A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Reviews

Locked in Ice

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Peter Lourie has written a fantastic book “Locked in Ice” that has been my pleasure to review.  Fridtjof Nansen was a fascinating man whose curious mind and determined spirit made him an important Norseman.   This book tells us about his life and particularly about his journey to the Arctic.

From the cover

An explorer who many adventurers argue ranks alongside polar celebrity Ernest Shackleton.  Fridtjof Nansen contributed tremendous amounts of new information to our knowledge about the Polar Arctic.  At a time when the North Pole was still undiscovered territory, he attempted the journey in a way most experts thought was mad: Nansen purposefully locked his ship in ice for two years in order to float northward along the currents. 

What you get

Peter Lourie writes non-fiction books that appeal to younger readers.  Locked in Ice is one such book, in it he tells the fascinating story of Fridjof Nansen’s trip through the Arctic.  Can you imagine, willfully locking your ship in ice so you can slowly be transported to the North Pole, by the waters of Arctic itself?   THIS is the daring story of a man who did just that!

Numerous pictures dot the pages of this tome, bringing life and history right in front of the reader.   14 sections walk us through Mr. Nansen’s journey from idea til closing.   It’s such an interesting journey too.

Mr. Nansen was such a curious-minded fellow and intensely interested in everything around him.   Zoology, geography, skiing, inventions, and more filled his mind and days.  He was a meticulous planner and very determined to work out any kinks in his thinking.   Once he worked out a plan he didn’t let negative talk stop him.   Determination and planning would always win through for him. 

Peter Lourie gave an excellent accounting of the life of Mr. Hansen sharing with us his excellent character qualities and skills.  A timeline is included at close detailing his life beyond his Arctic exploration.  He went on to write books, work in politics, help with international needs, and more.  A skilled diplomat and inventor, he was an active, involved man throughout his entire life. 

My Thoughts

You may recall that I reviewed another Peter Lourie book about Jack London.   Just as I found that book really well done, so I found this book just fascinating.  Mr. Hansen was such an interesting individual and he advanced, through his journey, the knowledge of the Arctic.

  • Locked in Ice: Nansen’s Daring quest for the North Pole
  • Peter Lourie
  • Christy Ottaviano Books
  • 336 pages, middle school
  • History, Arctic, North Pole, Norway
  • Reviewed for Raincoast Books.
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Fly Girls by Keith O’Brien

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Five brave women, defying the odds, take to the skies. Fly Girls by Keith O’Brien tells the story of five women in the aftermath of WW1 who took to the skies. Learn the stories of Amelia Earhart, Ruth Elder, Florence Klingensmith, Ruth Nichols and Louise Thaden. This is my review.

From the Cover

Between the world wars, no sport was more popular, or more dangerous, than airplane racing. While male pilots were lauded as heroes, the few women who dared to fly were more often ridiculed-until a cadre of women pilots banded together to break through the entrenched prejudice.

Fly Girls by Keith O’Brien weaves together the stories of five remarkable women: Florence Klingensmith, a high school dropout; Ruth Elder, a divorcee; Amelia Earhart, the most famous, but not necessarily the most skilled; Ruth Nichols, who chafed at her Wall Street family’s expectations; and Louise Thaden, who got her start selling coal in Wichita. Together, they fought for the chance to fly and race airplanes -and in 1936, one of them would triumph, beating the men in the toughest air race of them all.

My Thoughts

Oh, I enjoyed reading this book.  BUT I struggled with it.  I thought it was going to be a book about five women aviators who fought to be allowed to race with men in airplane races. It wasn’t.

Instead, it spoke of the race to cross the ocean.  Focusing, predominately on the failures, of men as well as women.  A big yahoo to Charles Lindbergh, but the first four women were all failures.

I found it interesting that the story of Amelia Earhart didn’t include her solo flights, or her disappearance…but rather included a rather unflattering story.  I was impressed that she wanted female pilots to be organized and worked toward that end.  It was rather odd though, the story they focused on. They didn’t even mention her solo flight across the ocean.  Just left me wondering why?

This 95-page book contains almost 30 pages of footnotes and source material links to help you learn even more about these remarkable women.

I think this book would be an excellent introduction to female aviators but not an ending book.  This book whetted my appetite to learn more about these five women, but wasn’t satisfying in the end.  I suspect that discerning upper elementary youth would have the same reaction.

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Mind Games

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A woman, good at her job, shaped by her childhood.  Struggling to break free of her past.  A threat.  A livelihood challenged. Who can be trusted?  Mind Games by Nancy Mehl is a faith-based psychological thriller.   Will the trap be sprung?  This is my review.

From The Cover

FBI Behavioral Analyst Kaely Quinn’s methods may be highly unorthodox, but her talent is undeniable. She’s done her best to establish a new life for herself after being demoted and transferred to St. Louis when a reporter revealed she’s the daughter of an infamous serial killer. But when that same reporter claims to have received an anonymous poem predicting a string of murders, ending with Kaely’s, it seems her old life has followed her.

