To Publish A Book

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to get a book published? Have you thought of trying to get one published yourself?  Do you know the difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing, and have you wondered if there are any other options?  If you'd like to follow along on a real journey to first-time publication, check out Amazing By Design.  You can follow the process step-by-step from choosing a publisher (um, yeah, that's whoever is willing to publish the book!!), to Illustrations (that's where this book is now), and on to full publication and printing (sometime after Christmas).

The Person I Marry

"Long before thinking of diamonds & glitter,

here are some things that I need to consider."

My kids are at such fun ages.  Even the youngest is learning to bathe himself and make himself peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, so my job is not nearly so custodial as it was a few years ago; yet we also are not dealing with teenage problems - YET.  My youngest son takes off running if a girl tries to hug or kiss him.  My two girls are not planning to EVER let a boy mess up their plans for their lives.  And my oldest son - well, that's where the problems are likely to start.  At age 12, he likes girls.  He is starting to like them quite a lot.

I would like to talk to my children about what type of person to marry now.  Now, while some of them still believe the opposite gender has cooties.  Now, before they are blinded by emotions and teenage hormones.  Now, while they still listen to a few of my opinions and have not quite yet decided that I am the dumbest person on earth.  I'd like to arm them with some foundational ideas about what characteristics to seek in a lifetime partner.

Gary and Jan Bower had just this in mind when they wrote the delightful book The Person I Marry for their own children.  In Gary's delightful rhyming verse, accompanied by Jan's beautiful oil-painted illustrations, they emphasize to children that qualities such as kindness, honesty, and thoughtfulness are the foundations of a good relationship; that God must be the center of the relationship; and that they should strive to have those qualities themselves.



The Person I Marry from Bower Books on Vimeo.

This 32-page, fully-illustrated, hard-cover book may be purchased for $11.99 from Bower Books at http://www.bowerbooks.com/brightfuturebooks.html.   Suitable for any preschool or elementary-aged children, other books in the "Bright Future" series cover topics such as handling money, the reality of heaven, and finding purpose in life.  Gary and Jan Bower definitely have a gift for explaining difficult, grown-up subjects to children.  My children enjoyed this book, and I loved the truth I was reading to them.
To read other TOS Homeschool Reviews of The Person I Marry by Gary and Jan Bower, click here.
Disclaimer:  I was allowed to view a free digital copy of The Person I Marry for the purpose of a fair review.  No other compensation was given, and all opinions are my own.

"Sophisticated Fall!"

Sprouting Seeds Studio promised us lots of fall kits this year, and they have delivered!  Here's the latest release, "Sophisticated Fall."

You can pick the kit up exclusively, and right now on sale, at ScrapDelicious!

There's a cute freebie available at Sprouting Seeds Studio's blog.  Click image below to go pick it up.

Make sure you come back to pick up your free QP from 4shared!  PU only.

Happy Fall, Y'all!

Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of the "Sophisticated Fall" kit for the purpose of review.

Take the November Road Trip with Stuff to Scrap: Everyday Elegance!

In two hours, we will begin the month of November 2011 and my favorite time of the year.  I love all of fall, but I especially love November and December, the whole Thanksgiving and Christmas season!  Here is my part of Stuff to Scrap's Blog Road Trip.  Click on image to download from 4shared.  PU/S4H/S4O.

If you prefer, you may download from MediaFire.

Here's the Road Map for the rest of your stops.  You should have arrived here from 

Sweet Maple and your next stop is scraphannah.

Scraps by Andrea
Dandelion Dust Designs
Junfunkie Designs
CutieFruity
The Digi Scrapping Mama
Shel Belle Scraps
Lovely Creations
DoubleTrouble Scraps
KatyBugScraps
PizazzPixels
Queen Wild Scraps
Scrappin Serenity
JMC Designs
Adriana's Cafe
Ladybug Pics n Scraps
Lindsey's Digital Scrapbook
MDK Scraps
Queen Bee Scraps
Daydreamer
The Scrappy Kat
scrapN2Nspire
Let Me Scrapbook!
Sweet Maple
Note-able Scraps
scraphannah

Happy Scrapping!  :)

TOS Thanks Military Families

As a homeschooling military spouse myself, I appreciate TOS's tribute to the military so much.  If you are military, please click here to see the beautiful tribute and to claim your FREE subscription (for new subscribers only) to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.

Thank you for your service!

TOS Review: Ooka Island Adventure

One of the fun things about homeschooling is that while my oldest is beginning college prep reading and writing (see last post), my youngest is just beginning to read.  I have found in teaching four children to read that the best programs involve actual books that early readers can learn to read for themselves, rather than just word lists or word/picture flashcards.  My first grader is anxious to accumulate more and more whole books that he can read all by himself, and each one he masters gives him a sense of accomplishment and a boost of confidence.

Ooka Island Adventure is a unique downloadable early reading program for 3-7-year-olds.  It works on Mac or PC, which is welcome news for us Mac users!  To begin with, you must download the game itself, and then you may purchase a subscription to use it online (the download is included in the subscription price).  It is a large initial download, but I did not have any problems downloading it or using it.  Or should I say, my children did not have any problems.  When we first started, I was unable to figure out how to personalize the student's avatar, and I was thinking the program may not be user-friendly.  When I unleashed my 6-year-old on it, however, he had his avatar ready to go in a purple superhero suit that he LOVED in a matter of minutes.  So apparently, my problem was user-malfunction.  You know what they say:  if you can't figure out how to work a computer program, ask someone with a doctorate degree or a 10-year-old!!

