A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Books for Children

Books Read in February

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February was a good month for getting some books read.  I hardly know where to start!

Books read with the lad

– Haunted Canada – a series that the lad loves and I need to take a break from.  Spooky stories from around Canada about paranormal activity in Canada.

Fiction book based on the life of Jesus and people’s thoughts about what a redeemer would be all about.  Hard times learning the truth, and seeing a new way.  I loved this book as a child, and now my boy loves it too.  🙂

 Recommended reading.

 The lad and I have enjoyed all the books in this series.

This one focused on the tropical Rainforest habitats that are found all over the world.

Great images contained within.
Lots of information of a variety of plants, animals and more.

Excellent book.

Scene is the Israelites in the desert.  Story of a girl with her family, just a great story that had my lad so intrigued.

Recommended reading.  🙂

This book was not quite what I expected, written for a younger age group as a reader/study book.

When I asked my lad if I should put it away and pull out something different he refused.  He wanted me to read it to him anyways.  He found it interesting to learn what wheat becomes and how oil refineries work even in a simple terms.  

C is for Canada.

A great picture book for a first introduction to Canada.
Surprisingly meaty.

Books read on his own:


This is a book my lad read on his own.  One person a day, and then narrating what he learned about that person.

He’s learning who some of the important people of Canada are.

Good stuff us Canadians have done.

He’s working through another book right now

 
The lad continues to work through the warrior cat series by Erin Hunter.

Books read as reviews

My reads:

I’ve read a couple books this month but failed to write down what they were (been too busy lately)!   Man!!!! (frustrated about that)  I’ve taken up reading through three non-fiction books and posting on them once a week (I’ve missed this week and will hopefully catch up with weekend).   

I’ve recently started reading “Shepherd, Potter, Spy and Star Namer”.   It’s a good book. Looking forward to finishing it.  🙂

Art Series: 642 Things about Me.

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You know how art is about more than drawing, painting, cutting, gluing and making.  How art is also about words and how to use them beautifully?   Here is a book to encourage beauty in both of those formats for your young artists and writers.    642 things about me.

Chronicle Books has come out with another 642 things book!    This one is geared for the 8-12 year old writer and artist.    

As you can see there is plenty of space to write and to draw, sometimes to do both for the same topic.

Some of the things you might be asked to write about are:

  • something you collect
  • a cheer you could chant
  • describe what thunder sounds like
  • the music at the dentist office

Things to write and draw

  • an historical figure image, quote, question to ask
  • an artist that inspires, art work, a project you could do

Things you can draw:

  • treasure chest at the bottom of the ocean
  • colossal bike ramp
  • flag of your country
  • a valentine 
  • a merit badge for bravery

So many things to write, to draw.
So many things to see and to listen for.  Thoughts to consider, quotes that inspire.

Get this book into the hands of your young artist and watch them get busy being inspired to learn, draw, grow, and develop.  A good thing yes?

You can find my reviews on 
642 Big Things to Draw
642 Places to Draw.

If looking for the complete series of the 642 books visit Chronicle books.

642 Things About Me: Young Writer’s & Artist’s Edition
Chronicle Books
7.5 x 8.95 
304 pages
Ages 8-12

Reviewed for: Raincoast Books.

 

Review: Same Kind of Different As Me for kids

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This lovely book is based on the book “Same Kind of different as Me”.  It is based on a true life story of Denver Moore and Ron Hall.

I have to admit… it’s a intriguing story.

A lady with a vision of a fellow in her mind.  A man who she said would be wise.

Denver Moore, a hardened street man, criminal, living a life that is tough.  And suddenly Miss Debbie spots him and knows that he is the man she’s been waiting for.

It took him, but eventually Denver Moore became friends with Debbie and her husband Ron.  This led them onto a road of change.  Keeping alive the cause of homelessness in cities across America.

My thoughts:
This is a gentle book.  Giving the history of a man who as a child wanted more and as an adult failed to get it and found himself beaten down by his life choices.  Then something happened…. LOVE stepped in.

Love changes things in dramatic ways at times.  This time it took a street man and changed his life into a helper of other street people.   From a man who only could look to his own interests, to one who saw to the needs of others just like him.  

 Should you get this book?

Yes.  It’s an easy way to show children what God can do if we direct our love at his people.  How he can effectuate change through our obedience.   And just to promote the fact that we aren’t called to change the world, we are called to influence the people in our world.

Same Kind of Different as me for Kids
by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
32 pages
Published by Thomas Nelson
Age Range: Elementary
Hardcover
Non-fiction

Amazon.ca: Same Kind of Different As Me for Kids

Amazon.com: Same Kind of Different As Me for Kids

Art Series: The Painting-In Book

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Today I have a NEAT book.  It’s  one of those use it up type books, but could easily, be adapted for a classroom setting.

It’s called the Painting-In Book, it’s written by Anna Rumsby, and it is just a fun book… meant to teach young children about paint and how to use it.

Book Synopsis: 
Can you give the gorilla a jungle to hide in? Can you create some
honeycomb for the bees? And can you mix up some delicious flavors of ice
cream?

