Winding down and gearing up... (part 1)

Our school year is winding down. This year we completed Heart of Dakota's Bigger Hearts for His Glory with 3rd, 4th and 5th graders! It was great to have all three of them using the same guide. I know I've said before how much I love Heart of Dakota... but I do. My plan at this point, having used 3 guides in 4 years is to keep going with it.

As we finish up our year, we're continuing with math (Singapore Primary Mathematics) and grammar (Rod & Staff's Building Christian English series) through the summer. We are also big fans of xtramath.org for getting those math facts memorized.

This year we added in more Drawn into the Heart of Reading or DiTHOR for short. We actually call it THOR because it just flows off the tongue better. lol The kids did a great job with the realistic fiction genre ending project. They each created a triorama... similar to a diorama, but this one had you creating four triangles to glue together similar to a pyramid.

Here are some photos of that project:

As you can see, they were very proud of the work they did. The reading selections in HOD are awesome, but what's really great about DiTHOR is that it will work with any book... so you don't have to buy the book packs that HOD recommends, you can use any book for the studied genre, and still have a great time learning!

Next time, I'll chat more about what we're doing to gear up for this fall!

*Ü* Blessings,

Another Book Review: So Shines the Night

I received So Shines the Night by Tracy Higley, published by Thomas Nelson in ebook format for my nook a week or two ago... no it didn’t take me this long to read it! I’ve just been busy with spring – yes, it’s finally here! This book was provided to me free as part of the BookSneeze program in exchange for my honest review here.

I enjoyed this book but readers should be aware of the dark theme that runs through it. The story takes place during the time of the early church in Ephesus, the main characters are not Christians, but are befriended by them. Daria is an educated widow making her own way in the world teaching wealthy young women. When she disagrees with the father of her latest student, she finds herself on the island of Rhodes homeless and without an income. She seeks a position with the local school only to find it hides a secret – at night, the school is used to study the dark arts. When she discovers a young girl being mistreated, she attempts to rescue her. On their flight through the city, they run into Lucas, a wealthy merchant who also hides a secret. Finding herself surrounded by enemies, Daria must decide if she can trust Lucas…

Daria and Lucas escape her would-be captors, and return to his home on Ephesus. Here she discovers he is not all she thought him to be. She must then unravel the mystery of who Lucas is… this is where the story really begins.

This story is suspenseful and intriguing! Definitely one that was hard to put down as the action seemed almost non-stop. However, the mutilation, drug use and other bits of sorcery in the story must be noted. I initially assumed the book would be more along the lines of Tracy Higley’s previous book Isle of Shadows… but this one definitely has darker undertones.

 

*Ü* Blessings,

Book Review: Waiting for Morning

Today I’m reviewing Waiting for Morning ~ The Brides Of  Last Chance Ranch Series Book 2, published by Thomas Nelson. This book was provided to me free in e-book format as part of the BookSneeze program in exchange for my honest review here.

Even though Waiting for Morning is book two in the series, it was written in such a way that I didn’t even realize this until I was many chapters in. You certainly don’t have to have read book one to enjoy this one! Waiting for Morning was such a fun book to read! I really empathized with Molly’s plight. Her guilt over her brother Donny’s long ago accident and resulting disability has caused her to feel responsible for him for all time! What a heavy burden to bear. When fire destroys their home and nearly claims Donny’s life, she jumps at the chance to become an “heiress” to a cattle ranch and finally give Donny a “real” home.

Molly struggles with balancing her ranching duties and caring for her brother, but you can’t help but admire her determination to provide for him. The love interest in the book makes for some comical moments. I laughed and cried while thoroughly enjoying the story!

Curl up in a cushy chair with a cup of your favorite beverage and enjoy!

*Ü* Blessings,