A Net in Time

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Review: March Forward, Girl

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Oh.. imagine being in the mind of an African-American girl growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas in the 40’s and 50’s.   This is the story of Melba and how she was taught to live her life, even as inwardly she railed against it. Segregation was a horrible thing. The fear, the anger, the shame and the outrage.   It was a hard time of living.

I have to admit, the events of this book are so outside my paradigm of experience and even as I read the book and experienced Melba’s life through her eyes, a part of me didn’t really believe what I was reading.   Could people truly be so mean?  So unthinking?

Then I had to ask myself this question: Would I want my 12 year to read this book?  It’s geared for middle school… but would I truly want him to read it?   He’s a sensitive minded lad who has been raised to realize there are horrors and bad things in the world, but do I really want him reading about it now? And honestly I don’t know.  Melba paints a very real picture of what life was like for her and her people.  The needing to give way, the living in fear, as well as the sheer joy that comes from living with family and having people who genuinely care about your life.  AND oh..there was joy in the midst of it all.  The mixture of the joy with the anger providing good juxstopotion that made it all so much more real. 

I want to tell you how the book ends, but that’s not my role here.  My role is to tell you what I thought abour March Forward Girl.   It was a good book, a needful book to read, and I enjoyed watching Melba mature in her ability to think and DO in her fight against the injustices in her life and in the lives of the people around her.  

I still am not sure about sharing it with my middle schooler, though I might read it with him, that would be a good thing I think.  I think it would be could talk about the things we read together.

Scattered throughout the book are black and white images from Melba, her family, and the events of the day.

March Forward, Girl: From Young Warrior to Little Rock Nine.

 

Melba Pattilo Beals

Frank Morrison, Illustrator

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books

Softcover, 10+,

Autobiography, history, America, African-American

Reviewed for: Raincoast Books.

Where Can You Find it?

Amazon.com: March Forward, Girl.

Review: Once Was A Time

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Imagine the possibilities…. see the potentials…realize the dreams.  Step in the world of Once Was a Time. This great middle school read introduces us to  Lottie and Kitty who are the best of friends… soul mates who understood each other full well.  Believing in the possibilities, living out the realities of war torn England in 1940. 

This was a well-written novel by Leila Sales, who has author several young adult books.   Lottie and Kitty were so well described I felt as though I knew them and could fun with them.  Girls with crazy imaginations, a willingness to accept each others foibles, and still stick together like glue.  Leaving with dreams and plans, struggling with how their families were, dealing with the terror of war.  Good characters.

Then …oh.. the unimaginable happens, these two soul mates are separated.  What would happen?  How would Lottie manage?  Would Kitty survive?   What happens to their families?

How their lives diverge is a fascinating tale of persistance and hope.   And OH… I want to tell more but then I’d have to say SPOILER ALERT!  SPOILER ALERT!   And who wants that eh?   Themes covered: Time Travel, war, bullying, friendship, library, budgets, books..oh the books!, siblings, travel and more.   A well crafted book quite suited for the middle school crowd.  These characters will linger.

My Thoughts:

My lad has heard me talking about how much I have been enjoying his book, and now that he is finished Time Stoppers, and knowing how his dad has been waiting to read the series, he asked if he could read Once Was a Time next.  I joyfully said “YES!”

This was a great book…history along with intrigue with the joy of learning what true friendship is.  Makes for an excellent book middle schoolers AND their parents!  🙂

Once Was a Time

Leila Sales

Chronicle Kids

Softcover, 340 pages, Ages 10+

Fiction, middle school, time travel

Reviewed for: Raincoast Books.

Where can you find?

Amazon.ca:  Once Was a Time.

Amazon.com: Once Was a Time.

Acrylic Paint Fun

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My lad’s been taking a class in Acrylic Painting, I thought I would show you some of the work he’s done.

This was done on an old record.  They mixed the colour in a cup with some glue???  (I think) and then put it on the record.   Each student had their work turn out a bit different.

I really liked how these tiles and light fixtures turned out.  Rather cool eh?  I just love the colours and hope that when we move we might put them up in the lad’s room.  The splash of orange on the blue.. .Just really liked this!

Review: Busy Family Planning Calendar 2018

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Do you ever find it hard to keep things straight?   The running around here and there, sometimes could have a family spinning like a wheel! A friend of mine has a calendar with names scrawled on it, arrows pointing from one slot to another, with times crossed out and .. well.. to me it looks a mess!  🙂

The Busy Family Planning Calendar works to eliminate the mess.  So I have got to tell you all about it!

This calendar has five slots for every day of the week.   So if you have three children, a mom and dad, you can easily fill up all the spaces, And if you are stuck.. you can easily use the top slot with the daily number in it as an emergency! As you can see they are nicely broken up by colour so you could follow the same person throughout the week making sure that no one is keeping too busy.   As you can see, this calendar also lists the important days of the year, not just the judeo–christian, but other popular holidays as well.

