to re-print these, Memoria Press and Angelico Press. Even though Memoria Press has student and teacher guides, you can purchase with them, they only have four of the six volumes. Personally, I prefer the Angelico Press editions after all and will be reviewing one volume every other month on my blog. Today, I am starting with The Book of the Ancient World.

The Book of the Ancient World begins with an Introduction that speaks of cave men and prehistoric times. It speaks of making stone tools and how some people don't believe history really started until man was able to keep written records. I'm honestly unsure how I felt about this introduction, but thankfully it was short and something you could skip over and not miss anything in the book. The contents of the rest of the book includes the Egyptians; the Assyrians and Babylonians; the Hebrews; the Hittites; the Persians; and the Phoenicians. Egypt by far gets the most attention as it spans over 50 pages. The rest of the ancient people, with the exception of Israel, only garnered about 20-25 pages.

It was hard to pick a favorite part in this book. The level of detail given to the Egyptians was fascinating. Ms. Mills didn't just discuss popular pharaohs and their pyramids, but she also covered their gods, their books and writings, what typical life consisted of in Egypt, and even how children lived in Egypt. She also did a truly great job addressing Israel. In this section, she included the Patriarchs, the three kings (Saul, David, and Solomon), and the Divided Kingdom. I am truly fascinated to see what level of detail she went into in her book, The People of Ancient Israel. I wish more information would have been included on places like Persia and Phoenicia, but I appreciate that there was additional reading suggestions at the end. The one that I wish there had been more of/any of was maps! Maps would have definitely elevated this book, and perhaps they were there in the original edition, but not in this reprint.

After reading through this book, I feel much more knowledgeable about the ancient world. Yes, some information may be a tad dated as we have made new finds regarding these ancient worlds, but that doesn't take away from the quality of this work or the information that Dorothy Mills compiled. And while the book won't make you a certified expert, it will provide you a great starting point on the subject. So if you are an adult looking for an introduction to the ancient world or a teacher/parent looking for a supplemental text to your history book, you will find this book to be extremely helpful. I imagine you could use it as the skeleton for your homeschool history, but you will definitely want to find some more resources to add meat to the bones.

This book was provided to me for free by Angelico Press in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

Hittite Warrior (Bethlehem Books)

History was never my strongest subject in school. I made As and Bs, but I was bored the ENTIRE time. Boring textbooks. Long lists of people and dates to memorize. To people who enjoy that sort of thing, I applaud you. It has never been me and will never be me. That's why homeschooling is an appealing option for my family. You can pull from more sources than just textbooks, like living books or historical fiction. One such company, Bethlehem Books, is doing a masterful job targeting the homeschooling crowd with their impressive catalog of reprinted "historical fiction, adventure tales, biographies, and family stories." Today, I will be reviewing one of their popular books entitled Hittite Warrior.

Hittite Warrior tells the story of a teenage Hittite boy named Uriah-Tarhund. He came from a people who ruled the "northern world" and the Egyptians ruled the "southern world." His father was a lord and kinsman of the chief province of Arzawa. One fateful day, in the 13th year of the reign of the king, his father and he embarked to Hattusas to pay tribute. Little did he know that trip would end so tragically. While on his journey, his mother and sister were killed. His entire province was decimated and many were killed. Three years later his father died, but not before making Uriah promise to travel to Canaan and live there. Travelling with a caravan, his decision to save the life of a young trader named Hannibaal took him to Tyre where he made a friend named Jotham, a Hebrew. This friendship set him on a path that would change his life forever.

The book is based during the time of the Judges, which was roughly 1200 B.C. If you have read through the Old Testament book of Judges with your children, they will recognize the two important names of Deborah and Barak. Deborah and Barak are the two judges who defeated the Canaanites in Judges 4. They will also recognize the song of Deborah from Judges 5. They will also learn a bit of geography. There is a tiny map in the front that serves as a basic guide for the region of the book, but they can further their knowledge by having an atlas or world map and track the journeys of Uriah. Your children will also be exposed to different societies, religious practices, and customs of these ancient people. For example, they will learn about an ancient Ammonite god named Moloch who required the sacrifice of a young child to appease him.

