Let’s Go Nuts is our latest recipe book review, and one for any nut lover, vegan or someone who just wants to try something new. Published by Prestel Publishing and…
Are you thinking about homeschooling your teen through high school? What do you do if they want to go to college? When we were in the middle school years, my husband and I began thinking about the possibility of college for our daughter. And I was more than a little nervous. We loved homeschooling. It was my calling. It worked so well for our family and for our daughter. We knew we wanted to continue through the teen years. We didn't, of course know what our daughter would want to do yet for after graduation. But we wanted her to have the option of going to college, if that was part of her calling. How would I, as a homeschooling mom, help her get there? I spoke with my homeschooling mom friends and found out that many of them did not know how to go about applying to college as homeschoolers. Just like me. And the colleges seemed so big, and I, in contrast, felt so small. Do you ever feel that way? I wanted more information, so I began to research on the web all about homeschooling and college. There are many homeschool friendly colleges out there, that want the type of kids that homeschooling produces - motivated, independent learners. We helped our daughter get into college, and found the process of to not be that hard! We did lots of fun family activities and nature study, too. Today I'd like to share 4 key steps for getting into college for your homeschooled teen, including learning about their: college entrance requirements, which will guide you in: making an over all High School Plan choosing their high school curriculum, and making their homeschool transcript. Let's get started, with the first key step: 1. College Entrance Requirements What specifically are "college entrance requirements"? They are just the courses that your teen would need to complete to be able to apply to college. This information is easy to find, just by looking at college websites, and clicking on the freshman admission requirements. We found these requirements to be similar from college to college, with some variance. They were not all the same. How did we find this information? I looked up the most likely colleges that my daughter might attend. So it's a good idea to look up 2 to 4 possible colleges, and make note of what they require. I invite you to click for my free PDF: Researching and Getting Started - College Entrance Requirements Once we did this, we had our list of college entrance requirements in hand. In fact, we used it to make an overall homeschool high school plan. That is our second step in this process of going from homeschool to college. 2. Making an Overall High School Plan As homeschoolers, we are already experts in planning. We have searched for resources and planned out our kid's homeschooling for years. Planning for high school with college in mind is really no different, except that we want to be sure to get those entrance requirements done, too. So one way to do that is to take our list of admission requirements and sketch out what the high school years might look like.....with our best guesses of what we wanted to do when. With our plan, as described above, we were less likely to forget a requirement or two. We kept ours handy each year, when it was curriculum planning time. And choosing our homeschool high school curriculum is our third step. 3. Choosing Curriculum with College in MindChoosing your homeschool high school curriculum can be very similar to the process you used during their earlier years. We explored around, as usual, choosing the textbooks, living books, and/or online courses that would be a good fit for our teen. We worked to meet our teen’s entrance requirements, but did not forget to focus on her special interests as well. Those became electives. When I taught my daughter photography, that became a credit in photography on her transcript. For more information on assigning high school credit, click here - Assigning High School Credit and Planning High School at Home It is important to know the specifics that your colleges require. For example, does your college ask for labs to be done with each science course? Do they require two science courses, or three? What do they ask for in math? My book mentioned below, has a chapter that includes specifics on each subject. The next and final step is that of making your teen's homeschool transcripts. And what should be included in the homeschool transcript, anyway? 4. Making Your Teen's Transcript The homeschool transcript is basically just a list of all the courses your teen has completed, both at home, and at any outside courses, too. That way, the colleges can see clearly what your teen has done as far as coursework. I recommend that your transcript to be just one page. That is what the colleges are used to seeing. For all the details of how to put together your homeschool transcript, I invite you to go back to my blog again, BJ's Homeschool, and click on the Transcript Pop Up. It will pop up! It is a free Homeschool Transcripts PDF for you. These instructions will show you just how we made your transcripts, how I did that for my daughter when she got into each of the colleges that she applied to. For more information, I invite you to watch my video called: 5 Steps to Planning High School at Home It also includes information on my book, which I am offering as a GIVEAWAY and a SALE as a part of this event! Both Paperback and Kindle are on Amazon Kindle SALE - 50% off $3.49 With HIGH SCHOOL PLANNING PRINTABLES These downloadable high school planning printables include: College Entrance Requirements Form Overall High School Planning Form Curriculum Planning Sheet High School Credit Record Form Transcript Form Homemade Course Form Writing the College Essay Form Course Descriptions Record Keeping Form, and more. Find out more about the book! Helping our daughter get into college did not take up all of our homeschool time. We took it step-by-step so that we had time for the fun family activities, family devotionals, and also time for my teen to explore her God given gifts and special interests. And isn't that what homeschooling is about anyway? The best way to follow me for resources and tips on high school and college is to join me on Pinterest. (Links below.) I share there often. So happy to have you join us in this Upper Grades event! I am honored to be a part of it. Giveaway!! Betsy will be giving away two paperback copies of her book, Homeschooling High School with College in Mind, 2nd edition. Enter to win on the Homeschooling Upper Grades landing page! You may also like... ***************************************** Betsy is a veteran homeschool blogger who writes at BJ's Homeschool blog about Frugal Resources, high school, college, and more. Join her on BJ's Facebook, and don't forget to follow her on BJ's Homeschool - Pinterest. Betsy enjoys going on nature trips with her family, and lots of photography outings in the country with her daughter. They live in WA state, with two adorable cats.
