A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Reviews

For all Humankind

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I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed it…but most of the literature about the moon landing is all focused on the U.S.A?  But there’s this funny thing about the moon landing, it was a global effort.  People and materials from all over the world worked together.  In For All Humankind author, Tanya Harrison makes sure we know about the global impact of the moon landing. 

For All Humankind: The Untold Stories of How the Moon Landing Inspired the World

What I am Reviewing

For All Humankind: The Untold Stories of How the Moon Landing Inspired the World was inspired by the author’s desire to see the Moon Landing from the vantage of non-USA people.  8 chapters over 200 pages. Written by authors Tanya Harrison and Danny Bednar and published by Mango.

These previously untold stories reveal the impact of the moon landings around the globe, and what having a “man on the moon” meant to the international community.
In this exciting new book, For All Humankind, readers will:
* Get to read interviews with eight non-Americans to get their perspectives
* Be inspired by their memories of the event as they saw it
* Have a unique opportunity to learn more about one of the most historic events in human history

The Details on For All Humankind

8 stories from all over the world.  We meet men and women, boys and girls, from places such as Chile, Canada, Iran, England, Sudan, Mexico and India. Some faced disbelief, others had shared joy from family members, but always, there was excitement and wonder about a man being on the moon. 

For all Humankind

These stories are personal, speaking to how they were impacted by the moon landing. Boys, girls, men, women…the impact of the moon landing was felt worldwide. 

Images in black and white dot the pages showing us scenes from the moon landing.  The whole book is done in shades of black and white. 

For all Humankind

I really enjoyed the preamble before we got to the stories from around the world.   Did you know that “a Canadian company built the legs for the Eagle ….. Australian radio telescopes received the live footage“? (p.11)   Rather cool eh?  Even the work that others did before Saturn V was built enabled the Moon Landing to happen. 

For all Humankind

Should you Get it?

For All Humankind is an informative, eye-opening read.  It was really interesting reading stories from all over. If I were truly into the Moon Landing and outer space and wanting books, I would definitively add this to my library.  Otherwise, I would be just as happy borrowing it from the library.  It’s definitely worth a good read. 

Journey Through the Continents

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Do you ever dream of exploring the continents?  Or ever want your children to have a good understanding of them?  Well.. have I got just the thing for you.  Books, crafts, history, videos, playlists and so much more.  Everything you need to peak your interest in learning about our world!  Introducing to you Journey Through the Continents, my review of a great product produced by Homeschool on the Range. 

journey through the continents review

What I am Reviewing

Journey Through the Continents.  A New study produced by Homeschool On the Range and provided in the shop by the bookshack.  Journey through the Continents is a complete unit study.  This unit study covers geography, history, art, social studies and language arts. It is 162 pages and comes as a downloadable file as a PDF.  You can find this helpful resource for students in 5th-9th grades for $29.99 in the BookShack Shop. 

The Details of Journey Through the Continents

One of the things I love about this unit study is the encouragement to dive in wherever you want.   If you want to pick up an art project from Africa you can do so.   Following the instructions provided OR you can play around with an image creator and see what you can do there instead of doing a paper plate craft. 

Or perhaps you are just looking for some good book suggestions, because that’s what stimulates how you or your children learn.  You will find copious book lists divided into age groups. 

Whether your interest starts with food, crafts, videos or books there is something in Journey Through the Continents to whet your appetite.   I WISH I had remember to capture my result of making this recipe!   But sometimes the food gets ahead of my brain……  (though it’s quarantine time I did leave out the Korean paste). 

It did lead to the inspiration to try another dish from a different country on the same continent though.  It’s one of the things I love about unit studies, one exploration can so easily lead to additional ones… 

Basic Set-Up

You may be asking yourself by this point, so.. just how is this unit study set up?  What am I really in for?  Will I be overloaded, or given too many options, or just what’s the deal.

First off.. there are never too many options, there are always opportunities to fit the needs of different learners.  The opportunities allow you to pick what suits you best. 