This is an A+ historical fiction novel for children 10 and up. I, a 30+ male, had a hard time putting this book down and read it in one weekend. While I would argue that this book is more geared towards a male audience, girls might enjoy it as well. What I really loved about this book is the era and region it was written about. So much historical fiction based in ancient times focuses on Egypt or Rome and that's it. Ms. Williamson chose a neglected but equally important region and delivered a masterpiece. I am very pleased with Bethlehem Books' Living History Library series and cannot wait to dive into another book. Be sure to check out other books from this author, particularly God King.

This book was provided to me for free by Bethlehem Books in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

The Blue Fairy Book (Hesperus Press)

With the introduction of Common Core, lack of God in public schools, and growing safety concerns, the homeschooling movement is growing stronger in the United States. I for one am thrilled as children are once again being taught Latin and Greek. It is also great because publishers are starting to re-print some classic works. However, they will only continue to print these works if we support them and buy their titles. Hesperus Press was generous enough to send me two works, The Blue Fairy Book and The Red Fairy Book to review.

If you're like me, you probably grew up on fairy tales. We live in a Disney society of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, etc. But have you ever taken the time to read the actual fairy tales? The Brothers Grimm? Hans Christian Andersen? There are some similarities between Disney and Grimm, but the differences is where the beauty is. In this reprint of a classic, Andrew Lang gathered fairy tales from around the world, edited, and compiled them into different fairy books.

For those who have not read these fairy tale books before, I will reference "Beauty and the Beast." Mr. Lang draws this tale from Mme de Villenvue, and it is quite different than the Disney version. For starters, Beast wasn't a bratty and spoiled prince, but cursed by an evil fairy. Beauty (not called Belle in this version) is not an only child, but has many brothers and sisters. She is the son of a merchant, who had Job-like misfortunes and lost everything. Ultimately Beauty and the Beast end up together (like Disney), but the story read better than Disney could have imagined.

For those familiar with Andrew Lang's work, you already know about the quality of the writing and probably want to know about the quality of the physical book. In a word, the book is superb. It's hardcover, with a vibrant blue dust jacket. The pages are of a nice thickness, and it contains original artwork from the original works. I've seen other editions of this work from other publishers, and I would pick the Hesperus Press one every time. It is built to stand the test of time and wear and will look beautiful on your shelf! I just hope they continue to print the rest of the series, but they can only do that if we buy the two that are already out. So if you are looking for a wonderful, quality book on fairy tales to read to your children, grab both The Blue Fairy Book and The Red Fairy Book from Hesperus Press.

I received this book for free from Hesperus Press in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click the link and hit Yes!

Catholic Family Fun (Pauline Books and Media)

Catholic Family Fun. At first glance, it seems like those words don't all belong together, or maybe it's the answer to a Before and After puzzle on Wheel of Fortune. In reality, this is a book from Catholic super-blogger Sarah Reinhard. I first heard of this book in 2012, but I am ashamed to admit, I didn't do much with it until recently, because I didn't have a family yet. Presently, my family is still small, and my 9 month old son isn't capable of appreciating these activities yet, but I know our whole family will in the coming years.

Catholic Family Fun is divided into four parts - "Are we Having Fun Yet?," "At Home," "Out and Around," and "Faith and Fun." In each of these sections, you will find ideas to help your children spice up a boring day as well as grow in their faith. Some of the activities included are singing silly songs, creating skits, scavenger hunts, and Eucharistic adoration. Almost all of the activities are low in cost and low in prep time. This is a big selling point as you don't want to sink a lot of time and money into an activity that your kid might show no interest in.