We are delighted to be a stop on Charlie Higson’s “Guide to London” blog tour to celebrate the release of The Fallen, the latest book in his YA zombie series. Thea was a fan of The Enemy and The Dead (books 1 and 2 in the series), so we’re very happy to host Charlie as he takes a zombirific tour of London – our stop is the Imperial War Museum. Please give a warm welcome to Charlie, folks! CHARLIE HIGSON’S GUIDE TO LONDON Imperial War Museum I wanted to set my ‘zombie’ series The Enemy, in as real and recognisable a world as I could. It’s about various gangs of kids scattered around different locations in London and I wanted to use locations that had meant a lot to me when I was a kid coming up to visit London. I wanted to include as many of the places I’d loved to visit. Between them these places cover most of central London and create a good geographical network. I knew these places well, but went back to them all to do research, walked around a lot, and, via Twitter, managed to get access to see some of the areas that […]
Y'all it snowed ALL DAY LONG here! That is definitely rare for South Carolina. And today was the "small storm." We only ended up with 2-3 inches (which would usually be considered a HUGE storm for us) but tomorrow we could get 8-12 more inches! WOWZERS! They're saying it could be in the top three storms ever on record here! Needless to say, I'm going to have a few more snow days. :) So, I thought this would be the perfect time to show-off a new little game that I've been trying out in my classroom. Have you heard of TENZI? It's a new game for me...and my kiddos are eating it up!! They would pretty much do anything for a chance to play this game. It is a dice game. Not necessarily educational, although my brain is already racing with ways I could incorporate it into lessons. Definitely with probability! When you buy the game, it comes with 40 dice - ten each of four different colors. This means that 2-4 people can play with a set. You can see I have 8 sets in my classroom - enough for all of my students to play at the same time. It's really simple. Each player rolls the dice (at the same time) and looks for the number they have the most of - they "claim" that number and pick up any dice that are not on that number. They continue to roll (as fast as they can) any dice not on that number until finally they are all on the "claimed" number. Once this happens, they yell, "TENZI!" The first person to yell it wins. My kiddos are obsessed. Since it's not really educational, they've just been playing it during indoor recess (I know we've all had more than our share of THOSE this winter) and at dismissal time. In fact, it has been my saving grace during dismissal time. They are so occupied and focused. LOVE. It's also a fun game to make your husband (or friends) play with you. :) Take a look at this video from Tenzi to see just how much fun people of all ages have playing it... I also love the fact that there are many different versions of play. I actually used this as a reward for my kiddos. If they won on the scoreboard, I showed them a new "version" of play! Ha - I'm telling you...they eat it up! They absolutely LOVE that they're able to beat the teacher at this game (every now and then, at least). :) So, here's my thought for making it educational. Once students have claimed a number, they can set aside, not only dice that land on that number, but also dice that add up to that number. Example, if you claimed the number 6 and on the next roll, you didn't have a 6 but you did have a 4 and a 2, you could set those two dice aside (together) as a 6. I can't wait to try this version with my kiddos! I'm going to call it SUMzi. I know teachers are the BEST at making things into learning opportunities, so what are your thoughts? How would you use this game in an educational way? Of course, you could always use the 40 DICE in many ways in the classroom, aside from Tenzi! What are you waiting for? Do you want to give this game a try in your classroom? I'm giving away TWO SETS to ONE LUCKY TEACHER! Enter below and I'll choose the winner on Friday (unless this storm causes us to lose power, in which case I'll choose the winner as soon as possible...let's hope not). a Rafflecopter giveaway
Do you remember the first time you learned about a new word or concept? Chances are, you learned it from some form of entertainment: a TV show, a movie, or mayb
The Cress blog tour is organized by MacTeenBooks Find the full schedule HERE (and below) I am an enormous fan of the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. With each book I've read in this series, the complexity of the story and the excitement of the plot increases, and I can't help but fall deeper in love with Meyer's characters and her storytelling. Cress is definitely my favorite book of the three, although Wolf is my favorite character of all so far. You can find my glowing thoughts on the third installment HERE. Today I'm incredibly excited and honored for Marissa Meyer to talk about some of her favorite fanart images. Fanart completely fascinates and amazes me. I am not artistic at all, but I am a very visual person, and I love to see artists' renditions of my favorite books. I can't imagine how incredible it would be to write a book, and then have someone draw images about it. Welcome, Marissa! _________________________________________________________________ Highlighting Some Favorite Fanart By Marissa Meyer I am a sucker for all fanart, and I particularly love it when artists use their art to theorize on upcoming books, or envision characters that they’ve only barely met. It’s so much fun for me to see how even a single line or scene can inspire a drawing, a comic strip, a painting—anything! Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite parts of being a writer. Though CRESS has only just come out, some clever artists have been drawing fanart related to the book for months—even years! Here are some of my personal favorites. ***************************************** Source OMG movie posters!! This piece makes me very excited and hopeful that there may be an official Cinder movie someday... *fingers crossed* In the meantime, this fanartist is actually making her own fanvid, a trailer for which can be seen HERE. AMAZING, NO? ***************************************** Source I am a sucker for any fanart that highlights all four girls, even though you guys haven't met them all yet! This one does an awesome job of capturing their unique styles. The artist, Abbi, is definitely one of the most prolific TLC fanartists, and I adore everything she does! ********************************************** Source I am equally a sucker for anything that highlights one of those quirky moments between the characters, and this one delights me to no ends! (It doesn’t hurt that seeing the characters chibi-fied filled with vast amounts of nostalgia.) ***************************************** Source This more recent piece has such a strikingly gorgeous interpretation of Cress, and really captures her and her plight so well. It has a romantic, day-dreamy quality that I absolutely love. ***************************************** Source Last but by no means least, this drawing makes me SO HAPPY. I literally lol’d the first time I saw it. #highthrees ***************************************** More amazing fanart can be found on the Lunar Chronicles Tumblr. _________________________________________________________________________________ About the author Marissa Meyer lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and three cats. She’s a fan of most things geeky (Sailor Moon, Firefly, color-coordinating her bookshelf . . .), and has been in love with fairy tales since she was given a small book of them when she was a child. She may or may not be a cyborg. Cress is the third book in her debut series the Lunar Chronicles. Find Marissa Meyer: Twitter | Facebook | On tour Become a fan of The Lunar Chronicles: Facebook | Tumblr Follow the MacTeenBooks blog for more Lunar Chronicles fun Get ready for the release of Cress! Pre-Order Cress and get a free comb! Details HERE (Us only) Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository Join the Scarlet Readathon, HERE _________________________________________________________________ Follow the entire Cress Blog Tour Monday January 20 That Artsy Reader Girl Tuesday January 21 Mermaid Vision Books Wednesday January 22 MacTeenBooks Thursday January 23 Refracted Light Reviews Friday January 24 Love is Not a Triangle Monday January 27 YA Bibliophile Tuesday January 28 The Irish Banana Review Wednesday January 29 Forever Young Adult Thursday January 30 Alexa Loves Books Friday January 31 FicFare Monday February 3 Mundie Moms _________________________________________________________________ Giveaway Enter to win a paperback of Cinder + a paperback of Scarlet + a hardcover of Cress + a special Cress comb! Thank you Macmillan for this generous giveaway! Policies: Giveaway is for US or Canada residents only (Sorry, other international readers!) You must be at least 13 years old to enter See my policies HERE a Rafflecopter giveaway
Title: Sinful Intent Series: ALFA PI Book #1 Release Date: July 14th Author: Chelle Bliss AMAZON - BARNES & NOBLE - ITUNES - KOBO Synopsis The moment I saw her, I wanted her. I tried to resist her, but Race had other plans. One night, in a moment of weakness, I gave in to my desires. I still had a job to do before her world collapsed. If I failed at finding the person behind the threats, I could lose her forever. Temptation can be dangerous. GOODREADS Excerpt “You’re really purdy,” she slurred with a lopsided grin, running her finger down my cheek. “That’s it. No more drinks for you,” I said, dragging the glass away from her. “No! I’ve only had three,” she said as she lurched forward, pulling the drink out of my hands. “I’m enjoying myself. I’ve had a bitch of a week and I deserve to let loose a little.” I held my hands up. “You’ve actually had four martinis, but anything you want, princess.” Her eyes grew into little slits. “I’m not your princess,” she slurred, sounding completely adorable. My cheeks hurt as I smiled. “I’m going to take you home now. I think you need to sleep it off.” “Last time I checked,” she said before hiccupping, “you’re not my daddy.” A slow smile crept across her face. She scooted closer and whispered, “Unless that’s your thing.” She tried to wink, but both eyes closed, one after the other. I leaned into her space, a breath away from her lips. “It’s not my thing, but I’m happy to act out your fantasies. But I don’t think you want to cross that line. Once you go there, there’s no going back.” I stared into her eyes. “Oooh.” Her eyes grew wide. “Is that supposed to scare me, Mr. DeLuca?” I didn’t move. “I’m just giving you fair warning. You’ve had a few drinks, and I won’t take advantage of that. I’m just telling you how it is.” “You’re full of yourself.” Her warm, sweet breath caressed my lips as she spoke. All I wanted to do was reach out, pull her face to mine, and kiss her full, beautiful lips. “I’m sure of myself and confident in my abilities, yes. That’s entirely different than being full of myself.” I licked my lips, testing her. Her eyes dropped to my mouth as her lips parted. “Another?” Lisa interrupted. “We’re good,” I replied, keeping my eyes pinned to Race and waving Lisa off. “Pfft,” Lisa scoffed, stomping away. Race glared in Lisa’s direction. “She wants you,” she whispered. Was she jealous? “I don’t want her.” “She’s a sure thing though.” I leaned closer, leaving very little space between us. “I never liked easy.” “All men like easy.” Her body swayed, moving so close our lips almost brushed. Purchase Sinful Intent AMAZON - BARNES & NOBLE - ITUNES - KOBO Unlawful Desire - ALFA PI #2 is available for pre-order **Special pre-order price of $2.99** AMAZON - BARNES & NOBLE - ITUNES - KOBO a Rafflecopter giveaway About the Author Chelle Bliss is a USA Today Bestselling Author of the Men of Inked series. She loves to write happily ever afters filled with alpha males and sexy women. Chelle spends her days writing, chatting on Facebook, and working on her craft. The ALFA PI series a spin off of her Men of Inked series and she's excited to introduce a new world of characters to readers. WEBSITE - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOODREADS - NEWSLETTER
Growing up, I was pretty in tune to what it was appropriate to ask for and what wasn’t, whether it was a certain present or even a candy bar at the grocery st
I blogged about British shows before, I shared 10 and now I'll share 10 more! Plus enter the giveaway and join my Google + group.