Second the suggested resources.  Two big ones.  A subscription to SchoolhouseTeachers.com and AmazonPrime.  Without those, it will be more difficult to complete this unit study.  And… if you live outside the United States…. you’ll find AmazonPrime titles and series that you simply aren’t allowed to access.  Yes.. it stinks.   There are always workaround, like going to YouTube and sussing out videos on your own.  This is one area that could be improved.  For the creators to look provide alternatives should a major resource not be a possibility. 

Third: the basic set-up.   No table of contents which really surprised me, but the unit study progressed in an orderly fashion covering geographic concepts and then the continents.

Visual aids nicely break up the text, creating interest and reducing eye-strain.  Most of the pages were are white, some gray-scale worksheets were present. A good amount of full-colour images were available making for a vibrant walk-through our beloved earth. 

Layout of Each Section

Each section follows a similar layout, though the depth of each area might vary from one unit to the next. 

  • Geography: includes maps, location, climate, landmarks etc.
  • History: in the form of a timeline
  • Resources: videos, books, 
  • Crafts: a whole variety of crafts with no age suggestions.  You never know what might inspire a person, or how they might want to do the craft, but perhaps a bit different. 

After crafts

  • Music Appreciation
  • Art Appreciation
  • Connections and Folklore
  • Cooking
  • Mapwork
  • Research, vocab
  • Famous People
  • and various worksheets

This is a very thorough walk through the continents.  If you did everything this would be a rather lengthy and complete geography/social studies curriculum. 

So it’s rather cool.  At the close of Journey Through the Continents I found a coupon!  10% off anything in the store.  Looks like it’s a regular part of the offering.  Hmm..now what would I choose?  I’m leaning toward Cooking through the World.  Doesn’t that just sound intriguing?

All Together Now

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I love when books surprise me.  I didn’t expect much from All Together Now when I initially glanced through it.  My expectation was that it would be a fairly mindless read in a graphic novel format.  Instead, I received a coming of age book, watching a young lady learn important skills. A good book for middle school readers. 

All Together Now Review

What I am Reviewing

All Together Now is a graphic novel written by New York Times bestseller Hope Larson.   Published by Farrar Straus Giroux, this novel is done in shades of red with highlights of black and white.   It is the second part of the Eagle Rock series, the first in the series entitled All Summer Long.  At 192 pages it is an easy read for youth 10-14 years old. I reviewed at ARC copy for Raincoast Books. 

The story centres around Bina and three important people in her life.  Austin, Darcy and Enzo.  

The Details for All Together Now

All the coloured parts are done in shades of red and pink (and all the points in-between).  The text is easy to read. 

sample page all together now

The story is told over the period of four months, from September through December.  Teenage angst, the love of music, the creative muse, and romance (or the lack of it) fill the pages. 

sample page All Together Now

Readers will navigate the ups and downs of friendship in the real-life depictions of Bina and her friends.  Mistakes will be made, and growth will be the end result.  Readers will easily identify with the well-developed characters. 

all together now

Should You Get It?

If you have young people who like graphic novels and coming to age type stories, this will work.  To this reviewer, it is more of a girl book (centring around a girl, and growing up as a girl are themes) then one geared for boys.  Not saying that some boys wouldn’t like it, but overall.. Girls.  🙂 

I loved the good parental involvement.  Bina’s parents and older siblings seemed to be very real people, working to help, and offering good practical advise. Her relationship with her friends is just what you would expect from a middle schooler.  Confusing and mixed up, full of ups and downs as young teens start to figure themselves out. 

Caution: as so many books do these days, All Together Now contains some LGBTQ elements that creep their way in.  Not in an “in your face manner” but in a quieter format, which perhaps might be more troubling.  Just something to be aware of. 

Monster and Boy

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Monster and Boy, oh my, what a fun little book for me to review.  So quick and easy to read, it will be perfect for children just getting out of picture books and looking to branch out to chapter books.  A cosy, fun book sure to please.  Let me show you what this review book is all about. 

