Hal Young's Blog, page 56

King Alfred's English a Fascinating Read!

When I first  heard about King Alfred's English by Laurie White, I was immediately interesting. King Alfred is one of our family's favorite characters. He was a real Christian, an amazingly wise and far-seeing ruler and a refreshingly human personality. We love words, too, so it was a natural for us to review!

This is a fascinating, very readable account of the history of the English language. If that sounds dry, then you don't know the history of Britain! Romans and Saxons, fighting furies, kidnapping and monks – it reads like a novel!

Laurie White has a very engaging style that draws you right in. She is also a believer, which is important because the history of the English language is inextricably linked to the history of Christianity, from the early Christian missionaries (including Joseph of Arimethea!) through Wycliffe to the present. Laurie handled all of this very well, obviously not only knowing the history, but understanding it.

King Alfred's English  is supposed to be aimed at 7-12 graders, but I think some younger children and lots and lots of adults are going to enjoy this volume. I think this would be an excellent addition to any history or English curriculum. And it might make your children lovers of language, too. I love it when something is good for you and great fun, too.

Nominated for Book of the Year! King Alfred's English, like Raising Real Men has been nominated for the Christian Small Publishers Association Book of the Year (don't worry, it's in a different category!). Go vote for them, too!

A Give-Away!

I have a *signed* copy of King Alfred's English to give-away! How do you enter?

First, if you haven't already, go cast your ballot for the Christian Small Publishers Book of the Year. Click here, then scroll down to NONFICTION – RELATIONSHIPS / FAMILY, where we sure hope you will vote for Raising Real Men – and King Alfred's English, too! Be sure to hit the "Submit Votes" button at the bottom! If you've already voted, keep reading…

Then, comment here and let us know you did – that's all!  Want more entries? Post a link to this post on your Facebook page, Twitter, blog, or email loop and come back here and comment that you did. You can get an entry for each time you share!

Don't forget to go back and enter the contests earlier this week, if you haven't already: Henty AudioBooks, TruthQuest Gift Certificate, and Geology Detective Mineral Indentification Kit!

Hey! If you have sons that are 9-12 years old, check out our new Boot Camp 9-12! And thanks for voting!

We received a free copy of this curriculum in return for our always honest review.

Meet the Geology Detective!

I was dreading it a little bit when my dear friend Teresa Wirtz asked me to review their new Rock and Mineral Identification Kits. I knew the boys would be thrilled – there's just something about boys and rocks – I think they all love them, but although I am a science person (my degree is in Biology and I about have enough for another degree in Chemistry), I know nothing about rocks. I mean, they are like, um, hard and in the ground, right? Well, it's not quite that bad, but I've done rock identification kits before and I *hated* not being sure that what I was telling the children was right. I couldn't even be sure I was doing the test right. That's traumatic for a type A personality like me.

Well, the Geology Detective Mineral Identification Kit  is not that sort of kit!

 Teresa and Joe Wirtz are parents of six and longtime homeschoolers themselves. They understand the annoyance of finally getting enough time to get that science experiment done, only to find out that you don't have everything you need! Arrggghhh! So, Teresa and Joe have put every single thing you need in these kits. I remember trying to do rock identification with the boys years ago and thinking "White streak plate? What is that? Oh, I can use a piece of a ceramic tile. Well where do I get that?" Well, the Geology Detective includes it! These kits contain everything you need. Seriously, even the penny! What a stress-reducer that is.

The other great thing about these kits is that there is no wondering if you got it right! Each rock or mineral comes in its own little bag with a label. Whew! I always remove the label from the one we're testing so I don't ruin the surprise for the children, but it helps me enormously to know what the expected results should be. That way, if we don't get the expected results we can figure out what went wrong rather than fumble around in ignorance. Their charts are so understandable!

Those things make using the Geology Detective kits something you don't have to dread. We greatly enjoyed using ours, and I came out of it completely untraumatized!

I've got to say a word about the Wirtz family, too, though. They live in our area and we've known them many years. Joe coached our eldest John Calvin in debate and greatly influenced him to be able to defend the faith. Teresa has been a dear friend, too, praying for us and encouraging us and lending a hand, too. Even our dog loves them (that's where she stays when we travel).

Now, I wouldn't say buy this because they are our friends, because I value your trust in us too much. But to be able to recommend a great product produced by a great family? Well, that's a lot of fun! The Geology Detective Series is highly recommended.

Geology Detective Rock and Mineral Identification Kits, Joe & Teresa Wirtz, Home 4 School Gear, $34.99 $29.99.

A Give-Away!