The Upside Down of Nora Gaines Author: Cathrina Constantine Publication Date: March 5th, 2021 Genre: YA Fantasy / Paranormal Book Description: Nora has visions of horrific things. Things that lurk in the shadows and feast on bones. After moving with her mother into an old farmhouse, Nora discovers a blank journal that fills itself with an ominous warning. A cursed beast is coming for her and time is running out. When the blood moon rises, so shall the beast. Local teen, Rebel, has his own trepidations about the house. His parents, both paranormal scientists, were investigating it when they died under mysterious circumstances. His growing feelings for Nora motivate him to battle the ghosts of his past, if it means keeping her safe. Allies to turn to enemies. Fiction turns to fact. The past and the present collide. All in an epic battle to claim unfathomable power. Can Nora unlock the secrets buried within the farmhouse in time to save herself and those dear to her from a grisly fate? Buy Links: Amazon US ¦ UK EXCERPT Nora liked birds, except when the choirs assembled at the break of dawn outside her window. Slitting one eye she peered into the dimness and grumbled. Ugh! She flipped onto her stomach and burrowed her head underneath her pillow. Drifting into a restive slumber was when she’d experience her crazy daymares. Normally, those frittered into nothingness, but, a few would haunt her… The beast’s strong fingers clamped the young man’s throat, not to strangle, but to subdue him. Suddenly, he felt bored. The thrill was gone. In spite for his jaded mood, he squeezed the man’s larynx, harder. When the young man’s lips parted, to scream or to breathe, a visceral grin spread over the beast. The moment had arrived. The beast opened his mouth, drinking in all of him. But not his soul. His soul he couldn’t claim, only his spirited innocence, and this young man had zilch to quench his addiction. With the deed accomplished, the beast wasn’t fulfilled as in years past. The unpalatable murdering of innocents lost its flavor, and there was no tolerance for the mundane. “You were too simple,” he grumbled at the young man’s ashen face as it purpled into a death mask, eyes open. “No struggle. No fight. You offered yourself without resistance. What fun is that. Your brother at least provided me incentive.” He turned to the adjoining twin bed. “Youngsters can surprise me. You were tastier,” he said, peering down at another boy, roughly twelve, brown curls littering the pillow, eyes open, dead. “Fighting until the end. Your spirited demise has strengthened me. Thank you for that.” He gathered the boy in his arms, carried him downstairs, and sat him on a chair facing the fireplace. Then the beast repeated his action with the young man, depositing him on the couch, between his sisters. Grabbing the iron poker, he revived the flames. He set the poker aside and turned to admire his handiwork. “What a perfect family. You should be happy to spend eternity together on the same day.” Scrutinizing their faces, he reenacted each termination. “Mama in her shawl, and papa in his nightcap. What a hoot.” He readjusted papa’s cap, then swerved to his staged bodies. “Demure Louisa, Elizabeth, and wimpy Stephen.” He shelved his hand beneath Stephen’s chin and raised it to speak to the young man. “You were born with a burden of wickedness, and groveled like a cowering worm before me. Pleading I took you anyway which was a grievous error. Your foul spirit embitters my gut even now.” He removed his hand from Stephen’s chin, letting it drop like a lead weight. “Lastly, Edward. Ahh, Edward, you did not disappoint. An unsullied spirit.” The beast petted the boy’s hair. “Vulgarity and iniquity I have in abundance.” Forlorn tears bathed the beast’s eyes as if seeking absolution. “You must understand,” he sobbed, grimacing in anguish. “I crave virtue and purity. I need it to survive.” He spread his arms in front of his victims, begging for their forgiveness. “I devour spirits. The more chaste the better, and they are hard to come by. Virtues keep my urges at bay.” He browsed his knuckles over Edward’s supple cheek. “My brave boy. Your purity astounded me. To lay down your life to save your family is a gift. Alas, I had already consumed their spirits.” The beast’s face distorted into a scribbling mess as if whiffing rotting flesh. Performing a flamboyant bow, he said, “Your hospitality was most welcome.” The phantom beast evaporated, leaving in his stead a wisp of vapor. A gasp parted Nora’s lips, snapping open her eyes. Her rapid beating heart slammed against her ribs like a warning mallet. She didn’t or couldn’t move, her body a frigid plank. Her eyes had the capacity to flit about the room, which was now bathed in sunlight. About the Author I am blessed with a loving family and forever friends. My world revolves around them. I grew up in the small village of Lancaster, NY, where I married my sweetheart. I'm devoted to raising 5 cherished children, and now my grandchildren. I love to immerse myself in great books of every kind of genre, which helps me to write purely for entertainment, and hopefully to inspire readers. When not stationed at my computer you can find me in the woods taking long walks with my dog. Author Links: Website ¦ Goodreads ¦ Facebook ¦ Twitter ¦ Instagram ¦ Bookbub ***GIVEAWAY*** a Rafflecopter giveaway Book Blitz Organised by:
Summer Season (Treading The Boards #2) Rebecca Cohen Length: 37,415 words Buy Links Amazon US | Amazon UK | Dreamspinner | AllRomance | B&N | KOBO Publisher: Dreamspinner Press Series Overly Dramatic (Treading The Boards #1) Amazon US | Amazon UK | Dreamspinner | AllRomance | B&N | KOBO He's Behind You (Treading The Boards #3) Amazon US | Amazon UK | Dreamspinner | AllRomance | B&N | KOBO Blurb A trip down to Cornwall is just what Ryan Penniford needs to recover from the daily grind of London life. Ryan and his amateur dramatics society, the Sarky Players, are traveling to Porthcurno to perform at the stunning Minack Theatre. Stuart Box has returned to Cornwall after earning his PhD, and is killing time as he looks for a job back in London. Spending time with Ryan from the Sarky Players is a great way to take his mind off things. During their first meeting, sparks fly, but not in a good way, and they must work to get past their initial hostilities to discover they have great off-stage chemistry. Stuart soon learns Ryan is not the superficial man people assume he is, and Stuart likes what he sees. The feeling is entirely mutual. Pity Ryan is only visiting for two weeks, but both men want to see where this holiday romance might take them. Review I know I said this in the review for book one of this series but I'm saying it again; I was a theater geek in high school so this series is really a lot of fun for me. Summer