Monster and Boy - Barnaby

About Monster and Boy

Raincoast BooksFrom the cover: When Monster (who lives under the bed) meets Boy (who sleeps in the bed), Boy starts to scream – and Monster promptly swallows him. It’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship!

And so we are off on the first adventure of Monster and Boy.  Hannah Barnaby writes with a warm and cozy voice.  You’ll find illustrations throughout, mostly line drawings in black with green overlays.  It is a fun book geared to intrigue young readers with humour and adventure. 

Published by Henry Holt and Company books for young readers.  An ARC copy reviewed for Raincoast Books. 

Monster and Boy

This fantastic book is not in any way a difficult read.  I’m not going to say that all the words are simple, but most of them are ones that most lower elementary children should know.  

Monster and Boy

Simple two-toned illustrations by Anoosha Syed conveyed the emotions and actions of the monster and the boy.  You will find illustrations on each of 144 pages of this 14 chapter book.   I loved the simplicity of the drawings and how they conveyed so much: laughter, fear, sadness, and mischievous.  It’s all right there.  Such a fun read for children 6-9 years old. 

Monster and Boy

One of the things I most appreciated in Monster and Boy is that both had lessons to learn in the adventure they had together.  It was not one-sided,

I loved how the author liberally used humour.  I can well imagine the guffaws of laughter I would hear if I read this book aloud with a group of children.   My son would have been chuckling in his seat at this age.  

Should you Get it?

Should you buy Monster and Boy?  I am SO reluctant to buy books for youngsters as they tend to short-lived loves. BUT would I buy this as a birthday, vacation, keep busy, Christmas, and/or you’ve been a good child book?  Certainly!  It’s such a fun read, and so easy for young readers.   It will be fun to see what Barnaby does with the rest of the series. 

Run Salmon Run

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The other day as I was walking on the treadmill I watched a video about the Spirit Bears of British Columbia.  A big part of the menu for these bears is the salmon run.  It made me think of my most recent review.  Run Salmon Run would be a great book to go along with learning about these elusive bears.  Salmon don’t only provide a major part of their diet, but the off cast feeds many smaller animals, providing fertilizer for the forest, a nutrient-dense environment for their fry and much much more.  The Salmon run is a necessary part of the eco-system.  Learn more about salmon and their very necessary lifecycle. 

What I am Reviewing

Raincoast BooksRun Salmon Run is a hardcover picture book geared at children in kindergarten to grade 3.  Written by Bobs & Lolo and illustrated by Lori Joy Smith it was published by Page Two Books.  36 pages of full colour illustrations along with large print to make it easy to share with a group of children.  It covers the life-cycle of the wild Pacific Salmon from tiny egg to returning adult.  Run Salmon Runs comes complete with a glossary of terms.   Reviewed for Raincoast Books. 

The Details about Run Salmon Run

Run Salmon Run

Large print text fills the first page of every two-page spread.  Rhyming couplets easy to read. 

Run Salmon Run

The second part of the two-page spread introduces new terminology in a short rhyme. Words like alevin, fry, smolt, krill, and spawn.  Introducing us to various life stages and food sources. 

Run Salmon run

Should you get it?

YES!   It’s short and sweet, a great primer to learning the basics of the salmon and their life-cycle.  It would for me, be the first book in learning about salmon.  I do wish they had a bit more in it about the importance of salmon to the eco-system, but for a book directed at youngsters, it’s a good start.  The colourful pages fill the eye with delight, and the numerous items to look at on the page give additional conversation-starters.   A lovely book indeed, I urge you to look into Run Salmon Run. 

Review image run salmon run

Review: Beyond the Stick Figure Art School

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FTC disclaimer review

For the past few weeks I have been reviewing Beyond the Stick Figure Art School.  I have been working my way through Sally’s Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses.  As I told my bosses at the Homeschool Review Crew… if she can teach ME to draw, she’ll have done good!  Let me say this… I just might surprise you!  Come along as I walk you through this review.