Maybe I'm holier-than-thou or maybe I'm just looking for a way to increase in holiness, but I really liked the "Ways to Serve" chapter. As Sarah points out at the beginning of this chapter, "Service was the core of Jesus's ministry, and it is integral to who we are as Catholic Christians." Let's look at her ideas for pregnancy centers. She suggests hosting a diaper drive at your church where people can donate diapers. You could also do a fundraiser where you pass out baby bottles and get families and friends to fill them up with dollars, coins, and checks. I've seen that work at my mom's Baptist church. What's great about these ideas is that they are both fun AND helpful. It is also a way to include not only your family, but the Church family as well. So whether you are a parent, grandparent, teacher, or catechist, you will find this 5-star book to be invaluable for many years.

This book was provided to me for free by the author in exchange for an honest review. Check out the Facebook and Pinterest pages for Catholic Family Fun for new ideas for you and your kids! If you found this review helpful, please click the link and hit Yes!

Treasury of Egyptian Mythology (National Geographic Kids)

With my last review of 2013, I am going to stick with my theme of reviewing one homeschooling product per month. This month I am reviewing Treasury of Egyptian Mythology. I know this is a Catholic and Orthodox book review blog, and some people aren't pro-mythology. I, however, think that if your children are grounded in their Faith, there is a place for mythology, fairy tales, and a little bit of magic. This isn't a place for a lecture, so I will get on with the review.

Treasury of Egyptian Mythology is the second volume in National Geographic Kids mythology series, with the first being the Treasury of Greek Mythology. Mixing mythology with culture and history, you and your children will learn about gods and goddesses; pharaohs and queens; and actual history of the Egyptian dynasties. As someone who is only versed in Greek and Roman mythology, it was fascinating to learn the Egyptian origin story. Instead of Titans giving birth to the chief deity, like in Greek mythology, "The god Ra sprang to life with a word already in his mouth."

I have no favorite section in this book as all were fascinating in their own respect. The way the story was told illustrations were well done, and the insert boxes contained facts that made learning fun. Some examples of these facts include information about the process of mummification and how pyramids were built. I personally would have preferred more details on the facts. For example, there could have been a whole page teaching your child hieroglyphics.That complaint aside, this was a very informative book and would be perfect in the school or homeschool setting. I hope they continue this series and make one on Norse mythology yet.

This book was provided to me for free by National Geographic Kids. If you found this review helpful, click the link and hit Yes!

Equate Board Game (Conceptual Math Media)

In sticking with my one homeschool product a month, I would like to introduce you to the board game Equate. If you are a fan of math, then this is the game for you. As you can see by the image, the layout of the board game is similar to that of a Scrabble board. However, instead of letters, the game features numbers and mathematical symbols. This means the object of the game is to build equations instead of words.

Each board game comes with the original tile set, which is comprised of 190 tiles. Tiles are integers from 0-9, fractions like 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, etc. and the standard mathematical symbols: +, -, x, /, and =. You then take those tiles and form equations like 2 + 2 = 4, or something more complicated like 20 / 1/2 = 40. The game is designed for children 8 and up. However, if you have younger ones who would like to play, you can purchase a Junior Tile Set with more 1s and fractions with a denominator of 2; if you have older kids who need an extra challenge, there is also an Advanced Tile Set with more complex fractions and negative integers.

I love the concept of this game. I was always a child who loved math, but the only real math game out there was Monopoly. I grew to appreciate word games like Scrabble or Boggle, but I am thrilled that there is finally a math equivalent to Scrabble. However, no game is perfect, and if I had to name a flaw with this game it would be the quality of the tiles. The board is standard chipboard; unfortunately so are the tiles, so keep them away from water. I personally would prefer the tiles to be made of plastic as that would make them more durable. That gripe aside, it is still a wonderful game. The beauty of Equate is that if you don't have time for a full game, you could always use the tiles as classroom manipulatives to reinforce what your children already know.

If your child loves math, then this will be a fun game and a delight to play. If they don't, then they might grow to appreciate math more. I'm not guaranteeing it will turn them into a math-ophile, but they will at least see that math can be fun and not just a chore. With the glut of word games out there, it is refreshing to see that there are companies out there like Conceptual Math Media who make games for the number people. If you are a number person like me, then be sure to support them by purchasing this game or other games they produce like PrimePak or Conceptual Bingo.