Teresa has generously offered us a Geology Detective Mineral Identification Kit to give away! Here's how to enter:

First, go cast your ballot for the Christian Small Publishers Book of the Year. Click here, then scroll down to NONFICTION – RELATIONSHIPS / FAMILY, where we sure hope you will vote for Raising Real Men! (And King Alfred's English, too — we're reviewing that tomorrow!) Be sure to hit the "Submit Votes" button at the bottom! If you've already voted, great — keep reading…

Then, comment here and let us know you did – that's all!  Want more entries? Post a link to this post on your Facebook page, Twitter, blog, or email loop and come back here and comment that you did. You can get an entry for each time you share!

Hey! If you have sons that are 9-12 years old, check out our new Boot Camp 9-12. Get geared up for the teen years! And thanks for voting!

We received a free copy of this curriculum in return for our always honest review.

Hymn of the Week: O Word of God Incarnate

Paul, by Rembrandt

O Word of God incarnate, O Wisdom from on high,

O Truth unchanged, unchanging, O Light of our dark sky:

We praise You for the radiance that from the hallowed page,

A Lantern to our footsteps, shines on from age to age.

The Church from You, our Savior, received the Gift divine,

And still that Light is lifted over all the earth to shine.

It is the sacred Vessel where gems of truth are stored;

It is the heaven drawn Picture of Christ, the living Word.

The Scripture is a banner before God's host unfurled;

It is a shining Beacon above the darkling world.

It is the Chart and Compass that over life's surging tide,

Mid mists and rocks and quicksands, to You, O Christ, will guide.

O make your Church, dear Savior, a lamp of purest gold,

To bear before the nations Your true light as of old.

O teach your wandering pilgrims by this their path to trace,

Till, clouds and darkness ended, they see You face to face.

This hymn, written by William W. How, in 1867, reminds us that the Bible is more than just another book, or ancient compilation of stories, as some say. It is living and active. It is inspired (God-breathed, is what that means) and inerrant (without error) as it was written. It is the foundation for all of our faith and practice and reliable in every subject it addresses.

That's the orthodox, ancient Christian view, and that's what we believe.

The tune we use is called Munich and was one of the last compositions that Felix Mendelssohn worked on. Mendelssohn was a Jewish Christian – proud of his Jewish ancestory and a confessional Lutheran.

Click here to hear the tune.

What's Better Than History? History and Geography Together!

Hang on for the freebie for everyone and give-away, too, at the bottom of the post to celebrate our nomination for Book of the Year…

You know what I hate? I have this huuuuge stack of books waiting for review on our site on my bedside table and an even bigger one on the bookshelf behind my chair in the den. What a really hate is finally, weeks or months after I'd hoped to, picking up that review book only to find out it is exactly what I needed way back when I should have reviewed it!

How I wish I had opened up Map Trek: The Complete Collection by Terri Johnson earlier this year! We are studying the ancient world in history this year and it would have been wonderful to start out the year with this great resource.

Here's the idea – it's an atlas of maps that match history! So, if you are studying ancient Egypt, here's a labeled map of their land. If you are studying the trading empire of the Phoenicians, here you can see just what it consisted of. Ancient China? It's here. So is the Empire of Charlemagne and the Crusades, and the French Revolution, and the Civil War. You get the idea. I am seriously madly in love with this book! We may have to give it a place on our bedside table with the dictionary, so we can refer to it in our reading at bedtime. What? You don't have a dictionary on your bedside table? Oh, you use your iTouch to look up unusual words, okay. But, then we'd need another copy for school, wouldn't we?

Not only does this terrific book have maps from Noah to now to help you understand history, but it comes with lesson plans to use those maps to teach the principles and facts of geography to your children. The brief lesson plans are just what you need to turn a "Let's look that up on the map" into an opportunity to learn some geography, too, but not enough to make you feel like you don't have time to do that. You can really do as little or much as you like.

Map Trek comes with a CD nicely attached inside the cover of the book, so even I didn't manage to lose it. We won't talk about the very expensive, wonderful curriculum we bought this year and promptly lost the CDs. We can lose anything. This CD contains not only the maps in the book, but outline maps your students can use to create their own maps! It also has modern world maps and a world geography study plan. Seriously, this something I wish we'd had decades ago in our family! I'm heading over to check on the price, but I'm sure it's gonna be worth it, after all, they probably aren't going to charge $500. Ah just a little over a tenth that! Well worth it. You might want to consider the hard copy with the CD instead of just the CD. It's a lovely, well-made hardback that you are going to want to casually pick up throughout your homeschooling years. It is also available in CD and even downloadable so you don't have to miss out on using it right away! Highly recommended.

