Our Homeschool Is Just Fine, Thank You

The next time someone claims that the local public school, trained expert teachers, and superior educational environment can do better than the individualize tailored education that my children receive in our homeschool, I think I'll direct them to this video.



Um, yeah...I don't think your focus needs to be what my students are learning. Yep, I think we are just fine.

Bargain Hunting High

After years of picking up books and educational materials at library book sales, garage sales, and thrift shops, my shelves (and underbed storage, closets, and spare rooms) are overflowing.  I'm much more selective in books that I purchase now.  Either I already own it, know a lending friend that owns it, or simply have no room for it.  As my husband points out, I have enough reading material in the house to last a lifetime...for myself, my children, and grandchilden.

Sometimes, however, I just can't pass something up.  A couple of days ago I was browsing our local library's used book store (a perpetual library book store...gotta love it!) and came across this:

 I snagged these BBC Jane Austen DVDs for a mere $8 TOTAL!  When I looked on Amazon for reviews, I noticed that the set usually sells for around $100 new, which added even more to my bargain hunting high.  I also noticed that my find is one DVD shy of a complete set.  Those that know me well, know that I must. have. a. complete. set.  It is part my addiction/high cycle, I believe.  Thankfully, the missing DVD isn't all that hard to find, though I may end up spending just as much on the one title as I did on the rest of the set. Even so, it is still quite the find!

Did you recently have a great educational find, bargain, or both? I'd love to hear about it! I live vicariously through such stories until my next find.

Sneak Peeks with K.E. Weeks: The Hunger Game Series

This feature is presented by guest blogger, K.E.Weeks.

 The Hunger Games movie comes out on March 23, 2012 (http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/index2.html). I always like to read a book before I see a movie, so I asked for The Hunger Games trilogy boxed set for Christmas (Book I $5.37; Book II $9.68; Book III $9.95; Scholastic Press; July 3, 2010).


The first thing that struck me about The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was its similarity to the short story “The Lottery” by American writer Shirley Jackson (http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/lotry.html). The premise is similar: youngsters are drawn via lottery to be “sacrificed” for the greater good.

The Hunger Games is a science fiction novel, set in the future when North America has become a new country, Panem, where the frivolous Capitol politicians living in what used to be the Rocky Mountains control the citizens living in the other twelve districts. To pay homage to the Capitol and repent for revolting 74 years earlier, the outlying twelve districts annually must send one boy and girl between 12 – 18 years old to the Hunger Games where they must fight to the death with the other tributes. The Hunger Games are shown on TV nightly to the entire nation and are mandatory viewing.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen is barely scraping by in District 12—what was once called Appalachia—with her mother and younger sister Primrose, when Prim is chosen to be the district’s female tribute during a ceremony called The Reaping. Katniss volunteers to take her sister’s place, an almost unheard of act.

Katniss is a survivor, who has been hunting in illegal poaching grounds since her father died several years earlier, but she still has little chance of surviving the bloodthirsty “Careers” from other districts who train and desire to be tributes. Her male counterpart is Peeta, the son of the town baker, who is friendly, kind, and charismatic, but whose primary talent is decorating cakes, not killing. They are thrown into the arena with 22 other tributes and the game makers “twists,” such as strange man-made beasts, like muttations. Throughout the game, Katniss feels conflicted over her feelings for Peeta and Gale, her childhood hunting friend back in District 12. Of course, she cannot allow her feelings to overshadow her survival instinct, as, according to the rules of the Hunger Games, at best, only one of them—Peeta or she—will be permitted to survive.

The Hunger Games is a well-constructed science fiction world with well-developed main characters and interesting twists. It presents intriguing political and socio-economic questions with connections to the present. It is a page-turner with action and romance, destined to be well-liked by both boys and girls middle school age and up.


Romantic scenes are restricted to kissing and snuggling together at night for warmth. The book is violent—seeing as one of the main premises’ is killing—but not gory. The violence moves the story along and is smart and interesting, such as death from Tracker Jackets (a type of killer hornet). It is not violent for violence’s sake. At its heart, it is a survival story, and those who like survival TV shows like Man vs. Wild with Bear Grylls would enjoy it.