When a body is found that fits the poem’s morbid predictions, Kaely and her new partner, Special Agent Noah Hunter, are forced to move past his skepticism of her approach and work together to unravel the deadly riddle.

Mind Games by Nancy Mehl

My Thoughts

I read this book in the afternoon of Boxing Day, and my hubby asked me at the end of it “what did you think?”   The first words out of my mouth were “I think I want a second opinion on it”, followed up by “I need to think about it”.

There was much that I liked.  Kaely was, for me, a believe-able character.  She talks to herself, has make-believe people in her life, has a hard time trusting people, and knows her job well.   People struggle with this… though I’m not quite sure why for some it. 

For instance, I talk to myself all the time, and sometimes, especially if I really need to learn material, I will pretend that I am teaching a class AND that the class is answering me.   If you think that’s weird… that’s fine, but a highly effective way to learn.

Anyways, The book.  My thoughts are mixed.   But it’s hard to say why.  This is a psychological thriller.  Most of the characters are well developed.  The storyline runs real. There are twists in the storyline which keeps the story interesting.

But in the end, it just didn’t seem worth my time. 

Now, that said, of faith-based psychological thrillers… this is one of the better ones that I’ve read.  Therefore, if you are looking for a faith-based psy thriller… this one will do the trick.  🙂

  • Mind Games
  • Nancy Mehl
  • Bethany House
  • Series: Kaely Quinn Profiler, book 1
  • Trade paperback, 334 pages, adult
  • Faith based, Mystery,
  • Reviewed for Nuts About Books
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101 Small Ways to Change the World

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Kids today want to be involved in the world around them, they want to know that they can make a difference. Often times though, they don’t know just what they can do.   It’s hard to come up with ideas when you don’t know where to start.  Enter in 101 Small Ways to Change the World.    Just the help a child, teenager or adult needs, to stoke the fires of imagination to change the world. 

From the Cover:

It’s hard to believe that you could change the world, but it’s true! We’ll show you loads of awesome ways to help out family, friends, yourself and the planet – and show how you’re never too young to make a big difference. Includes random acts of kindness, craft projects, energy-saving ideas, and much more.

101 Small Ways to Change the World is a practical, fun and creative book to inspire you at home, school and in your local community and beyond! Remember, all big ideas start with just one person who decides to do things differently. You could be that person.

What You Get

The hardcover tome starts with the encouragement to think big, but to do the small.   For if you want to plant a forest, you need to start with one tree.  One small act combined with another small act changes the world.

This is followed by three sections:

  • 1. Caring for Others
  • 2. Caring for the Planet
  • 3. Caring for Yourself

Section one on Caring for others covers topics such as spreading kindness at school, cheering up a friend, doing your chores, helping wildlife thrive, donating things to charity, being a volunteer and starting a neighbourhood library.

The next section is Caring for the Planet which included ideas such as turning off the lights, walk instead of drive, picking up litter, recreating out of old, make a game, using less plastic, buying local, planting a tree, taking a short shower, and planting a garden. 

Caring for yourself encourages the reader to stand up for yourself, be positive, eat healthy, find a hobby, be involved with your family, challenge yourself, and to share your abilities.

My Thoughts

There is so much in this book that I like.  Practical ideas for kids, teens and adults to engage with, to make small changes in the world and their communities.  A great book for that, and the learning how to care for yourself too!  Excellent stuff.

I did struggle with the “don’t eat meat” mantra.  It wasn’t balanced with the good that animals do, only the negatives were addressed.  This section could easily have addressed “try alternative proteins like crickets etc”. 

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The Maxwell Leadership Bible

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Today I am reviewing an interesting bible called The Maxwell Leadership Bible.    This bible presents lessons in leadership by John C. Maxwell.  Written in the NKJV, John C Maxwell says “If you want to learn leadership, go to the greatest Book on leadership ever written – the bible.”

About the Author

John C. Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert.   He has written several books.  Mr. Maxwell is the founder of EQUIP and the John Maxwell Company. He mentors Fortune 500 companies, and Christian businesses/leaders worldwide. 

About the book

Every believer is a person of influence. In the Maxwell Leadership Bible, leadership expert John C. Maxwell shows you the principles of leadership taught in God’s Word and how to use them. Whether you are an employee, a boss, a parent, or a neighbor, you are a person of influence in your part of the world. Throughout the pages of Scripture, John Maxwell has assembled the time-tested and irrefutable biblical principles of leadership to equip and encourage leaders with his signature approach, including the 21 Laws of Leadership, the 21 Qualities of a Leader, biographical profiles, and hundreds of notes.

What you Get

The bible I received was a heavy, hard-back bible.  Contained within it’s page you will find these lessons:

  • the 17 laws of teamwork in action
  • 25 ways to win with people
  • 6 strategies for extraordinary leadership
  • three laws of growth
  • 21 qualities of discernment
  • as well as many other lessons

Leadership profiles, both good and poor leadership examples.  There were more examples of Good leadership than poor.

Each book opens up with an introduction to the book including an overview of the leadership lessons contained within. 