Map Trek: The Complete Collection Atlas and Outline Maps of World History, created by Terri Johnson, Bramley Books, a Division of Knowledge Quest, 2010, 288 pages, $55 in hardback, even less in CD or downloadable. Buy it now by clicking here!

A Freebie AND a Give-Away

And now we have a great opportunity to clear up some confusion! Did you know that there are TWO great homeschool vendors with similar names??? That's right! Today's review was brought to you by Knowledge Quest – and today's freebie and giveaway are brought to you by TruthQuest History! I suggest you check them both out – lots of people use them together!

I just love what they say on their site:

TruthQuest History is a deep and rich literature-based history study…but with a difference. You will not learn the story of mankind; you will learn the lovestory of mankind. You will not focus on the rise and fall of human civilizations; you will focus on the arrow-straight line of God's unchanging existence, power, love, truth, and plan for civilization. You will not simply 'meet the culture' or 'get the facts;' you will probe the truths of history so deeply that your students will be equipped to change their world!

Don't you just love that? That's just the way we think — I need to review something of theirs soon! Michelle Miller of TruthQuest History has been so generous with us! She is offering every single one of you a free download of her workshop: Hot Rods and Hope Chests: Boys and Girls and History. Click on the link, then when you get to the page, right click on the title of the workshop and select "Save Target As" or just click on the link to listen now.

Stay tuned, though! Because one of you can also win a $20 Gift Certificate toward a TruthQuest History Guide of your choice!

Here's how to enter:

First, go cast your ballot for the Christian Small Publishers Book of the Year. Click here, then scroll down to NONFICTION – RELATIONSHIPS / FAMILY, where we sure hope you will vote for Raising Real Men! Be sure to hit the "Submit Votes" button at the bottom! If you've already voted, keep reading…

Then, comment here and let us know you did – that's all!  Want more entries? Post a link to this post on your Facebook page, Twitter, blog, or email loop and come back here and comment that you did. You can get an entry for each time you share!

Hey! If you have sons that are 9-12 years old, check out our new Boot Camp 9-12! And thanks for voting!

We received a free copy of this curriculum in return for our always honest review.

Unavoidable Conflict, Collateral Damage

Dear Ones,

Many of you will have heard that Ken Ham was recently "disinvited" to speak at the remaining conferences sponsored by Great Homeschool Conferences Inc. and prevented from exhibiting there. 

We want to assure you that the concern over the teachings of Peter Enns is substantial, and needs to be discussed. Whether or not there was an Adam and a literal Fall is at the very fundamentals of the faith. Without a Fall, why is there any need for an atonement? That's why we spoke up in our sessions, too, and will continue to with love. We believe the Word literally when it says, "Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous." Romans 5:18-19 (Oh, read the whole chapter!)

In addition, we want to ask you to pray for the folks most hurt in this current conflict – the excellent vendors already committed to the Cincinnati Conference and to a lesser extent, King of Prussia, PA.

The vendors paid $450 per booth months ago, have paid for travel and hotel rooms, and have bought inventory and had it shipped to Cincinnati (yesterday was the deadline). Most homeschool vendors (ask me how I know!) are completely broke at this point after the long dry season and have barely made it to this month which starts the convention season. The Cincinnati conference (billed as the biggest in the world) is so huge, many have been stretched to their very limits to buy inventory for it. Our vendor friends are very concerned about what has happened.

At this point, backing out of the conference is completely impossible for most vendors – they would be unable to pay for the inventory already purchased. You have to sign up for conferences months in advance, so there is no way to go to another conference in its place.

However, we are hearing threats to boycott vendors that do go to the conferences and even if that fizzles, many, many people have decided not to attend, potentially greatly reducing attendance and leaving much of that inventory unsold — and unable to be paid for!

This is especially frustrating for all of us who said they believe in the inerrancy of Scripture in our sessions, but may be inadvertently hurt. We really, really, really wish the conference organizers had considered the vendors, among other things, in the decision to disinvite Ken Ham.

Please pray for the homeschool families facing this potential disaster in their businesses.

Hal & Melanie

BTW, don't forget to enter the giveaway on the earlier post today – Book of the Year and Books for Many Years.

–

Book of the Year and Books for Many Years!

Dear Friends,

We have been nominated for the Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year, which honors books produced by small publishers each year for outstanding contribution to Christian life. The really exciting part is that this award allows everyone to vote – publishers, retailers, authors, and yes, readers, too!  This is the last week that voting is allowed, so we are going to be celebrating – and asking you to vote – until March 31st. Stay tuned for great give-aways and freebies every day this week.