As is the case with many series, the author ends the book with a key question unanswered, which is somewhat irritating for the reader. Despite my mild disenchantment in the ending, the book is clever and intelligent, and I recommend it heartily with five stars (out of five).



Spoiler alert! Some of the details in this review and the next one will give away parts of the first book.

The second book in the series is called Catching Fire, and here Katniss returns to the arena with Peeta for the Quarter Quell, a special Hunger Games held every 25 years. The 75^th Quarter Quell is populated by past Hunger Game winners, sort of a “Survivor Favorites” idea. There is talk of a rebellion against the Capitol, and small signs of it as Katniss and Peeta embark on a Victory Tour, but neither Katniss nor Peeta realize what is in store for them in the arena. The violence in this book is grittier, including a public whipping. This book is interesting, but like many sequels, is not as compelling as the original. The ending is odd and unsatisfactory. I rate it four stars (out of five).



The final book in the trilogy is Mockingjay, named after a new breed of bird, a cross between a Tracker Jay and a Mockingbird. The book is about life in District 13 and the new rebellion, of which Katniss is the symbolic head. Katniss works with the leader of District 13, Coin, but often feels left out of the action and strategy, a pawn for both sides.

This book is greatly disappointing and not worthy of the other two. Despite her pledges of love, Katniss barely pays any attention to her mother and sister. What is most annoying, however, is the fact that Gale, Peeta, Haymitch, and even Katniss act completely out of character. There is a lot of mental illness and drug usage, both illegal and prescription. The story just takes a turn for the strange. Eventually, the characters act out a “real-life” Hunger Games on their way to take the Capitol, which adds some interesting action, but up until that point there are pages upon pages of teenage brooding and moodiness.

Mockingjay is a substandard ending to an otherwise interesting story in a clever fantasy-world. I struggled with how many stars to give this, since fans of the series will probably enjoy it, just because they are able to “live” in Panem for a little longer. However, the book is so unsatisfactory, that some fans may feel cheated (I did). In the end, I settled for three stars (out of five). I’d almost recommend readers stop reading the series after the second book.

Disclaimer: The purpose of this review is to guide parents into selecting appropriate, significant, high-quality literature for their teens and tweens. I have no connection with the author or publisher of this book. I am a home educator of two children, 12 and 14, with a Master of Art degree in American Literature and a keen interest in young adult fiction and nonfiction.

Off to Oz!

I posted last week about how sending my daughter off to take a class at the local public school was sort of like sending Dorothy to Oz (...or maybe prison!), and my reservations about our decision.  The public school is a culture of its own, and most of it isn't representative of real life. Dd was coming in with a completely different perspective from the other students.

Today was the day...dd's first day of classes at a public school.  I must say, after nearly ten years of homeschooling, it felt a bit strange seeing her walk up to the school building.

So, how did the first day go?  It went just fine!  The teacher was expecting her as a new student and introduced her to another student, who then got her settled and introduced her to the others, as soon as dd walked in.  Her class (choir) is all girls.

The only slightly awkward moment was when the others asked, "Where are you from?" and my dd replied with the name of our hometown.  Of course, this was a reasonable answer in any other circumstance, but the the other girls, who spend more of their waking hours in a school building than at home, were really inquiring what school she attended previously.  When she answered that she was homeschooled, there were none of the negative responses she has occasionally experienced in the past from public schooled kids.

Overall, stepping into a public school classroom has so far been a pretty smooth transition. I'll be sure to share occasionally for the benefit of anyone else deciding to give this a try.  Later this week, I'll also share our personal reasons for our shift from our homeschooling norm to "go to the dark side".

Review and Giveaway: Grapevine Studies Timelines

 I first heard of Grapevine Studies when I was given the opportunity to review their Old Testament Overview Level 5, which I found to be a straight-forward, chronological study.  You can read the full review here.  One of the things I mentioned in the review is the fact it started with the student writing on a timeline what they already new about the Old Testament, then concluded the study with the same exercise. I'm a big picture person.  I need to see how it all fits together first, before I can get to the details. Of course, timelines are a perfect visual for the big picture. 