This game was provided to me for free by Conceptual Math Media in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, click here and hit Yes!

Virtue-Based Restorative Discipline (Our Sunday Visitor)

In case you haven't noticed, at the end of each month I've been trying to highlight a book or product geared toward the homeschooling parent. It hasn't been an easy task, as this is a relatively new market. Luckily, good Catholic publishers like Our Sunday Visitor have some books that fit the bill and are ever-generous in allowing me to review their offerings. Today's review is for the book Virtue-Based Restorative Discipline, and while the target audience is not primarily homeschooling parents, I believe it contains some wisdom that can be applied in the home.

Virtue-Based Restorative Discipline is a book that advocates a different approach on behavior and discipline. As opposed to the tired methods of "carrot and/or stick," Lynne Lang introduces a different method - one based on teaching children virtue. The Virtue-Based Restorative Discipline (VBRD) model begins with helping children to grow spiritually by teaching them virtue. Then, when harm occurs (and it will occur), you look at the cause of harm or misbehavior and work on making amends. This is a completely different approach than "zero-tolerance," which simply advocates for suspension or expulsion of the bully without getting to the core of the bullying or working on repairing relationships between the children.

The VBRD model is ideal for Catholic schools for the following reason: "In public schools, if a child is marginalized, there are other places to go for acceptance: community-based extracurricular activities and church and neighborhood community events. In Catholic communities, however, if a child is marginalized or bullied at school, that same experience can spill over into sports teams and scout groups and even affect church attendance." Therefore, in order to make VBRD successful, you need community-wide cooperation, including parents, students, and staff, both at the school and at the church.

If you send your children to public school or choose to homeschool, this book is still a worthwhile read. It can also help with your parenting or even self-improvement. For example, I know I am guilty of gossip, negative humor, sarcasm, etc. However, I am trying to eliminate this so I don't pass it on to my son and his future siblings. This book gave practical actions to institute change, like being encouraging toward others, changing the subject when gossip arises, and paying people genuine compliments. I know it will be a struggle, but I know it will be worth it.

Though one could argue that the book is primarily directed at correcting bullying, the VBRD model is so much more. It has already shown great success in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. If given the chance it could work in your diocese as well. I plan on telling our Director of Religious Education about this book, and I would recommend this book to parents, teachers, principals, and school volunteers.

I received this book for free from Our Sunday Visitor in exchange for an honest review. If you found this review helpful, please click here and hit Yes!

BabyLit's Latest Three Books! (Gibbs-Smith)

I am stepping out of my comfort zone today and reviewing three secular books. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Catholic books, especially the ones for kids. However, I want my son and his future siblings to have a well-rounded education and love of learning. And though my son isn't quite old enough for formal textbooks, it's never too early to start reading to your children.  In my quest to find new and interesting things to read to my son, I stumbled across these gems, and I couldn't wait to spread the word.

If you've ever been on Amazon to shop for children's books, you know that you have thousands of options. The amount of books for children 2 and under is just under 40,000. With that many choices, what do you pick and what do you pass over? Well, if you're shopping for the youngest reader, you definitely want to try to get board books, because they are sturdy and should last you for more than one child. Next you want books with great pictures, because that will keep their interest. Lastly, you want books that you enjoy as well as them, because you will have to re-read them hundreds upon hundreds of times BabyLit delivers all three in spades!

If you've never heard of BabyLit, allow me to provide the briefest of descriptions. BabyLit is a series of board books based on classic literary tales, from authors like William Shakespeare and Lewis Carroll to name a few. Don't be intimidated at the idea of reading these authors to a baby. The books aren't the full stories, but instead draw elements of the story into a clever format and teach your children concepts such as counting, colors, opposites, etc. There are currently twelve volumes in the series, and I am going to provide a brief review of the latest three in the series.