We'd like to start out with some of our favorites. Many of you have heard us speak of the need for real heroes in a boy's life. Well, our boys have lots of heroes, each exemplifying different character traits of a godly man, found through reading the most excellent historical novels of G.A. Henty. It was later, after we first had a late reader, that we discovered Jim Hodges Audio Books. What a find!

We were delighted that our son could enjoy the same books his brothers had and grow up with the same heroes, but also that he was able to learn to understand complex language. That helped so much when his reading caught up! He jumped right to reading on grade level!

We discovered another benefit, though. We all loved listening to the Hentys as we were working or driving. They are stories that are just bound to grab your attention!

[image error]But why Jim Hodges when there are several folks doing the same thing? Well, we first chose Jim Hodges because all his books are unabridged! We wanted our boys to hear the whole thing – all about the geographic location, the historical setting, and the terrific language - and not to hear some simplified version  that would miss some of the greatness. Also, Jim has a pleasant voice and loves the books himself – makes a difference, that's the same reason why Hal read Raising Real Men for our audiobook – interpretation counts. I'd choose Jim Hodges now for even more reasons. When we were first starting out, Jim took the time and trouble to help us. He recommended us to his own newsletter list. He gave us advice and counsel on our audiobook. He's been a real friend to our ministry. Buy from Jim!

A Give-Away!

Jim Hodges is going to give five blessed winners each a G.A. Henty audiobook of their choice! I wish we could compete! So how do you win?

First, go cast your ballot for the Book of the Year. Click here, then scroll down to NONFICTION – RELATIONSHIPS / FAMILY, where we sure hope you will vote for Raising Real Men! Be sure to hit the "Submit Votes" button at the bottom! If you've already voted, keep reading…

Then, head over to sign up for Jim Hodge's newsletter. You ought to, anyway, he has great resources and terrific deals. Click here, and sign up on the lower right!

There, you are entered! Keep an eye out for more giveaways and freebies this week. Oh, and what are your favorite books for boys?

A Unique Perspective on Lewis and Clark: York Proceeded On

Catherine Jaime, a terrific storyteller, brings a completely unique perspective to the Corps of Discovery with her new book, York Proceeded On. York, the manservant and slave of William Clark of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the new Louisiana Purchase. This engaging book, based on years of study of the expedition is historically accurate wtih regards to the expedition, but takes poetic license in imagining what life was like for York in later years after he gained his freedom.

The book is set in the context of York telling stories of the expedition to his grandchildren. Although history doesn't tell us if York even had grandchildren, the setting makes for a very accessible book that is ideal for a family read aloud. As the stories of the expedition come out, the first person recollections make you feel like you are really there with him – it draws you right in! You'll worry about how they'll make it until they find more food, feel exasperated when the Indians steal their horses and bubble over with joy when they reach the Pacific. I appreciated the author's family-friendly treatment of issues like slavery and conflicts with the Indians. The truth isn't distorted, but neither is it too much for children to handle. There were so many exciting episodes and so much human interest that every member of the family is going to beg for more. This volume is bound to whet your appetite to learn more and more about the Lewis and Clark expedition, too!

This is a great book to spark interest in explorers, Lewis and Clark, slavery, and Native Americans. Add it to your library now! Highly recommended!

York Proceeded On: The Lewis and Clark Expedition Through the Eyes of Their Forgotten Member by Catherine McGrew Jaime. Creative Learning Connections, 2011, _pages. $ 

We were given a free copy of this book in return for our always review.

Leonardo the Florentine: A Novel and a Great Read!

Everyone thinks they know about Leonardo da Vinci. We hear all sorts of things about him – from the specious Da Vinci Code to descriptions of him as the perfect Renaissance man, but most of us have a very vague picture of who he really is. Catherine McGrew Jaime opens a window into the early life of da Vinci in Leonardo the Florentine: A Novel. This novelization of Leonardo's early life is the first of what Jaime hopes will be many novels about Da Vinci.

Catherine Jaime has a gift for story-telling. From the very beginning of the book, you identify with Leonardo and want to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. I love using accurate historical fiction with our children. Like "a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down," learning history through reading the gripping stories of those who lived it, doesn't just make history palatable, it makes it unforgetable. More than that, reading biographies gives our children something to aim for. They begin to be able to imagine what the heroes of history would do in different situations – and that is character-building! Jaime's Leonardo does a great job of showing one of these heroes in a tough situation, as an unknown apprentice with little liberty and less money. Also, Jaime's description of the Florence of the Medicis is so interesting that it's likely to provoke a desire to find out more about this influential family and the Florence of the Renaissance. You can definitely tell that the author has been researching and studying the life of da Vinci for years.