This calendar also comes with stickers!   Stickers galore.  Categories like school, half days, dentist, sleepovers and birthdays meant to fill in just one slot. Menus, spring and winter break meant to fill in two, maybe three slots.  Chores and vacation fill whole sections.   They store in this easy to access pouch, which also doubles as a great place to store birthday, anniversary, etc cards. (if you are that organized) or your bills to be paid as well!

The hole (where you’d hang it up) has been reinforced with a wire gasket … don’t know what else to call it.  Just means it won’t rip and come off your wall.    The illustrations are whimiscal without being annoying.  🙂   I have to admit, I like photography in my calendars, but the illustrations in this helpful calendar ar interesting and fun, rather than making me want to toss it away. 

Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t always hang my calendars.  One of the things I like about this calendar is the handy place keeper.  Made of sturdy thick paper, helping you to hold your place well in this well made 17 month calendar. 

Busy family planning calendar 2018

Rockpoint

Calendar, planning, 17 months

Reviewed for Quarto Group

Begin Sentences with Subjects and Verbs

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Today I thought I’d talk about a different book again, Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer.   This book is broken down into four sections, this first section is all about the Nuts and Bolts of writing.    This first chapter talks about the importance of connecting the noun with the verb. 

By placing the noun with the verb you avoid confusing the reader, which is something, when you are writing, that you don’t want to do.  The author points out that sometimes it is good to provide some separation, but overall the very best you can do as an author to to make sure you keep the subject connected with it’s action.

Placing them at the beginning of the sentence keeps this clearest for the reader, but occasionally, for dramatic effect, you can place the noun with it’s verb at the end of the subject.   Being careful about placement will help you keep your reader engaged and not trying to sort through the confusion of trying to figure things out.  An engaged reader wants to finish the story or article, a confused one gives up.  🙂

Focusing on this will help you become a better author.  Isn’t that what we all want?  Be a better writer, keep your audience engaged.

So take time, to look for this when you are reading. Looking past all the descriptive language in order to see how authors employ this basic tool effectively. Study the authors you read marking where they place the noun and verb, rewrite your sentences to make them better, vary where you place your subject and verb in a sentence and see if it changes how the sentence reads… in it’s dramatic voice.  Think about how you are writing and in what ways, focusing on the verb and noun and keeping them well connected, makes your writing better.

Q is for Questions.. questions about Canada

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I put the question to the crew.
What questions do you have about Canada.

They came up with quite a few!

Join me and Amanda as we walk through Blogging the Alphabet “Q”, me with your questions and seeing what Amanda comes up.  🙂

Have I ever seen a glacier (no) and where to go to see one.  Here’s a list of Canadian glaciers!   🙂  
When we do have winter?   
Generally from December to March, though the latest I’ve seen snow fly was mid-May and the earliest was in October.   Our last couple of winters have been downright pitiful and both my guys are getting annoyed!   One winter we had snow up past my head!  IT WAS WONDERFUL!!!   🙂   We have four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.  Each with it’s own beauty.

How does one pronounce Iqaluit

How about special holidays and celebrations there? My son got curious about that when he found out people in Canada don’t have
Thanksgiving in November like we do in America.

 Canadians have thanksgiving at a reasonable time…not rushing Christmas!  🙂  Check out Kym’s post.
 We also have Canada Day (July 1st) and various other statutory holidays. 
Holidays we do in Ontario: Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, Family Day (February) not a mandatory day off though, Good Friday and Easter, Easter Monday. Civic Holiday in August, Labour Day and Thanksgiving (October), and Remembrance Day (November).  

What is the political system like? is there a president?
No president, we elect a prime minister.  We have three main parties, the Conservatives, the Liberals and the New Democratic Party.   Currently the Liberals are in power (don’t ask me what I think about that!).  🙂   Currently some localities are testing a ranked ballot system for the next elections, this system only kicks in when the winner of an election wins by less than a certain percentage (can’t recall what that is right now). It then takes into account the popular vote.   We do not vote on a regular schedule, there is a time limit to when the current government MUST call a vote, but there is no set schedule in place for when they can choose to call it.   As long a party is in power…more power to them.   Sucks at times but hey.. there it is.   For more information on how our government works check out this site.

How much of Canada is inhabitable?
This site is REALLY helpful in seeing the population densities of Canada.  I do hope you will go and look.   The image below comes from that page.  Current population of Canada (as of the 2015 Census) is 35.85 million.

Can we learn more about Quebecois music? 
Honestly… haven’t a clue!   🙂  BUT I did find this video on Youtube. 

Does pokemon go have any special pokemon you can only get in Canada?
Nope. 🙂

How about please explain the whole prime minister thing
   How about you explain the whole president thing.. TRUMP….  REALLY?????:)

What part of Canada do you live in?
 South Western Ontario, near London (not in England).

Do wives all over Canada not take their husband’s last name or is that just QC?

Personal choices, and they vary by region.