Season has the same humor and spunk as book 1 (Overly Dramatic) did. We seem to be following the Sarky Players throughout and this book is Ryan's story. The other MC is Stuart, a guy who just moved back home. I have to say being an American and not well traveled, I'm always entertained by the culture of conversation, humor, and geography of other countries. The whole British package in this is awesome! Now when we met Ryan in Overly Dramatic I don't know about you but I didn't particularly like him. So getting his story was terrific because the author gives him the opportunity to redeem himself... and he does. Stuart is the prime package; smart, funny, driven, good looking. Everything we all want to be! He's not thrilled with having to be with his mother after getting his PHD but if he didn't he would have never met Ryan. This is a fabulous RomCom. New loves navigating not only their relationship, but all the little tangles that form when figuring out how it will all work. I very much enjoyed this book. Author Bio REBECCA COHEN is a Brit abroad. Having swapped the Thames for the Rhine, she has left London behind and now lives with her husband and young son in Basel, Switzerland. She can often be found with a pen in one hand and a cup of Darjeeling in the other. Contacts: Blog: http://rebeccacohenwrites.wordpress.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rebecca.cohen.710 Twitter: http://twitter.com/R_Cohen_writes a Rafflecopter giveaway
In our house, it is not just "Back to School" for the kids! After being a stay at home mom for the last three school years, I have gone back to work. I am teaching middle school science at the Christian K-12 school where I graduated from back in.... you get the point! Here are some pictures of my new classroom: This is the top of my desk. View when you walk in from the hallway Word wall for middle school science- you can print it for free here Door decor Science tools decor hanging through the lab. You can purchase these as part of a packet here Since I have about 100 students, I need a system for when students are absent. You can print this sign for free here Lab Team Roles bulletin board- You can print these for free here Scientific Method bulletin board- you can purchase these as part of a bundle here Interactive Science Notebooking bulletin board Science cursive alphabet- I know that it is a little elementary but I couldn't resist since there are exactly 26 cabinet doors. You can print it for free here Each lab table had a basket of supplies- you can print the labels for free here If you haven't noticed- I love to be organized. You can print the labels for free here I love these "grade, copy, file" labels for the sterlite drawers on my desk. You can print these for free here What is the start of a new year without a new teacher bag? I love this one that I got from "Thirty one gifts." My BFF sells them if you would like to have one for yourself. You can check them out here. You don't need to be a teacher! As you can see, I love the Teachers Pay Teachers website. I love that teachers share their ideas there. Many of the downloads are free or very inexpensive. It is nice to know when you do purchase one that the money is going to another teacher. A childhood friend of mine just opened her own store on Teachers Pay Teachers. Stop by and check it out!
CONTEST CLOSED: CONGRATULATIONS DEBBY FOR WINNING! I love playing games with my kids. Specifically I like to play non-electronic board games with them. It lets them be creative and also reinforces some important lessons from school. We recently tried out Peaceable Kingdom's What's It?: The Game Where Creative Minds Think Alike. Keep reading to see how you can win a game or Sticker Book from Peaceable Kingdom. What is one thing you don't like about board games? For me it is how competitive my kids can get to try and win. My son will cheat and take multiple roles of the dice to get what he wants and find other ways to move ahead. All he cares about is winning, then someone ends up crying and what started out as a fun game becomes not fun at all. The nice thing about What's It and several other games from Peaceable Kingdom is that they are cooperative games. A Cooperative Game is a game where all players play together against a common obstacle, not against each other. In this game we played against the Doodler by matching words with other players. The dice is rolled that has several categories on it like "You wear it" and you then turn over a card with a doodle. Each player writes at least three things that they think the doodle looks like. I love that they are practicing writing, spelling and using their imagination to figure out what the doodle looks like. Instead of spending time worrying about how they can beat another player. You gain points by matching your answers with other players. There is a timer but since my daughter is really still learning to write words since she is in Kindergarten I didn't use the timer. They even suggest in the directions ways you can adjust the game to the level of your kids. Playing cooperative games teaches kids to cooperate and keeps sister and brother working together against the Doodler. Here it is as packaged. It includes 150 Doodle Cards, 1 Category Die, 6 Answer Boards, 6 Dry Erase Pens, 1 Scorecard, and 1 30-Second Timer. It has a retail value of $24.99. Another item we received was a Princess Sticker Activity Book with Princesses, Fairies and Mermaids. All of these are favorites of my daughter. It was actually funny seeing how much interest my son took in it and really wanted to put on the mermaid stickers. There is a scene that you can add fish and mermaids to which he thought was really cool. It comes with 75 stickers which my daughter was having a lot of fun with. She especially liked dressing the princesses and giving them accessories. It also has some other activities including a puzzle which she really liked and Color Match-Up. The colors are vibrant, plus the stickers don't rip when she takes them off. That is usually a problem we have with sticker books. She had no problem taking them out and putting them in the right spots. Dressing up her princesses. With 75 stickers she can take a lot of time decorating and making every page look beautiful. This was a perfect activity during our huge blizzard in New England that had us in the house for a few days. Do you want to win any game or Sticker book from the http://www.peaceablekingdom.com/ website? Enter below for your chance. Disclosure: I was provided this game and activity book for review purposes. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Free Friday Poster Giveaway Featuring Justin Santora
Spanish is one of the most prominent languages on the planet. These 10 books are bilingual with Spanish and English writing.