I believe you and your children will find this novel a great introduction to one of the most fascinating characters of history. It's full of intrigue and adventure, and gives tantalizing glimpses of the polymath Leonardo da Vinci would become.  Highly Recommended.

Leonardo the Florentine: A Novel by Catherine McGrew Jaime. Creative Learning Connection, 2010. Paperback, 158 pages. $10.50. Available from  Creative Learning Connection , Amazon, and in eBooks at Currclick and Smashwords.

 

Would you like to win a copy?

 Just leave a comment on this post to enter. I'd love to hear your most burning question or interesting fact about Leonardo da Vinci. For additional entries, fan us on Facebook, fan Creative Learning Connections on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our newsletter or share about this contest and link to us from your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or newsletter. But, you need to leave a separate email on this post for each extra entry telling us you did it! A winner will randomly be chosen on Tuesday, March 15 at noon EST.

Stay tuned for a review of Catherine's newest (and delightful!) book next week…
We received a free copy of this book for our always honest review.

Leonardo da Vinci

Everyone thinks they know about Leonardo da Vinci. We hear all sorts of things about him – from the specious Da Vinci Code to descriptions of him as the perfect Renaissance man, but most of us have a very vague picture of who he really is. Catherine McGrew Jaime opens a window into the early life of da Vinci in Leonardo the Florentine: A Novel. This novelization of Leonardo's early life is the first of what Jaime hopes will be many novels about Da Vinci.

Catherine Jaime has a gift for story-telling. From the very beginning of the book, you identify with Leonardo and want to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. I love using accurate historical fiction with our children. Like "a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down," learning history through reading the gripping stories of those who lived it, doesn't just make history palatable, it makes it unforgetable. More than that, reading biographies gives our children something to aim for. They begin to be able to imagine what the heroes of history would do in different situations – and that is character-building! Jaime's Leonardo does a great job of showing one of these heroes in a tough situation, as an unknown apprentice with little liberty and less money. Also, Jaime's description of the Florence of the Medicis is so interesting that it's likely to provoke a desire to find out more about this influential family and the Florence of the Renaissance. You can definitely tell that the author has been researching and studying the life of da Vinci for years.

I believe you and your children will find this novel a great introduction to one of the most fascinating characters of history. It's full of intrigue and adventure, and gives tantalizing glimpses of the polymath Leonardo da Vinci would become.  Highly Recommended.

Leonardo the Florentine: A Novel by Catherine McGrew Jaime. Creative Learning Connection, 2010. Paperback, 158 pages. $10.50. Available from  Creative Learning Connection , Amazon, and in eBooks at Currclick and Smashwords.

 

Would you like to win a copy?

 Just leave a comment on this post to enter. I'd love to hear your most burning question or interesting fact about Leonardo da Vinci. For additional entries, fan us on Facebook, fan Creative Learning Connections on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our newsletter or share about this contest and link to us from your blog or newsletter. But, you need to leave a separate email on this post for each extra entry telling us you did it! A winner will randomly be chosen on Tuesday, March 15 at noon EST.

Stay tuned for a review of Catherine's newest (and delightful!) book next week…
We received a free copy of this book for our always honest review.

Hymn of the Week:All People That On Earth Do Dwell

This week's hymn is one of the oldest songs in the English hymnbook.  The tune is the familiar "Doxology" sung all over the world, written by the French composer Loys Bourgeois and published in the second edition of the Geneva Psalter in 1551.  This collection was prepared under the supervision of John Calvin for the use of Reformed churches in that Swiss city.

Geneva was a haven for English Protestant refugees during the persecution of Queen Mary (the "Bloody").  They adapted the French-language psalter for their own use, and published the Anglo-Genevan Psalter  in 1561.  The words are paraphrased from Psalm 100 by a Scottish minister, William Kethe — which is why this tune and songs are known in many places as "The Old 100th":

All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.
Him serve with fear, His praise forth tell;
Come ye before Him and rejoice.

For interest's sake, you can compare Kethe's paraphrase with the text of the Bible he may have used, the Geneva Bible first published in 1560 (more than fifty years before the King James, or "Authorized", version of 1611:

1 A Psalm of Praise. Sing ye loud unto the Lord, all the earth.

2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before him with joyfulness.

3 Know ye that even the Lord is God: he hath made us, and not we ourselves: we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter into his gates with praise, and into his courts with rejoicing: praise him and bless his Name.

5 For the Lord is good: his mercy is everlasting, and his truth is from generation to generation.

(See the Wikipedia article on "The Old 100th")