Grapevine Studies has just released several new timeline products that coordinate with their studies, or one of your own.  Both student and teacher editions are available for two new timeline books, the Old Testament Timeline and the New Testament Timeline.  Printed and ebook options are both available.

The Teacher Timeline Books include a narrative, either to be used as a guide or read directly, along with instruction on colors, symbols, and stick figures to be drawn to correlate with the event.  The Student Timeline Books include a pre-labeled black and white timeline that the student fills in during the lesson. When they are completed, the student will have a ten-page timeline booklet of either the Old Testament or the New Testament.

Each timeline can be completed in one longer lesson, or five short (10-15 minute) lessons, depending on your needs.

For some children, seeing a timeline stretched out on the wall ready as an always-available reference to touch and feel is very valuable.  Grapevine Studies has three new Wall Timelines: Old Testament, New Testament, and Blank.  The Old Testament and New Testament Wall Timelines come in color, and are over ten feet in length when the 8 1/2" x 11" sections are pieced together.  They look like an old scroll with all the appropriate labeling for the study. The content is the same as the in the Student Timeline Books, but in a nicer format for displaying on the wall.  The Teacher Wall Timelines are the completed timelines with all the stick figuring in color.  There are no lessons included in the Wall Timelines.  The Blank Wall Timelines, which are simply non-labeled scroll timelines that can be used for any study, are available in both color and black and white.

All of the Grapevine Studies' new timeline products are currently ON SALE, and will remain so throughout January. Sale prices range from $3.25 - $10.95, depending on the item and format (print or e-book). To sweeten the deal even more, use coupon code JANFS for FREE SHIPPING until January 31, 2012!

GIVEAWAY!!!

Grapevine Studies has provided a Teacher and Student Wall Timeline of choice (in either print or e-book) to one lucky reader! There are eight ways to enter.  Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you with each entry should you be the winner.

• Leave me a comment telling me your favorite Bible story (mandatory)

For additional entries:

• Like Grapevine Studies on Facebook.
• Follow this blog through Google Friend Connect
• Subscribe to this blog (rss or email)
• Like Chatter, Clatter, and Things That Matter on Facebook
• Follow Chatter and Clatter on Twitter
• Leave a comment on another post on this blog (please note with post)
• Post about this giveaway on your own blog, Facebook, Twitter, or others (please specify in your comment).  This will count for two entries for each! Make sure you leave two comments.

The giveaway will end on February 10th at 6 p.m. EST and will be chosen by a random number generator.

Disclaimer: I was provided the above products for review at no charge by Grapevine Studies.  No other compensation was received.

We're Not in Our Homeschool Anymore, Toto

A few months ago I posted that in the near future, my oldest would be heading to the local public high school to take a class.  It was a decision that came with a lot of thought.  I still think it is the right decision based on our circumstances, but I'll admit to having little doubts here and there. Last week I got a little dose of reality.

The last couple of weeks, I've been meeting a friend up at the high school to walk at the indoor track.  Since I plan to walk (or eventually jog) the track every day while my daughter is in class, I figured an early start couldn't hurt.  As I pulled into the driveway, around the time I will be dropping my daughter off next week, I saw four police cars, with several officers and police dogs entering the building. As I entered the building, there was a sign that announced a "non-emergency lockdown".  Basically, they were doing drug searches of the student lockers. Sigh.

I am not ignorant to what goes on in the schools, nor is my daughter. If I didn't think she'd do just fine, I wouldn't have her attend. I was less bothered by the fact they were doing drug searches than I was with the fact that a student couldn't leave the building for the hour it took place. I was sort of symbolic of the parallel the public school system has to a prison!  The regular students there know no different, but my student has experienced more freedom in her learning environment. She's had school in her PJs at home, in casual situations with friends at co-ops, in online classrooms, and at a university campus.  None of those situations have involved drug busts and lockdowns.  We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto.