Dropsy is not what you'd expect from an indie game in 2015. It's not a walking simulator, a horror game, or a puzzle platformer. No, it's a bizarre throwback to the old point and click games of the 90s, starring an obese and rather frightening clown who just wants some hugs. So I managed to email the brains behind Dropsy, Jay Tholen, to discuss hugging, his inspiration, and other point and click adventures.
Little Grunt and the Big Egg, part of a 4-part series on teaching with Tomie dePaola books.
Mother Daughter Book Reviews is pleased to be coordinating a Book Blast for the newly-released board book, "This Little President: A Presidential Primer" by Joan Holub and Daniel Roode. About the Book Title: This Little President: A Presidential Primer | Author: Joan Holub | Illustrator: Daniel Roode | Publication Date: January 12, 2016 | Publisher: Little Simon | Pages: 26 | Recommended Ages: 2 to 6 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million Goodreads | Indiebound | iBook | Kobo Book Description: A board book primer on presidents Learn about the US presidents with this bright and playful board book! Highlighting ten of the most memorable presidents—and featuring all forty-four on the last page—parents and little leaders-in-training alike will love sharing this fun primer full of age-appropriate facts, leadership skills, and White House history. Leading our country. Helping you and me. Keeping all fifty states safe, happy, and free. Little presidents have a great big job. See more at Little Simon Sneak Peek About the Author: Joan Holub Joan Holub is the author of 140+ books for children including the Mini Myths series of 8 board books: Be Careful, Icarus!, Brush Your Hair, Medusa!, Make A Wish Midas! Joan also authored the acclaimed picture books Little Red Writing, The Knights Before Christmas, and Mighty Dads, a New York Times bestseller. Joan also co-authors (with Suzanne Williams) three series: Goddess Girls (ages 8-12, Greek mythology with a middle school twist), Grimmtastic Girls (for ages 8-12, fairy tale adventure with a middle school twist), and Heroes in Training (ages 6-11, Greek mythology adventure chapter books). Author Blog | Twitter | Pinterest Goodreads | Facebook ** Book Blast Giveaway ** Prize: One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card or $25 PayPal cash prize, winner's choice Giveaway ends: January 26, 11:59 pm, 2016 Open to: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by Joan Holub and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send an email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Insights. Ideas. Improvements.
Some would insist that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Except in this case, a journey spanning a thousand miles across vast waterways with some of the most beauteous backdrops to challenge even the most creative of imaginations.
by Zoe Forward
GIVEAWAY! All About Reading Level of Choice! This month you can enter to win the All About Reading level of your choice, which includes the Teacher’s Manual, Student Packet, and readers! If you haven’t used AAR before, they'll
Hello everyone! I’m participating in the Fresh Ideas For Teachers Blog Hop and Giveaway hosted by Amy Menzi. Thanks so much for stopping in to learn about how I started using choice boards! This year, I’ve been privileged to explore the world of personalized learning. Students in my classroom get to choose a pathway to...Read More »
CONTEST CLOSED: CONGRATULATIONS DEBBY FOR WINNING! I love playing games with my kids. Specifically I like to play non-electronic board games with them. It lets them be creative and also reinforces some important lessons from school. We recently tried out Peaceable Kingdom's What's It?: The Game Where Creative Minds Think Alike. Keep reading to see how you can win a game or Sticker Book from Peaceable Kingdom. What is one thing you don't like about board games? For me it is how competitive my kids can get to try and win. My son will cheat and take multiple roles of the dice to get what he wants and find other ways to move ahead. All he cares about is winning, then someone ends up crying and what started out as a fun game becomes not fun at all. The nice thing about What's It and several other games from Peaceable Kingdom is that they are cooperative games. A Cooperative Game is a game where all players play together against a common obstacle, not against each other. In this game we played against the Doodler by matching words with other players. The dice is rolled that has several categories on it like "You wear it" and you then turn over a card with a doodle. Each player writes at least three things that they think the doodle looks like. I love that they are practicing writing, spelling and using their imagination to figure out what the doodle looks like. Instead of spending time worrying about how they can beat another player. You gain points by matching your answers with other players. There is a timer but since my daughter is really still learning to write words since she is in Kindergarten I didn't use the timer. They even suggest in the directions ways you can adjust the game to the level of your kids. Playing cooperative games teaches kids to cooperate and keeps sister and brother working together against the Doodler. Here it is as packaged. It includes 150 Doodle Cards, 1 Category Die, 6 Answer Boards, 6 Dry Erase Pens, 1 Scorecard, and 1 30-Second Timer. It has a retail value of $24.99. Another item we received was a Princess Sticker Activity Book with Princesses, Fairies and Mermaids. All of these are favorites of my daughter. It was actually funny seeing how much interest my son took in it and really wanted to put on the mermaid stickers. There is a scene that you can add fish and mermaids to which he thought was really cool. It comes with 75 stickers which my daughter was having a lot of fun with. She especially liked dressing the princesses and giving them accessories. It also has some other activities including a puzzle which she really liked and Color Match-Up. The colors are vibrant, plus the stickers don't rip when she takes them off. That is usually a problem we have with sticker books. She had no problem taking them out and putting them in the right spots. Dressing up her princesses. With 75 stickers she can take a lot of time decorating and making every page look beautiful. This was a perfect activity during our huge blizzard in New England that had us in the house for a few days. Do you want to win any game or Sticker book from the http://www.peaceablekingdom.com/ website? Enter below for your chance. Disclosure: I was provided this game and activity book for review purposes. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Control The Lockwood Trilogy Book 1 by Melissa Cassera Genre: Upper YA Paranormal Romance For Natalie Covington and Henry Thorne, only one thing is certain: things are about to get out of control. 18-year-old Natalie has big ambitions but very little control over her situation. She’s trapped at an elite boarding school on a