Are there any foods unique to Canada?
Nanaimo bars…many people love them, me.. meh Too sweet UNLESS they are frozen, then YUM!!!
Poutine
Tourtiere (meat pie)
Maple syrup.  🙂

What are some Canadian traditions?
Canada Day (Dominion Day) celebrated on July 1st.  Parades, picnics, fireworks.
Thanksgiving at the proper time in October (Americans are so mixed up).  🙂
Family Day is kinda new and makes people ask questions.  It’s a fun day though filled with tons of family activities in almost every part of Ontario.
I dunno though… we are quite similar to Americans but we LOVE snow (for the most part) and do a lot of winter activities, and if you don’t like hockey there’s something wrong with you.  (not really, we are pretty laid back and we’ll apologize if we’ve offended you (or think that we have).  🙂

What type of animals are indigenous to Canada that aren’t in the US? 
 Polar bears.  Seriously LARGE bears.  Don’t want to mess with them.
Canada Lynx
Moose
Beluga Whale
BigHorn Sheep
Canada Goose (though I know you see those down south as they migrate)
Beaver
Tailless frog
There’s a tiny black and red snake found up north but I can’t recall it’s name.
Here’s a video on the loon.

Do you have tea time, like the British, or do you do three meals a day
like most Americans…or do you do something totally different?
Three meals a day plus snacks.  🙂  At least in Ontario and travelling west.  Quebec… might be more French in it’s outlook but I’ve never been there.  French people don’t snack.

The relationship between Canada and the UK. What power does the Queen
have in Canada? What power does the UK have in Canada? (so maybe you
could explain the Lieutenant General to our American friends. And why we
pronounce “Lieutenant” and other words the British way. LOL)
Oh heavens, I hardly know where to to begin. I think perhaps I should do a whole separate series on Canada eh?  🙂  A BRIEF explanation.
 Each province as a lieutenant general who is the nominal head of state for the province and acts as the go between.  We also have a federal lieutentant general who is the president of the senate and resides over the chamber.  Here he/she handles debate and how legislation moves through the chamber. 
 The queen is the official head of state, and comes to visit and honestly.. has nothing really to do with the running of our country.  We love her (really we do as our Queen and there remains a strong interest in the goings on of her family) but our day to day lives are unaffected by her.  🙂

The British pronunciation of the French word “lieutenant” (as “lef-tenant”) is used by the Canadian Armed Forces, but the American pronunciation of “loo-tenant” (which is closer to the original French pronunciation) is sometimes heard as well.  But really to be proper it’s lef-tenant.

 My daughter would
like to know if you still call the police force in Canada constables. 
 Yes, we call them constable… what do you call your police officers??
 We also have mounties…but not in my area. We have a regular police force since we live in Ontario.  But for instance we’d say “Constable Stewart” not officer .. though they do respond equally well to officer.  🙂  For more about the RCMP (the mounties) see here. If you ever have a chance to see the mounties in action you should do so.  Seriously cool to see their mounted musical rides.  Saw them one year but can’t find a picture right now.

How Yellowknife, Northwest Territory got its name.
 The name Yellowknife comes from a Dene band, the Yellowknives, now long
gone, who once lived on the islands in the East Arm of Great Slave Lake
and carried knives with yellow copper blades.   Cool eh?  🙂

Do
people really call Prince Edward Island PEI, like in the Anne books?  
I call it PEI, as does everyone else I know.   The folks I know from out east call it that too, so I don’t see why your children shouldn’t.  🙂  Call it as you will.. I hope to visit it one day.  I’ve been through the west, someday I’ll go through the east. My mom and sister went out last year and they said it was simply marvellous.

If I missed anyone’s questions.. SORRY, not intentional, just how life happens eh?

A Net In Time Schooling

A Net In Time Schooling

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Loonies and Toonies!

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Hey there readers! 

Welcome to blogging through the Alphabet with Amanda and myself.    This week we are working through the letter L.   I hope you will hop right on in.  🙂  Join us yes?

Today I want to talk to you about Loonies and Toonies… our lovely way to spend money!   🙂

This past weekend I went to the states for a wedding.   It was fun.  I had a chance to visit with an old college friend and see her children all grown up.  It was interesting trying to work with American dollars…all green and all bills (except the small change).

Did you know that in Canada we have bills .. coloured according to denomination…and then my favourite.. the Loonie and the Toonie!  🙂

Why are they my favourite you ask? 

Well…. Today I find it marvellous to have a bill for $10 and I’m thinking to me-self ACK I don’t want to break my $20…and low and behold in my change I find a lovely $10 in coins…it’s like a birthday present you know?   When you think you’ve only got small change and find all those dollars hiding in there!  🙂  It’s a marvellous thing.  🙂

Why Loonie?
Well…it’s got that fine looking bird on it’s head.  The well you know…the toonie is called such because well.. bearie would be STUPID (even if it has a bear on the head) and well…Toonie rhymes!  🙂   And we are a common sense type of people eh? 

Why do we use coins for the $1 and $2?
Well.. it saves the country money as coins don’t wear out as quickly as dollar bills do.  
We’ve even lost our penny as it costs MORE to make the penny than what it’s worth.

Tell me then…what do you like about the money of YOUR country?  (other than the making and spending of it mind).  🙂

A Net In Time Schooling

A Net In Time Schooling

Join us won’t you?   Link up below 🙂

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time