Beyond the Stick Figure Art School Review

What I am Reviewing

Beyond the Stick Figure will provide you with 55 drawing lessons, 15 pen and ink lessons, 52 lessons in watercolour and 24 lessons in Acrylic.   On top of all these lessons you will receive 30 lessons in 3D Design.

This course is for the entire family from 5-95!

Each lesson includes video, often at least one worksheet and lots of practice time. 

Included is a list of materials to help you make purchasing decisions.  For some of the classes having top quality materials will help your work come out better.  For other classes, just use what you have a hand and make accommodations for your expectations. 

logo beyond stick figure

About the Designer

Sally, the designer for this course, is a homeschooling parent!  She received a degree in art from the Loughborough College of Art and Design in England.  You can hear her English accent in the videos.  🙂 

sally beyond stick figures

The Details for Beyond the Stick Figure Art School

There are four parts to the Beyond the Stick Figure Art School.  The main part is the drawing course.  Then the three bonus courses.

The drawing course has three parts to it.  Part one (17 lessons) Part two (33 Lessons) and Part three (5 lessons).   The set up is the same for each lesson.  A video (sometimes two) along with a worksheet to print off. 

Then there are the three bonus courses.  

The Pen & Ink along with the Watercolour Course.  Pen & Ink has two parts with 15 topics total.  The Watercolour course has part 1 (10 lessons), part 2 (19 lessons) and part 3 (23 lessons).  

The Acrylic course follows with 24 Lessons divided over three days.  The 3D course gives us 30 Lessons divided over three days. 

The three days can be a bit of a misnomer since some of the lessons are quite quick, other lessons require practice time, and yet other lessons need time for the previous lesson to dry.   Completing multiple lessons in one day is quite possible. 

parts of course

Step by incremental step, Sally walks you through the world of art.  Each lesson contains at least one video where Sally explains each step and often includes hints.  These hints are there to help you develop better habits as an artist. Sally works hard to ensure the success of her students. 

Video and worksheet location

The worksheets open as printable PDF’s.  Same window unless you ask it to open in a new window.  Everyone that I opened was one page in length, and they did not each need to be printed off.  

warning to complete

One of the aspect of the Art School that it took a while for me to adjust to was the need to mark each lesson, and then each day as complete.   If you failed to do so you would get this warning reminding you to do so. 

seeing lesson overview

I loved that as I watched each lesson I could see clearly where I was in each days work. It gave me a goal to work toward.

How Did I use it?

The drawing course wasn’t quite what I expected. I expect lessons where I would learn shading, perspective, and a variety of other aspects of drawing.  What I received were numerous lessons in how to draw specific lines, and then how to colour them in. I understand it was a very incremental process that as an adult reviewer I found myself chafing at.   I do like that even I managed to create art!  🙂 

drawing course beyond the stick figure

Water Colour

I looked at the Pen & Ink course and thought “OH COOL”, but then decided that I’d rather move on to the Watercolour portion.  I’ve done a bit of watercolour in the past but have never really received lessons. I really liked that I learned new skills, how to make grasses, and use the side of a paintbrush, and more skills.  Rather neat! I look forward to completing the rest of the lessons. 

watercolour

Acrylics

My favourite part of the course?  ACRYLICS.  I was shocked!  Seriously.  I admittedly didn’t have the materials that would have served me best.  Living in Canada, and dealing with Covid-19 restrictions and the um… rather LARGE prices for items on Amazon had me making do with the products that I had in the house.   Afterall.. what if I hated acrylics.. what a waste of dollars that would have been.  But I LIKE IT! I plan to do more.   Just look at what I created!

acrylic paintings

I do need to explain the bottom painting.   It was supposed to be a cloud painting and that was it.  I felt so… UNFINISHED when I was done so I went on to complete the lesson with the one above.  Then I thought, I wonder if I can do with acrylics what you do with watercolour and tried to make grass.  My goal was to create a swampy region with trees in the background.  Was it stellar piece of work?  No.  Hubby and son like the top one the best, but I was delighted that I decided to be creative and take a lesson from one part of the course and apply it to another.

lesson hint
Lesson hint for finding the horizon

3 D Design

The 3D Design Course was more difficult than I thought it would be. ADMITTEDLY I made an oops.  I honestly thought I had the right kind of clay on hand, and didn’t. Therefore I needed to make do with the air dry clay I had on hand. The lad mentioned, “OH, I used it up mom!”  “Gah!”