Once you have logged into the program, the student first plays games on Ooka Island, learning and reinforcing the alphabet and the sounds different letters and blends make.  Watch out for the FLIGS, the mischievous flying pigs who like to make trouble all around the island!  Your child can play these games as long as he or she wants or needs to in order to learn the sounds and letters, so this is ideal for preschoolers who are just beginning to learn their letters, or for kindergartners and first graders who can move through to the books more quickly.  Once your child has earned some books, he may go to the Popcorn Theater on the island, where he may pick any of the books on his bookshelf.  The book may first be read with Auntie K and Zobot the robot, who will read the book while highlighting each word, and explain what is on the pages.  Then you may read with Zobot, who will just read the book while highlighting each word.  Finally, you may read the book completely on your own.  The ability to go back to any book on the list and choose to read it by yourself or with help gives children a chance to reinforce their skills.  The more your child plays Ooka Island, the larger the library he can build - of books he can read ALL BY HIMSELF!

My son is currently up to 7 books in his Ooka Island library, and if he had his way, this would be his entire 1st Grade curriculum!!  The program may be used as part of your homeschool reading curriculum, or as a reading supplement, whether you homeschool or not.  You can find more information at http://ookaisland.com/.  Pricing is as follows:

Click here to purchase.

To read what other TOS Reviewers have to say about the Ooka Island Adventure, click here.

Disclaimer:  I received a free subscription to Ooka Island Adventure for the purpose of a fair review.  No other compensation was received, and all opinions are my own.

TOS Review: Excellence in Literature

My 12-year-old son is, by age, in 7th grade, but he is doing mainly 8th-grade work this year, and he is especially ahead in the Language Arts side of things.  He is an avid reader who has been reading at high school level for some time, and he enjoys the classics, especially those by such authors as Jules Verne.  For this reason, I was realizing that I need to start looking at college-prep studies and stepping up our writing pursuits.  Just in time, I was blessed to be able to review Janice Campbell's  Excellence in Literature:: English 1: Introduction to Literature with the Honors option, from Everyday Education.

The Introduction to Literature is set up like a study guide, providing assignments to use with the classics listed in the course.  If your budget is tight, you could get these books from the library.  The author recommends, however, that you purchase the books, so that you may highlight sections, write in the margins, and have them for future reference.  Many of the books can be found second-hand very cheaply, and if you have multiple children who will be using the course, then of course you will be able to use them again.  My husband regularly peruses thrift stores, yard sales, and used book stores for the titles we need for homeschool, and we have built up quite a library very economically.  Introduction to Literature is, however, much more than your average study guide with a few discussion questions to ask with each book.  Janice Campbell's course covers how to read analytically and for comprehension, how to study and make notes on the literature, and how to write an effective paper communicating your own ideas about what you have studied.  Much of the work can be done individually by the student, at the student's own pace, with a parent or teacher reviewing the finished papers at the end of each unit and offering praise and advice for improvement.  The course teaches excellent personal study habits, research tips, and in-depth reading and writing skills in preparation for college.  It is also completely customizable for each family: while a specific order of books and timeline is suggested for the year-long course, the books may be done in any order, by themselves or in conjunction with another Language Arts or History course.

We are doing the course in the suggested order, and we have barely scratched the surface in Unit 1: Short Stories.  We cannot wait to get to Unit 2: Around The World In Eighty Days by Jules Verne.  Jules Verne is one of my son's favorite authors, and he has already read that book.  Just take a look at the fun titles we have in store for the rest of the year:

Unit 1: Short Stories by- 
• Sarah Orne Jewett: A White Heron
• Edgar Allen Poe: The Purloined Letter (This one is not scary, if you're concerned about that.)
• Guy de Maupassant: The Diamond Necklace
• O. Henry: The Ransom of Red Chief
• Eudora Welty: A Worn Path
• James Thurber: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Unit 2: Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne 
Honors: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Unit 3: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain
Honors: The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
Unit 4: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë 
Honors: Shirley or Villette by Charlotte Brontë
Unit 5: Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw 
Honors: Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot
Unit 6: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Honors: Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
Unit 7: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Honors: 1984 by George Orwell
Unit 8: The Tempest by William Shakespeare 
Honors: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
Unit 9: Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
Honors: The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

The titles listed are just the focus texts.  More context readings are assigned in each unit, as well as optional honors texts which can be used for further high school and college credit.  The English I college-prep course is recommended for students in Grades 8-12.  It can be purchased from Everyday Education at http://www.everyday-education.com/literature/eng1.shtml.  The print book is $29 plus $4.95 S&H.  If you prefer to download the e-book and print your own pages for a 3-ring binder, you may download it for $27.  Everyday Education also has many more resources for homeschooling through high school.

To see what other TOS reviewers have to say about Excellence in Literature, click here.

Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of Excellence in Literature:: English 1: Introduction to Literature with the Honors option, from Everyday Education, for the purpose of a fair review.  No other compensation was given, and all opinions are my own.