Occasionally images would scatter the pages, all with a point of highlighting a leadership principle. 

Frequently, gold highlighted boxes would appear.  These would be smaller lessons that fit well with the text on the pages. 

The NKJV is a good translation of the bible.  Comfort font  is used for the biblical text which is quite easy to read.  The font used to introduce bible books was larger, the font in the explanation boxes smaller, but all of it was easy to read. 

My Thoughts

To be honest, I had never heard of John C Maxwell before I chose to review this bible.   I haven’t read every note or article found within this large study bible, but nothing that I did read set off alarm bells.  🙂  

Just as every focused study bible does, this bible focuses solely on it’s message.  Leadership.  You won’t find behind the scenes stories, settings, or time period maps.  What you will find are copious amounts of leadership examples.  Showing us, for the most part, excellent examples of leadership so that we, the reader, can take heart and learn to be leaders in our spheres of influence. 

I appreciated that Mr. Maxwell, not only showed good examples of leadership, but bad ones too.  Showing us how to work around opposition, what to expect, and what bad leadership looks like.   Being forewarned is good yes?  🙂

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The Secrets of Tutankhamun

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King Tut, boy king of Ancient Egypt.  Who was he?   Where was he buried?  Why did it take so long to discover his tomb?  What secrets did it hide and what did we learn from it?   These questions and more, answered in The Secrets of Tutankhamun by Patricia Cleveland-Peck. 

From the Cover

When a series of family deaths led to the nine-year-old Tutankhamun’s unlikely ascension to the throne of Egypt, the young Pharoah inherited a land in the midst of conflict and change.   His rule was short and tumultuous, and at around age nineteen, Tut died.    Three thousand years later, Howard Carter, a British archaeologist …. made a discovery that shocked the world. …. Featuring the story of Tut’s life, the archaeological advances made through the discovery of his tomb, and guides to hieroglyphics and the mummification process. …..

What you Get

The life of Tutankhamun is brought to us in this oversized paperback tome.  A meaty book filled with his life and the life of the men searching for answers, and then discovering them!   

Divided into three parts, this 64 page book talks about how Tut lived and died, the discovery by Howard Carter and how the mysteries were solved around the discoveries made at his burial site. 

Now, what I received was the advanced readers’ copy, so most of the book I received was done in grayscale images.   There were numerous images scattered throughout the entire book that really brought the well-written text to life.

A few pages were included so we could see what the final book will look like. All seven pages of colour were filled with shades of blacks, blues, yellows and whites.  

Highly informative history spills out of the pages.  There is so much to be learned as well as life lessons.  For instance, the persistence of Howard Carter in his quest to find the tomb.  Questions to be asked at the time of discovery that weren’t answered until much later.  The excitement the discovery brought.  The uniqueness of his tomb, and all the questions it raised, along with the discovery of two infant tombs.  Just a treasure trove of information.

My Thoughts:

People have long been fascinated with Tutankhamun and this book delves deep into the mystery of who he was and how he lived.  There is much speculation of course, based on archaeological finds.  Overall though, it’s a great look into the lives of two men….one young, living with health problems and dying young.  The other older, determined to solve a mystery, persisting even when it seemed he’d never do it.

I found it a well-written book that gave a great amount of information, I learned so much.  Meaty picture books are just the best, you know?

I thoroughly enjoyed all the add-ons… learning the hieroglyphic alphabet, how they read the paintings in the tomb, the mummification process and more.  It would be a great addition to studies on Ancient Egypt. 

Links to other books on Egypt to help round out your studies.

Egyptomania. 

Cleopatra and Ancient Egypt. 

 

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Science Comics Rockets Defying Gravity

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Do you have a love of rockets?   Do you have any idea of the history behind rocketry?  Science Comics Rockets Defying Gravity uses a graphic novel format along with humour and a well-told story to bring the reader the history of rocketry. 

From the Cover:

In Rockets we explore the 2,000 years that rockets have been in existence. We dive into Newton’s Laws of Motion – learning all about gravity, force, acceleration, and the history of rockets made in the past and rockets to be made in the future!

What You Get:

Rockets – Defying Gravity uses excellent graphics to walk you through the history of rocketry.   You will meet visionary physicist, chemists, engineers and entertainers.  Animals played their roles as well from sheep, to monkeys, to spiders and to mice.   Many more animals than I would have thought.  Honestly I thought they really only used dogs and chimpanzees. 

The author used an excellent sense of humour to portray the facts of history.   The end result is a forward-moving book that imparts more information than you expect.  It’s an easy going read that keeps you interested the whole while.

My Thoughts

I have to admit, at first I wasn’t sure what I thought of this graphic novel.   A bunch of critters yapping about rockets.  As I read the book though, I realized that through humour and animal characters, they were giving the history of rocketry and showing how animals were part of the process.  By the time I was 1/3 of the way through I was hooked. I eagerly read the rest of the book, being surprised frequently.. I never knew that sheep were a part of rocketry history! Did you? 

The graphics were well done, the font easy to read.   Over all I found it to be a well done introduction to rocketry for middle school students.

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