Ah well, it was still fun to make what I call a foxling.  A mammal that lays eggs and guards them.  🙂   He’s not quite done in the image below.

foxling, 3d design

Should you get it?

I loved parts of this course, and other parts I chafed at, but at all stages I learned something.   In the drawing course I learned the importance of using guidelines to help me achieve the curve I wanted in a line, in watercolour to practice new skills.  Acrylics was simply fun, playing with paint, building on skills learned in watercolour.  3D design was simply a nice break to test out working with clay again.  I’ve worked with clay a lot with my lad and have built a number of items. Creating my egg-laying foxling was great, bringing an imaginative creature to life was a hoot.  Now to write the story to go with him.  🙂 

Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses is an interesting set of courses.  Worth taking the time to look at,  give it a look-see, you may find that it suits the artistic needs of your family.  

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondthestickfigure/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/britladyinamerica/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beyondthestickfigureart/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCROy5BkqT_cZvQu1dTPRYzw

I urge you to check out the 80 reviewers for the Beyond the Stick Figure. Delve into the world of artistic expression and see how you too might surprise yourself with your ability to be an artist. 

Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course {Beyond the Stick Figure Art School}

The Radium Girls

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Corporate abuse and lack of concern for employees.  Death, pain, suffering, court cases, poison, legal challenges, and long-lasting changes. The Radium Girls walks you through the working lives of the dial paint girls.  I’m not going to say it’s an easy story, for it is not.  But it is a necessary story, a story that changed the lives of these girls forever, and changed the working lives of others far beyond them.  

The Radium Girls young readers edition, review

What I am Reviewing

The Radium Girls Young Readers’ Edition: the scary but true story of the poison that made people glow in the dark.   This 416-page chapter book for middle school students was written by Kate Moore.  Ms. Moore is a New York Times bestselling author.   The story is about the hundreds of girls toil amidst the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. …..  THE RADIUM GIRLS is a rich, historical narrative of the young women exposed to the “wonder” substance of radium, and their brave struggle for justice. Their courage and tenacity saved many others, led to world-changing regulations, and even prevented nuclear war.

Reviewed on behalf of Raincost Books.  I received an advanced readers copy.

My affiliate link below is for the adult version of The Radium Girls.   I found a copy of this book on Amazon.ca only.   I have not read the adult version but I thought some might be interested in it. 

The Details about The Radium Girls

I have to admit, this story was completely new to me.  I wasn’t aware that people used this dangerous substance in such a frivolous way.  Nor was I aware that girls would actually put this substance into their bodies just so they could clearly paint numbers on clocks. AND be told that it was perfectly safe to do so.  I was horrified at the callousness of the management.   Such blatant wrongness. 

Three parts: 

  • Knowledge (16 chapters)
  • Power (18 chapters)
  • Justice (11 chapters)

The several smaller sections: Epilogue, postscript, a timeline and various acknowledgements.

table of contents, the radium girls

Kate Moore is very clear about the times.  The initial dispute about the safety of radium, the awareness of its potential dangers, and the Joie de Vive of the girls employed to use radium.   There are many other world events going on that detracted from their plight increasing the difficulty.

She introduces us to the women, helping us to get to know them, that human face makes the story all the more striking.  Throughout its pages you’ll find pictures, some with faces blocked others with faces clearly seen. 

The Radium girls

I very much enjoyed going through the timeline. The mixture of world events, along with legal challenges and results, Deaths of women and so much more.  Woven together to present a thorough picture of the times. 

The Radium Girls

The plight of these women often captured the interest of the press, newspaper articles abounded. 

news headlines

Should you get it?