Hello, Friends! I want to introduce you to my TpT pal, Andie, from Ford's Board. If you've visited her store before, you already know about all of her fun, creative resources designed for upper eleme
Teaching my children to read is one of my favorite parts about homeschooling. I love the look of joy and amazement on their little faces when they sound out their first word and read that
Forever Julia by Jodi Carmichael Publication date: May 1, 2015 Publisher: Great Plains Publications Six months ago, Julia's life was perfect. Then her dad died. Now she lives with her grieving mother and sick grandmother in a puny apartment above their bookstore. After a dark bout of depression, Julia is fragile, and mourns both her father and her old life. But she has one thing to be happy about: Jeremy, the most popular boy at school, has chosen her. Jeremy's love for Julia is passionate, even obsessive. As she grows closer to Jeremy, Julia pushes her disapproving friends and family away. But Jeremy only becomes more controlling and Julia has to decide what lines cannot be crossed. Click HERE to add to Goodreads Already emotionally fragile after losing her father to cancer, Julia is over the moon excited when the most popular boy in school wants to go out with her. Being with Jeremy though is not always easy as he complains about her clothes, friends and even wants to control what she eats as to not get fat. Jeremy is obsessive and controlling, but Julia seems to be blind to it all because she wants this relationship to work. But will she sacrifice her values and her friends just to prove to Jeremy that she loves him? Forever Julia was an intriguing and skillfully written story that had me glued to the pages hoping that Julia would see that she deserved so much more and didn't need to settle for something she thought was the best she was going to get. I really liked Julia's character, because despite all the heartache in her life, she was just a girl trying to do her best and give it her all. Jeremy however was not my favorite (but really, he is not suppose to be). He would go from zero to prick in 2 seconds flat and it was very hard not to want to reach within the pages and strangle him. Blame it on upbringing, or whatever, but people like Jeremy need a good butt-whooping! Forever Julia may be a work of fiction, but the story is far too real in the lives of many young girls and women everywhere. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially teenagers and young adults because Forever Julia deals with real life issues that happen every day in some girl's life. The signs of abuse may be subtle, but there are signs and this story depicts them beautifully. 4 stars “Julia you’ve got to stop talking about what happens between us. That’s private. It’s only between you and me. I meant it when I said we belong together. What we have is special, and I don’t want the whole world knowing everything.” “I don’t tell anyone intimate details,” I say, flushing at the words. “But I always tell my mom stuff. She’s pretty intense about not keeping secrets. It’s one of her big rules. Especially after I had that trouble after Dad died.” “Julia, you have me now. You don’t need to go telling any- one else anything. I am here for you. If you have problems, you can talk to me. No one else. Promise?” “What about Annika?” “No one. Julia, you have to trust me, or this is not going to work. I love you. I am willing to keep our personal life private.” Every time he says loves me I get this rush. “I love you, too.” “Good. Now let’s get something to drink. My dad keeps the bar fridge loaded.” “Something to drink? Won’t he notice that you’ve taken some?” “He doesn’t care what I do. He always says: ‘If you’re going to run with the dogs, you better rise with the roosters.’” “What does that even mean?” “That I can party all I want, but I’m not allowed to miss any school. Most importantly, I can’t embarrass him.” “Oh. He doesn’t care what you do?” My dad was so involved in my life, I can’t imagine if he had been like Jeremy’s dad. “He’s only in town a few days a month. He has no clue.” “What about your mom? I know she spends a lot of time in California, but still.” His face clouds over. “Change of subjects. What did you think about the last basketball game? I totally dominated,” Jeremy says. “Yes you d—” My words dry up as he places his hand on my knee, sending a jolt of electricity up and down my leg. I look down, half expecting to see tiny white lightning bolts shooting out his fingertips. “Uhm, okay,” I mumble. All moisture in my mouth evaporates as my sandpaper tongue scratches the roof of my Sahara desert-dry mouth. I’ve just been zapped by 1,000 volts of Jeremy. As we drive down the winding streets, I am acutely aware that Jeremy has not removed his hand from my leg. This is good and bad. Good because it feels incredible. Bad because I can’t concentrate on what he’s saying. He’s talking about basketball and playoffs. I think. I can’t be sure because all I can think of is his hand. It started on my knee but slipped up my leg to rest on my thigh after the first turn, and there his hand, his very hot hand, has remained. This would be fine, except that I can’t get my mind to stop imagining what would hap- pen if that very hot hand slipped further north. Would I stop him? Would I want to stop him? Would Jeremy think I was a skank? But that’s what he wants, so he can’t think I am a skank? Right? My head is reeling and now my pits have begun to sweat. Seriously, I now have drippy pits. If just thinking about sex causes my body to go into overdrive, what’s next? Will a massive boil suddenly erupt from the middle of my forehead if he kisses me again? Jeremy’s voice breaks through the insane skank-babble that is cluttering my brain. “Julia...hello Julia???” “Oh sorry, I just…” I am completely flustered. JODI CARMICHAEL lives in Winnipeg where she can often be found dancing in the living room with her two wildly imaginative daughters, her patient and supportive husband, and a scruffy Border Terrier named Zoe. Jodi’s previous book for young readers, Spaghetti Is NOT A Finger Food, won numerous awards and has been a multi-week Bestseller. Visit Jodi Carmichael at www.jodicarmichael.com Goodreads * Website * Facebook * Twitter Amazon * Barnes & Noble Chapters Indigo * IndieBound a Rafflecopter giveaway Click HERE to follow the tour
Hello, reader friends! Join me in welcoming author friend Stephanie Morrill for a JustRead blog tour and giveaway celebrating Within These Lines!
