Guardians of Ga'hoole - The Capture

I try to read books in advance that I think my children should read.  Usually classics, but in this case, I followed the trends and chose Guardians of Ga'hoole.

Have you read any books from this series yet?  If not, I highly recommend them.  The writing is top-notch.  The characters are engaging.  The suspense is perfect.  It's the kind of book you can not put down, until you have finished every last page.  I finished reading it in a single day (or night).  It's a quick read.

I loved it!  My kids have not been as interested in the book as I was.  I'm not sure if they are just not as interested in owls as I am, or if there is something else.  It could be that I highly recommended it - and they are of the age that what I like must be lame.  Hmm, we'll see about that.

I definitely recommend checking out this book (libraries have them).  I've only read book #1 (The Capture), but am on the waiting list at my library for book #2 (The Journey).

The Writing Menu

As you probably know, I'm a homeschooling mom.  Well, that means in addition to reading books for pleasure, I also read books to help with our homeschooling.

The most recent addition to my home library is The Writing Menu.  This book is great.  It tells in simple terms how to write, what to write.  It even has a checklist of writing skills by grade.  The main purpose of this book is to encourage the teacher to create "writing menus" complete with appetizers (easy, quick writing assignments), main courses (meatier - forgive the pun - writing assignments) and desserts (more creative writing-type projects) to encourage children to write.  I like that you can offer a variety of assignments that the children can choose from.  Works much better for us.  We spend less time arguing over what to write, and more time writing, creating.

One of my main goals for our homeschooling year is to improve our writing skills.  I feel like good communication skills - writing, speaking, etc - are an important key to success.  So, adding The Writing Menu: Ensuring Success for Every Student to our homeschool is a great investment.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I purchased this book for my daughter probably about two years ago (for Christmas) - she never read it, although she was DYING to have it.  We have Netflix (love it) and had requested Twilight the movie.  I watched it one afternoon by myself, and found myself drawn to reading the book.  Wow!  What a great read!  I enjoyed the book so much, I read it in less than a day.  Then I had to rush to my local library to get the second and third book in the series: New Moon and Eclipse. 

I highly recommend this book.  My sister-in-law and I have been telling everyone read it - it's such a great romance.  All I can say is:  Team Edward all the way.

We love making candles - and this book rocks!

My children and I found the joy of candlemaking last summer.  We found a local homeschooler who was selling their supply of candle-making materials, and made the investment - it was a bargain.  We received wax, wicks, containers and a double-boiler - and much, much more.

Well, as we searched the library for books on candle making, we found a book that we loved - and it makes the art of candle-making so easy and simple.  The Candlemaker's Companion by Betty Oppenheimer is a must-have book, especially if you are interested in candle-making basics.  The book takes you from rolled candles to poured candles to dipped candles and more.  We also LOVE the troubleshooting chapter (and we've used it quite a bit.)

This book is highly recommended by our family!

Welcome!

Hi - welcome to my new blog! I'm a mom and I love books (I mean I really, really love books!). I will be sharing my thoughts on many, many books.

As a homeschooling mom to three children - age 12, age 10 and age 6, we explore books daily - I follow an eclectic homeschooling approach, so books and life experience guide us. This blog will be a chance for my family to share our love of books!

Thanks for stopping by and if you are a mom who loves books too, please let me know!
Book-lovers unite!