My daughter knows that the environment of the school system is mostly smoke and mirrors, and not really any resemblance of real life. Her perspective and life experiences are completely different than the munchkins students existing within those walls. I'm fairly certain she'll enjoy the instruction of her choir class, but I do hope that she can connect with at least a couple students that aren't trapped in a suffocating mentality of the high school world. After all, this experiment with the local high school is a path from one point to the other.  It will be more enjoyable if she has some pals with which to travel down the road, and help her keep watch for lions and tigers and bears (oh my!).

Our countdown has now gone from months, to weeks, to DAYS.  I have no idea how this trial semester will go, and but I am comforted by the fact that we have options on whether or not to continue.  A click of the heels (and signing of papers) and she'll be home.

Sneak Peeks with K.E. Weeks: Between Shades of Gray

This feature is presented by guest blogger, K.E.Weeks.

I saw an audio CD of Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys at my local library, but was unable to locate a print copy ($11.98; Philomel; March 22, 2011). Thus, I swam deeper into the sea of eBooks and ordered it for my Kindle, just as I was leaving on a trip. I discovered, while it is convenient to read on a Kindle while traveling, it is difficult to extract information from an eBook for a book review because the reader does not have a page number for the MLA citation, only a percentage of the book finished. Thus, I must use chapters for the MLA citation at the end of quotations, instead of proper page number format.

The historical fiction book begins, “They took me in my nightgown” (Sepetys 1). This cliff-hanger is one of many. “They” refers to the Soviet NKVD officers (eventually known as the KGB) who knock loudly at the door in the early evening in June 1941 and snatch fifteen-year-old Lina, her younger brother Jonas, and her mother from their Lithuanian apartment. Lina’s father, a professor at the university, has been trying to find a way for the family to escape to the west when the Soviet Union takes control of the small Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia and begins sending “anti-Soviets” to labor camps, also known as gulags, in the east. The book tells the story of an often-forgotten segment of WWII—the genocide and cultural elimination of people of the Baltic States by Stalin, as he and Hitler battled for control of Europe.

The story alternates between Lina’s family’s struggles en route in boxcars and life in various labor camps where they are almost constantly exhausted, cold, and hungry, and her “pre-World War II” life where her brother cannot finish his dinner, they visit art museums, and Lina’s cousin Joana studies medicine. The memories are in italics at the end of some chapters, and are in stark contrast to her current life. Other chapters end with suspenseful statements, like “I shut the bathroom door and caught sight of my face in the mirror. I had no idea how quickly it was to change, to fade. If I had, I would have stared at my reflection, memorizing it. It was the last time I would look into a real mirror for more than a decade” (Sepetys 3).

Lina keeps hope alive for herself and her family by drawing what is happening and where they are going on scraps of cloth and pieces of wood, in hopes that her drawings will find their way to her father in a Soviet prison and he will rescue them. The family works with other deportees, including a seventeen-year-old boy named Andrius, whom Lina alternatively likes and hates.

The book is divided into three sections: “Thieves and Prostitutes,” “Maps and Snakes,” and “Ice and Ashes.” There are some nice maps at the beginning for the reader to see Lina’s travels through Eastern Europe, Asia, and, eventually, the Arctic Circle, as well as a timeline of the story and locations.

The historical novel, based on family memories but not a memoir, is compelling and well-researched. Sepetys took two trips to Lithuania to interview family members and survivors of the gulags. Overall, the book is interesting and well-written. It is a story of forgiveness and compassion for mature 7^th graders and up. While the violence is mild, considering the subject matter, there is violence, cruelty, and adultery, such as a woman who sleeps with her captors for food and improved living conditions.

Unfortunately, I was sorely disappointed in the ending, which resorts to a flat “vision of the future” and an epilogue to tell what happens to Lina and her family. The weak ending does not do the well-developed book justice. For this reason, I give the book four stars (out of five). Yet, for a first novel, Between Shades of Gray is a substantial contribution to young adult fiction, and I’m looking forward to reading more of the author’s work.

Disclaimer: The purpose of this review is to guide parents into selecting appropriate, significant, high-quality literature for their teens and tweens. I have no connection with the author or publisher of this book. I am a home educator of two children, 12 and 14, with a Master of Art degree in American Literature and a keen interest in young adult fiction and nonfiction.