Review: Growing Great Kids

As a mom of a child who would love to take to the stage as a career choice, I was interested in what Kate Battistelli, mother to Dove Award-winning recording artist Francesca, had to say in her book Growing Great Kids. I had many questions, such as how was she sure this was God’s purpose for her daughter and how did she guide Francesca in such goals?

The following is an excerpt from the introduction pages which sums up the general gist of the book:

Successful adults don’t happen by accident. It takes intentional effort to raise a child into an adult who has a strong sense of their destiny in God, a passion to serve Him, and a deep knowledge of His gifts and callings. Parents, we know our children better than anyone else. By partnering with God we can equip them to be all He called and created them to be. It’s up to us to equip (not push or apply undue pressure) our children to go after their dreams.

I learned a lot from Kate’s story, especially with her overall theme of the book of purposefully and intentional parenting and guiding. Much thought and prayer went into her guidance of her daughter and the focus was always on the greater plan. For example, when Francesca’s dream of becoming a dancer was thwarted because of scoliosis, years of dance lessons were not seen as a waste, but rather training for another purpose. Kate was also not afraid to have very large goals for her daughter and very specific prayers for those goals. It helped me see how focused Kate was, while at the same time her willingness to be redirected and reassured when a new path or obstacles came along.

Scripture relevant to the topics is used throughout the book. Also included are quotes from articles and research (those homeschooling will appreciate her comments on this) and well as comments and experiences directly from other parents. Each chapter, covering topics such as recognizing gifts, the power of words, prayer, and growing integrity, ends with a number of thought-provoking questions for reflection and a prayer.

Most people are not going to have the exact same set of circumstances in resources, number of children, or even talent in a particular area, but Growing Great Kids is not about duplicating goals of others. It is about helping your child discover his or her purpose. I needed reminding that both words and prayer are very powerful and most importantly, that God has a unique plan for my children. Rather than a book of “how to”, I considered this more a book of encouragement written from the heart.

I received a free copy of this book/Ebook/Product to review as part of the CWA Review Crew. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

PhysicsQuest 2012 Registration!

It is PhysicsQuest time again. This year's program is titled Spectra's Turbulent Times. We order FREE kits every year and I have to say they are nicely done.  For those not familiar with PhysicsQuest, here is a description from the website:

PhysicsQuest is a story-based activity that exposes middle school students to the fun and relevance of science. APS provides a free PhysicsQuest kit to registered 6-9th grade physical science classes, home school groups, science clubs, and after-school programs. The kit includes a user's manual and materials for four physics experiments.

You can read more about the program at the PhysicsCentral website.

Registration is taking place now, but don't expect to see your kits until after the new year, usually around February if I recall correctly.  You will receive an email when your kit ships.

Since I've usually forgotten that I registered by then, it is always a nice surprise when they arrive.  Order your free kit now for some mid-winter physics learning!

Gifts for Teen Boys to Make

Most kids like making gifts for their friends. My daughter usually comes up with something on her own. However, my son is a different story. The words "boys" and "crafts" typically don't go together, at least not in my house.  An upcoming group event with our homeschool group had me contemplating what sort of crafty, gift-giving, project would appeal to middle school boys without involving explosives.

It dawned on me that the answer was right under my nose...and on my son's wrist.  My mom had gifted him a "Survival Bracelet", also known a Paracord Bracelet, several months ago.  The bracelet is made of very strong parachute cord which could be used for a number of things in an emergency.  Mostly, though, it just looks cool.  As usual, I turned to Google and Pinterest to figure out how to make something.

My search turned up two tutorials.  The first is for paracord bracelets without buckles.These would be great for kids who are bothered by buckles next to the wrist, or if you simply had trouble locating buckles.  Also included in this tutorial are great instructions for making a two-colored bracelet. However, I was worried they might tend to fall off and get lost. I found this tutorial for making bracelet with side buckles.

Now that I settled on a project, I needed to find the materials, often an inconvenience when it comes to crafting.  I'm sure buckles could be purchased at the local craft store, but I turned to Amazon first. I hate driving around to local stores in search of materials and I figured I might find a better deal online. I found 50 - 1/2" Side Release Plastic Buckles for $5.49 and free shipping. For the paracord, I found 182 550LB DESERT CAMO NYLON 100 FT CORD [Misc.] also with free shipping. Obviously, this would be a bit overkill for one bracelet (each one requiring one buckle and 8 ft of cord), but since I was planning this as a group project and I'm too lazy to drive to the store, it worked well.

I'm not going to give you step-by-step directions and pictures since the linked tutorials do a fine job of that. 

My son, who isn't crafty at all, really enjoyed making the bracelet and now wears it proudly with the one that was gifted to him by his grandma.

We'll be making a trip to our local Army supply store, which has a great variety and the availability of paracord by the yard, to purchase some more colors.  We'll be trying a two-color one next.  I see plenty of girls wearing more feminine color versions of these as well.  With the total cost being slightly over $1, you can make a whole slew of them for Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers.

It's a Potato Soup Kind of Day

Even though we aren't anywhere near the coast where Sandy is currently creating a mess, we are experience some of the effects of the storm with dropped temperatures and high winds.  It is just one of those days where you want to stay in, crawl under a blanket, and eat something warm.  It is a potato soup kind of day.

I thought I'd share my favorite potato soup recipe for Homeschool Mosaics' Recipe Carnival.

Best-Ever Potato Soup

6 bacon strips, diced
3 cups cubed peeled potatoes
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 small carrot, grated
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 T dried parsley flakes
1/2 t each celery seed, salt, and pepper
3 T all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
8 ounces precess American cheese, cubed
2 green onions, thinly sliced, optional

In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp; drain.  Add potatoes, broth, carrot, cnion, parsley, celery seed, salt and pepper.  Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes). Combine flour and milk until smooth; add to soup. Bring to a boil. Boil and stir for 2 minutes.  Add cheese and stir under melted and the soup is heated through.  Garnish with green onion.

Tips:

• I tried skipping the celery seed once because I was out.  Don't!  It really is a critical ingredient in my opinion. 
• I like this recipe even better with ham instead of bacon.  When I make a large ham, I always chop some up and put it in the freezer just for this soup.
• I often use extra broth if I have it and just add a few more potatoes and seasonings.  I find the recipe very forgiving.
• Usually I use Velvetta in this recipe, as much as it pains me!  I made it tonight with real cheddar cheese.  It still tasted great, but I find the Velvetta tastes better.
• Sometimes I take a masher to the potatoes, but I often leave them in chucks.  It seems heartier that way.

Tonight I happened to have some leftover bacon crumbles from a salad and sprinkled those on top.  I paired this with a fresh loaf of bread make in the bread maker.  Very filling - and perfect for a cold evening.

YUM!

Review: Wild Ink (Prufrock Press)

When my review copy of the updated and expanded Wild Ink by Victoria Hanley arrived in the mail, I was excited to dig in as soon as I had some free reading time.

Wild Ink is a guide for those wanting to break into getting published in the Young Adult market.  While I do not exactly fit the profile, I do enjoy writing and have a teen daughter who dreams of having a novel published.  I am always looking for constructive ways to guide her writing and move that dream a little closer to reality.  With that in mind, I approached Hanley’s book both as an adult writer and a parent of an aspiring writer.

In the first chapter the reader is introduced to an overview of the Young Adult genre, including target age range, approximate length, use of vocabulary, themes, and subgenres. Chapters two through six discuss novel development. Plots and settings, character development, and how to overcome obstacles specific to the genre are all covered.  The author even includes an exercise on how to find your “inner teen” for proper perspective and point of view when writing your novel. In addition, a complete chapter is devoted to writing teen nonfiction and another entirely to writer resources.

I really enjoyed the following section consisting of four chapters explaining how to get your finished novel published and marketed, whether you are seeking and agent or want to do the self-publishing route.  My shelves already contain several how-to books on writing novels, but the instruction stops there. As someone who has never published a book, I found this section on what to do once your novel is completed very helpful in understanding the process, what to watch out for, and the pros and cons of various options.

The last 80 pages or so of the book are interviews with Young Adult authors, both fiction and nonfiction. Hearing the background and experiences of these 33 authors is very inspirational and encouraging to the aspiring writer.

As I was reading through Wild Ink, I realized how appropriate this title would be for my teen daughter, even though the intended audience is for adults.  After finishing, I handed it over to her for her opinion.  She found Wild Ink helpful and commented that her original expectations of it being a “dry read” were unfounded. Since she is currently working on a YA novel, she was able to relate the concepts to her current work while reading, jotting notes along the margins.  I can see how this title would be a great resource and reference for older teens both prior and during developing a novel.  As for me, even through I have never attempted writing a novel, Wild Ink gave me the tools to make the idea a little less intimidating and obtainable.

Whether you are just beginning or an experienced writer trying to break into a new genre, Wild Ink is an excellent resource to guide you along the way. Available at Prufrock Press and other online and local retailers, Wild Ink retails for $17.95 and is available both in soft cover and digital versions.

Disclaimer/Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the book mentioned above from Prufrock Press for the purposes of review. All opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Sneak Peeks with K.E. Weeks: Yellow Star

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

Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy (Marshall Cavendish; 2006; $11.32) is a book of free-verse poetry that tells the story of the author’s Jewish aunt in Poland in World War II when the Jews were forced into the Jewish Ghetto. Of the 270,000 people forced into the ghetto, only 800 survived until the end of the war and, of those, only 12 were children. Yellow Star is the story of one of those children.
I’ll admit; I dislike poetry. However, for me, this book is the exception. It reminds me of Uruguayan journalist Eduardo Galeano’s poetry, which concentrates more on storytelling than imagery or diction or pentameter. The chronological poems tells protagonist Syvia’s story with clarity and brevity, which helps to maintain the childish perspective. At the beginning, Syvia is four-years-old. By the end, she is one day shy of her tenth birthday.

The book is truly an example of where less is more, where what is left unsaid is more powerful than what is said. The poems speak in vignettes, such as this one after six-year-old Syvia’s friend Hava disappears while out for a walk:

Itka comes over to my apartment,
but we don’t say much.
Our dolls do the talking for us.

Itka’s doll: Where is our friend today?
My doll: I don’t know.
Itka’s doll: Perhaps she had another engagement.
My doll: More important than our weekly tea? (Roy 39) 

Overall, Yellow Star is a gentle introduction to the Jewish Holocaust. While there is talk of hunger, starvation, beatings, “the trains,” and death, the adults in the story attempt to shield Syvia from the worst of the experience, which means the reader is spared much of the raw violence and anguish as well. At the beginning of each section, two pages from the narrator’s perspective describe the historical setting and the events surrounding this portion of the narrative.

I recommend this book for upper elementary, middle schoolers, and youthful high schoolers. It is a quick read—even at 230 pages, I read it in a few hours. I give it four stars (out of five) for its Hemingway-esque brevity; insightful, child perspective; and historical accuracy.

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 15, with a Master of Art degree in American Literature and a keen interest in young adult fiction and nonfiction.

*Contains affiliate links

All About Spelling Level 7 on SALE!

As many of you know, I am quite the fan of All About Spelling.  It has been a wonderful program for my dyslexic son.  Level 7 has been recently released and is currently on sale at 15% off through August 6th.  Sales are pretty infrequent for this program, and if you are interested in getting the next level, now is the time!  See All About Spelling for more on the program.

*contains affiliate links