Sherlock Holmes is the first in the BabyLit series to address the concept of sounds to your children. Some sounds your children will encounter include hounds howling, wheels clattering, and leaves rustling. Each of these sounds is appropriately illustrated with concepts from The Hound of Baskervilles. It is definitely a favorite of my son's as I try to really get into mimicking the sounds as they appear on the page. It is beautifully illustrated too, and would be my top choice if you are new to BabyLit.

Anna Karenina is billed as a "Fashion Primer." I would say this book is more aimed for the little girl than boy, but I wouldn't run away from this book if you only had a boy household. I say this because, BabyLit raised the bar with this book and apart from just putting pictures of clothing in the book, they made it a Question and Answer book as well. For example, Page 1 has the word "GOWN," and then asks if your child can also find the fan in the picture. Even though my son doesn't seem overly interested in this book, I love the Q and A concept they introduced as it makes the book more interactive than just reading the words and looking at the picture on the next page.

Jabberwocky is probably the toughest of the BabyLit books to review. If you have never read the poem by Lewis Carroll, this book will have you scratching your head and agreeing that this is appropriately called a "Nonsense Primer." If you have read the poem, expect an abridged version with the author omitting any mention of the vorpal sword and killing of the Jabberwocky. I am fine with this, as you don't want to introduce violence, killing, or death to a child that young. The book is very colorful, and it can be fun to occasionally try and pronounce made up words like borogoves and Bandersnatch. However, your child will eventually ask what those words mean, and I hope you can come up with a better explanation than I did. It's not my favorite BabyLit book, but I am definitely glad to have it as part of my collection!

Thank you for taking the time to read what I hope will be the first of many reviews geared toward parents and the homeschool crowd. I also want to send a TREMENDOUS thank you to Gibbs-Smith for providing me with review copies. Check out BabyLit's homepage here to see all twelve volumes in the set. They also have  buttons, totes, playsets, dolls, and wall art, which you or your child might enjoy. You could also like their Facebook page and be on the lookout for occasional contests or Groupon deals. Lastly, keep your eyes peeled for future titles in this series. There are still a ton of Classics they haven't covered yet, leaving endless possibilities. I am personally holding out hope for The Jungle Book an Animal Primer or A Tale of Two Cities an Opposite Primer!

Saint Mary's Press: The Catholic Children's Bible Activity Book

It feels like forever since I've reviewed a children's book. I hit a backlog of adult books that I had to start posting those on Saturday. I hope that won't be the norm, but progress had to be made in my review stack. Two months ago, I reviewed the ONLY fully Catholic Children's Bible (available from St. Mary's Press). You can read the review here. Today, I am reviewing the Activity Book that complements it.

The Catholic Children's Bible Activity Book is a 100-page, spiral-bound book of activities to enrich your children's understanding of what they just read in The Catholic Children's Bible. When you look through the Bible, you notice that there are "featured stories," which the publisher believes are vital for your children to know their faith. These featured stories serve as the backbone for the Activity Book.

With each featured story, there are two activities - Level 1 and Level 2. Level 1 is of course the easier activity, and Level 2 requires a bit more critical thinking. One could easily give the younger kids the Level 1 activity and save the Level 2 activity for the older kids, but in doing so, you miss two opportunities. 1. The younger kids could be challenged to think harder on their faith and might surprise you with the results. 2. The older kids might enjoy the refresher of an easier activity or just simply enjoy the particular activity. You know your children better than I do, so you know what your children will and will not enjoy.

There are many things I love about this book. For starters, the types of activities are a great variety. You will open this book and find word searches and crosswords, but you won't find forty of them. You will find crafts, mazes, encoded messages, etc. Now, the price might scare some of you away, because you are thinking that's an expensive workbook for my child. However, "ALL materials included in the activity booklet are reproducible." This feature and the spiral-bound design give you a book that's easy to Xerox and makes the perfect addition to your religious education or homeschool setting. So grab your Catholic Children's Bible and this 5-star Activity Book and teach your children the beauty of Scripture.

If you found this review helpful, please click the link and hit Yes.