This World War I: Research and Notebooking Unit provides parents, teachers, and students options for studying battles of WWI including a list of 168 World War I battles and engagements, world maps of the regions where the battles occurred, and multiple notebooking page templates. There is also a How to Use section and a list of battles by year for parents and teachers. It's perfect for middle and high school. Grab yours today!
Goth Girl And The Sinister Symphony by Chris Riddell - review of the last book in the series which does not disappoint. A great read for the 9-11 year olds.
My story? I found that delight filled learning - aka: using my children's interests turned school into a joy and not only for them but for me as well...
Royally Drained (V.I.L.F., #1) Author: Fritzi Cox Publication Date: March 23rd, 2021 Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance Book Description: From jilted princess bride to a revenge plot fit for a king, this charming couple is royally screwed … As I lived my best royal life, my only job as a princess was to find and marry a handsome prince. Too bad Prince Theo turned out to be more of a toad. After I began losing my powers, he lost interest in our upcoming wedding. Not only did Theo leave me at the altar, but he also banished me and my merry band of misfits from the Kingdom of Poppycock forever. Talk about a walk of shame! From enchanted castle to crumbling cottage, I’m now stuck in Morningwood, struggling to plot my next move. This strange little town, full of mischief and magic, is the perfect place to hide while I practice my spells and hopefully regain my powers. What could possibly go wrong? Other than accidentally summoning a mysterious male vampire who throws me off my quest and gets my blood boiling in all the right places. And my blood is exactly what Vail and his brotherhood need for their top-secret laboratory. Who would have thought my charming royal genes could help their dangerous mission? As long as Vail keeps his fangs to himself, we won’t have a problem. His hands though? That’s another story entirely. My taste for revenge is strong, but his taste for me is stronger. Could this be my fairy-tale ending? Or am I destined to live a nightmare? Author’s note: Royally Drained is a paranormal romcom with a few dark themes. This is book 1 in the VILF series and ends with a cliff-hanger. Buy Links: Amazon US ¦ UK ¦ Barnes & Noble ¦ iBooks ¦ Kobo EXCERPT I had a suspicion that my magic faded with age, like estrogen, draining youth and power from my body, turning me into an old crone soaked in wine, and leaving me with an excessive amount of bitter baggage. At least, that was how I felt at thirty-one, past my prime. I’d stupidly wasted my youth on a man who put off marrying me for so long, only to dump me at the altar and banish me from his life and his kingdom, all in a matter of minutes. I groaned, settling down onto a tree stump caked with a questionable fungus. The drizzle of rain dissolved into a mist, wrapping around me in a blanket of wet gloom and matching my mood. Anger bubbled inside me like a cauldron of witch’s brew, ready to explode and destroy its next victim. Could this be early menopause? I thought with a sudden pang of panic. “Ahem,” I cleared my throat and shook the thought from my head, determined to focus on something I’d not tried yet—the darker creatures of the forest. My spells usually involved singing birds, cuddly bunnies, and doe-eyed deer. But there was one time, a while back, I’d accidentally summoned a rabid alligator. Of course, I’d hidden up in a tree until he left, but I always wondered if my charms could be used for more than sweet, princessy qualities, as my ex used to put it. You know, those things I’d lost when I became a worthless humanish bag of bones. “Fa-la-la-la, rawr, la-la-la,” I tried, bellowing out the lowest spooky tone I could. But nothing happened. “I said, fa-la-la-la, rawr, la-la-la!” I screamed into the clearing, but only the windswept leaves echoed back. I scuffed my boot into the dirt, kicking a pebble across the way before taking a deep breath and trying again. “La-la-la, rawr, la-la-la.” My voice rang out as it had years ago when my magic was strong and powerful enough to command an army of squirrels, nibbling the ankles of all my enemies. A blanket of clouds thickened overhead, forming a sinister chill in the air. The hair on the back of my neck prickled. I had a feeling I wasn’t alone anymore. “La-la-la, rawr, la-la-la,” I sang again, louder. Footsteps, much heavier than a bunny’s, pattered behind me. I stood up and threw my hands in the air, still singing and ignoring the feeling of someone watching me. I twirled, singing in harmony with the wind in the trees, the drizzle of rain, and the low hum of the clouds growing overhead. My senses awakened to the natural life around me, and for the first time in a year, I felt whole again. I spun around the clearing, singing my heart out and skipping through the mud until—as my luck would have it—a man, not a beastly creature under my command, walked into my life. “You rang,” said a deep voice behind me. I turned to see a tall, dark figure stepping out of the shadows. His mouth curled, as if on the edge of laughter, displaying a glimpse of two deadly sharp fangs. “Holy shit. I summoned a vampire.” I stood frozen, unable to look away. About the Author Fritzi Cox is a dark soul with a wicked sense of humor. She regularly bathes in the blood of her enemies while sipping champagne and hashtagging her vibes. She's fond of plotting mayhem, writing spellbinding twists, and tickling her readers with an over-the-top sense of humor. Rumor has it, her alter ego, Kat Addams, is her spirit animal. Or is it the other way around? Either way, expect Fritzi to keep you on your toes! Author Links: Website ¦ Goodreads ¦ Facebook ¦ Instagram ***GIVEAWAY*** Book Blitz Organised by:
