Book review: The Imagination Station's Islands and Enemies from Tyndale ~ a TOS review

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Disclaimer: I received a Complimentary copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.

Morning friends! I am so excited to share with you the newest book from Tyndale's The Imagination Station series called Islands and Enemies. You may be familiar with the Adventures in Odyssey audiobooks, but did you also know they have a chapter book series as well? My son Micah who is 8 and a rising 3rd grader has enjoyed reading book. Let me tell you about it. 

Tyndale published their first Imagination Station book in Summer of 2010 and there began the adventures of two cousins Patrick and Beth as they travel through time back to the past. Along the way the kids explore a specific historical event while Biblical truths are highlighted. So far this series that is a resource of Focus on the Family has sold over 1 million books! 

In the newest book, Islands and Enemies, the 28th book in the series Patrick and Beth find themselves aboard The Victoria in 1521 with Captain-General Ferdinand Magellan and his crew. Unfortunately, the two cousins make a bad first impression with Magellan and they are accused of being witches. Once they reach the island miracles begin to happen and the crew must take sides and either stand with Magellan or try to overthrow him with outright mutiny.

Like the rest of the Imagination Station series this newest book is a fast-paced adventure that is an easy and exciting read. The Island and Enemies book includes 17 chapters and 147 pages. This book also includes black and white hand-drawn photos throughout.

Micah really enjoyed reading this book! He read the book independently as I scheduled it out over the course of a week. Once his read his assigned chapters each day, Micah would narrate back to me. The book can also be read aloud as a family read-aloud. The suggested reading level according to the Flesch-Kincaid method is 2.7 and it is recommended for ages 7 and up. In our opinion it is the perfect length for my son, who just turned 8 to read within a five-day school week.

I am in the process of purchasing the rest of the series for him to read because he is enjoying them so much. So far we have the first six books in addition to this one. All the books in this series can be purchased on the Tyndale website, Christian bookstores, and many online retailers too. I like that the books in the Imagination Station revolve around a real historical event so Micah is getting exposure to history events as well. These books and this series have earned a coveted spot on our overcrowded bookshelves right next to our Adventures in Odyssey books.

Don’t just take our word for it, be sure to check out what my CrewMates thought of the newest book in the Imagination Station series by clicking the banner below and reading their thoughts.

 

 Company ~ Tyndale 

 Product ~ Islands and Enemies

 Format ~ hardcover book

 Price~ $9.99 

 Ages~ 7 years and up, 2.7 grade level on Flesch-Kincaid scale

 

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© 2008 - 2022 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author. 

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Advent Christmas book list

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A new season of Advent is upon us! I don’t know about you but I am very much looking forward to slowing down and settling into a season of waiting. I really wanted to have this post up earlier last week, but last minute “stuff” derailed that. But what matters most is that we are ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Reading aloud is a huge part of our day in our homeschool. At Christmas time we add in a family read-aloud to prepare our hearts for Christmas. I love this special time when we sit down and read from our Advent devotional. Several years ago I borrowed Unwrapping the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp form the library to use for our daily ready. This year instead of borrowing I have added this book to our Christmas book collection.

Unfortunately, I am missing a box of our Christmas books. I am hoping the box is just hidden on the top shelf were I can’t see it. Instead of wrapping the books in wrapping paper or kraft paper, this year I am choosing to keep our books into these  12” x 16” muslin bags that I have individually numbered for each day. We are storing our book basket next to our Jesse / Advent tree. 

 

Each morning as part of our morning Bible time we will read our Greatest Gift devotional. At night after evening chores are done, one of the children will put the Jesse Tree ornament onto our Advent tree in our front library. Since Micah is a proficient reader, I may have each child take turns reading a story each night.

I’m excited to share the Christmas picture books we will be reading for the next 27 days of Advent. The books that we don’t have in our personal collection are marked with an (L) because I found them at our local library. I look forward to adding them to our collection over the next few years). Let’s dive in!

November 28: {1st Sunday of Advent} The Giving Manger

November 29: Christmas Is…

November 30: The Gift of the Magi

December 1: Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree

December 2: Snowflake Bentley

December 3:  Waiting for Christmas

December 4: The Gifts of the Animals

December 5: {2nd Sunday of Advent} The Legend of the Christmas Cookie 

December 6: {St. Nicholas Day} Who is Coming to Our House?

December 7: The Beggar and the Bluebird

December 8: Stephen’s Feast

December 9: Joseph’s Donkey

December 10: The Spider Who Saved Christmas 

December 11: The Nutcracker 

December 12: {3rd Sunday of Advent/Gaudete Sunday} The 12 Days of Christmas

December 13: An orange for Frankie 

December 14: The Last Straw

December 15: Arthur’s Christmas Wish        

December 16: The Greatest Gift of All 

December 17: Nine Days to Christmas (L)   

 December 18: The Stable Where Jesus Was Born                                                                             

December 19: {4th Sunday of Advent / O Adonai} Dasher

December 20: 5 More Sleeps ‘Til Christmas

December 21: The first Christmas stocking (L) 

December 22: The Little Boy’s Christmas Gift

December 23: Silent Night, Holy Night

December 24: There Was No Snow on Christmas Eve

photo credit

 

Do you have any special plans for Advent this year? I would love to hear about your family traditions. 

© 2008 - 2021 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.

 http://astablebeginning.com

 

If You Were Me and Lived In... children's books by Carole P. Roman ~ a TOS review

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Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. 

My bookshelves may be overflowing, however, I always welcome more especially when they are high quality books that help my children explore the world around them. Some people like shoes or maybe even purses or fancy cars. For me though, give me a quality children’s books to add to our home library any day. I love them!

We love the books from Carole P. Roman here so I am excited to share with you four more titles from Carole P. Roman's If You Were Me and Lived In... assorted series. Children's books like the ones written by Carole P. Roman can be such a fun way to explore history, or culture or even practice reading.

Carole P. Roman started writing as a dare from one of her sons and has penned a new groundbreaking nonfiction series about living in different cultures around the world. With what started out as a dare has led to more than 35 children’s books, and over 100 book awards for Mrs. Roman. Including turning the fun game she played with her grandson into her first book “Captain No Beard- An Imaginary Tale of a Pirate’s Life”. By combining her teaching past with her love of exploration and interest in the world around us, she has given us the reader a chance to explore "If You Were Me and Lived in..."

Let me tell you about the following books from Carole P. Roman's If You Were Me and Lived In Series that we received:

If You Were Me and Lived In…France ~ Discover Western Europe and see what holidays they celebrate in France? The French love their crepes and I know I would love to visit the Eiffel Tower some day.

If You Were Me and Lived In…Russia ~ journey to the world’s largest country and discover some of the most recognizable sites including the Kremlin and the Red Square. Discover the magic of the New Year’s tree and celebration and the sweet treats they eat.

If You Were Me and Lived In…Brazil ~ visit the largest country in South America when you open the pages of this book. Travel through the Amazon Rain Forest and see over 390 billion trees and the thousands of different species of animals present. Did you know that Brazil has the Grand Prix car race? And don’t forget about the Carnival do Brasil one of the country’s biggest holidays.

If You Were Me and Lived In…Mexico ~ climb the steps of Chichen Itza, the Mayan temple shaped like a pyramid. Can you guess how many steps it has? 365, one for each day of the year. Discover the tasty treats eaten here, including tamales and avocados.

All four of the books we received are apart of the If You Were Me and Lived In series. The books in this series are most appropriate for children aged 6-10 and give you a glimpse of what it would be like to live in another country. Each of the books is a short book with 28 pages each. The print inside is large and set in a typeface that is easy to read. The colorful illustrations draw you into the book and make you want to know more about each page. These books are perfect for our family as we study world geography. I was able to use these books for my youngest two children McKenzie and Micah as a read-aloud.

Each book is choke full of fascinating information about the country so you get a firsthand look at daily life. A list of names is given for what you might be called if you were born there and we are also told what we would call our parents in our native language along with some popular places we could visit. Where would you get your education, what kind of sports would you play? It's all included in the book!

Pronunciations of the foreign words in the book are included in the pronunciation guide found at the back of the book to help your read the words correctly. The pictures in the books are bright and eye-catching making you want to know more.

We have happily read and re-read all of these books over the last few weeks. My children have been asking me questions and really digging into the books.

But don't just take our word for it, check out what 73 of my CrewMates thought of these books by clicking the banner below!

Company ~ Carole P. Roman

Product ~ If You Were Me and Lived In…France, If You Were Me and Lived In…Russia, If You Were Me and Lived In…Brazil, If You Were Me and Lived In…Mexico

Format ~ paperback softcover book

Price ~ $9.99 each

Ages ~ 6-8 years old

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 © 2008 - 2020 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.  

 http://astablebeginning.com

Reformed Free Publishing Association: T is for Tree: A Bible ABC ~ a TOS review

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This morning I want to tell you about a sweet Christian children's book called T is for Tree: A Bible ABC from Reformed Free Publishing Association. Each page in this hardcover book is beautifully illustrated and includes a corresponding Bible verse as you make your way through the alphabet.

I primarily shared this book with Micah, my newly turned 4-year-old son. He is the youngest of 6 kids and has been immersed in a world of learning from the beginning. Now that he is getting older he is reaping the benefits of being able to participate in the Crew reviews just as his sisters have. This 32 page book is written and illustrated by the talented Connie L. Meyer and published by Reformed Free Publishing. Reformed Free Publishing is “an independent, non-profit organization founded in 1924 for the purpose of witnessing to the distinctive Reformed truth”.

This alphabet book is new to their collection and is filled with Bible passages, short rhymes, and detailed illustrations to teach the youngest ages about their heavenly Father’s almighty power and faithfulness. My son loves looking at the beautiful pictures in  T is for Tree: A Bible ABC from Reformed Free Publishing Association.

I think we have read this book every single day since it arrived. The beautiful page layouts are perfect for instructing your children in the truths of salvation for all of God’s children and they keep his attention. We have had some thoughtful conversations about what is included in each letter picture. I especially enjoy the fact that there is a corresponding scripture reference. Micah’s favorite letter just happens to be letter “M is for Moon”.

In the fall I plan to use this book as a spine to Micah’s preschool learning by studying just one letter a week. My plan is to have him memorize the memory verse that corresponds with each letter each week. That may seem like a big task but children are capable of doing big things if we set that expectation. It may not be perfect, but at least I will be doing my part in laying that foundation and helping him hide the Word in his heart.

Overall, this has been a great addition to our family library. I appreciate that it is hardcover because I know it will get many years of use with my children and future grandchildren to come. I would really love to see these pages shrunk down and made into flashcards. Even if it was a digital file that I could print at home. We travel a lot and that format would be an excellent extension to the book for our family for learning and reviewing on the go.

Be sure to check out what my CrewMates though of this book by clicking the banner below.

Company ~ Reformed Free Publishing Association 

 Product ~ T is for Tree: A Bible ABC 

 Format ~ hardcover book

ISBN ~ 978-1-944555-27-6 

 Price ~ $17.95 

 Ages ~ 3-6 year olds

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© 2008 - 2018 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.     

  http://astablebeginning.com 

I'd Rather Be Your Mommy ~ a TOS review

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We received another book to review a few weeks ago called I’d Rather Be Your Mommy from the Home School Adventure Co. and I want to tell you a little about it. We were blessed to receive a digital copy of the book written by Stacy Farrell, the corresponding coloring book, and the print set of I’d Rather Be Your Mommy.

I wear many hats in this family, from head chef to taxi driver. Sure, I had dreams as a young girl of being a pediatric trauma surgeon but God knew that was not my calling. It was made very clear to me as a teen that I was meant to be a Mommy to my future children and I have no regrets!

I’d Rather Be Your Mommy is a 32 page book that tells all the reasons that I’d rather be your mommy. With such a sweet, flowing story that is easy to read, you and your children will enjoy many different scenes of motherhood portrayed. The illustrations are fantastic and draw the reader into the full story. The book is available in digital PDF download or as a hardcover book.


Also available for $9.95 is a PDF Digital download of the I’d Rather Be Your Mommy Coloring Book which includes text from the original book along with illustrations to be colored. This is great for children who love to color while you read aloud or for adults who also enjoy coloring.

The last thing we received was a digital print set of three full color images from the book that can be printed on 8.5” x 11” portraits. You can either choose to print them yourselves or buy the printed set and have it shipped to you. These tiny affirmations of why I would rather be your mommy would be great to hang in a child’s room or anywhere in the house.

Motherhood is a special gift from the Lord. The world sometimes makes this seem like a bad thing, but to me it is the greatest thing! I could be sitting in a court room or office right this very minute taking a deposition as a trained court reporter, but I choose not too because being in the daily lives of my children is important to me. I know some women have to work and I applaud them for doing that and being a Mommy. For right now, raising my children each day is more important than what any paycheck I could be bringing home is worth. Enjoy your children daily and live in the moment because one day they will be grown and out of the house.

See what my CrewMates thought of this book and the other books being reviewed from Home School Adventure Co. including Creative Freewriting Adventure, Celebrating Manhood: A Rite of Passage Guide, and Walking with the Waodani by clicking the banner below.

Company ~ Home School Adventure Co. 

Product ~ I’d Rather Be Your Mommy 

Format ~ Digital PDF download 

Price ~ $8.95 - $16.95 

Ages ~ all ages

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#hsreviews #celebratingmanhood #waodani #CreativeFreewriting

©2008- 2017 A Stable Beginning. All rights reserved. All photographs, text, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the author.  

 http://astablebeginning.com