Create paint masterpieces with nothing more than your
poster paints and Anna Rumsby’s entertaining activity pages. A great big
book of painting fun!

Also contains an introduction to mixing colors and simple, easy-to-copy painting techniques. 

My thoughts:
This is such a neat little book.  64 pages filled with one sided sheets to help young children express themselves with paint, learning to mix colours, and use differing paint techniques.

Can you give a dog some long hair?

Can you help this boy have fun with the elephant?

The instructions on each page are written clearly and simply.
I am not sure if it is the copy that I received, but the pages pull out very easily.  This makes it easy to pull individual pages out in order to let your little artist create, and later display.

Recommendation:
If you have young children, and want to let them show their artistic side and learn a few things while doing so, this book will work for you.   If you KNOW someone with young children this would make a great gift, along with some washable paints.

The Painting-In Book: 30 Paint and Play Activities
By: Anna Rumsby
Pages: 64
Geared for ages 3-5
Published by: Laurence King
Size: 14.56 x 10.29
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books.

Amazon.ca: The Painting-In Book: 30 Paint and Play Activities

Amazon.com: The Painting-In Book: 30 Paint and Play Activities

I Linked up at the Virtual Fridge this week. Good place to go to for Art Inspiration!

Art Series: One Last Word

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Today I have a different sort of an art book for you.   It’s the art of words, words in poetry that can touch you heart and elicit emotions and conversation, that can have a child go “meh” and a mom go “I like this one”.   (and have the reverse happen).  A book of verse containing works of art that cause a boy to say “I like that one mom”.

This type of art is also good.  🙂

So let me then tell you of this book “One Last Word”.

This book is a tribute to the Harlem Renaissance poets.  Quite honestly I had NO idea what the Harlem Renaissance was, but the beauty and the imagery found within these poems had me searching for what it was.   According to History.com “Spanning the 1920s to the mid-1930s, the Harlem Renaissance was a
literary, artistic, and intellectual movement that kindled a new black
cultural identity. Its essence was summed up by critic and teacher Alain
Locke in 1926 when he declared that through art, “Negro life is seizing
its first chances for group expression and self determination.” Harlem
became the center of a “spiritual coming of age” in which Locke’s “New
Negro” transformed “social disillusionment to race pride.” Chiefly
literary, the Renaissance included the visual arts but excluded jazz,
despite its parallel emergence as a black art form.“

So a time when people of Negro descent were learning to take pride in who they were and not be beaten down by their past.   If you want to learn more…read more from The History site.

I read this poem in particular, and books like the Book of Negroes pops into my head, and I can imagine that pride of remembering who you are, and the carefulness of remembering where you have been.  How hard it must have been to separate the two.

Many of the poems in this book touched my heart…the art work and poems take up 94 pages in a 120 page book, hardcover.  The remaining pages are biographies of the poets and artists.

94 pages of beauty … some with hurt felt…but mostly of the joy and pride of a person or people recognizing who they are.  Some see God in the picture, others don’t.

Three sections: Emergency Measures has seven poems.    Calling Dreams has 14 poems and To a Dark Girl has 9 poems.

The poem “We Wear the Mask” made me think of more than just negroes who suffered but all the different people who struggle with hidden issues, hurts and sorrows, mental or physical frailities, but not wanting to diminish the pain of the black folks who suffered so.  Just made me think beyond you know what I mean?

 So much beauty in words and images, chances to see inside the soul of another person.. it is good, you know?   Art!  In its own way.

I thought I would leave you with one more poem to intrigue your heart.

IF you are learning about black history… do take in this book as it’s important part to consider.  If you like poignant poetry, or are searching for poems for your child to memorize, get this book.  It’s a great book of poetry and should you get your child intrigued, could provoke conversation…or just be nice to listen to!  🙂  you will find my affiliate links below, thank you for your support.

 One Last Word – Wisdom from the Harlem Resistance.
By Nikki Grimes
Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
128 pages
Age Range: 10-14 (or up through adult)
Reviewed for: Raincoast Books.

Amazon.ca: One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance

Amazon.com: One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance

Love is the air… Love is found in picture books

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Ah…just think… February 14 is JUST around the corner.
People planning ways to have a special time with their loved ones.

It’s also a time of year when it is SO much fun to grab up a new picture book and share them with your littles…and if they are seasonal…..so much more the fun!  🙂

Today I would like to introduce you two delightful little books, given to me by Raincoast Books, for you to introduce to your littlest ones.

Love Is…
This delightful picture book by Diane Adams walks us through what love looks….using a young girl and her duckling.

The text is clear and simple, the illustrations so fitting.  It would be so much fun to sit with a young one and point out all the things that happen, to look for the duck, to see how this young one find a way to care for her charge.

Love is … all the ways that we care for each other… even to the point of missing our loved ones when they are gone, and the joy we have at their return.  Love is messiness and maturity, snuggles and loneliness.  Love is just so very much.  🙂

Love is all around Canada.
Ah…but love is INDEED found in Canada!!!   🙂

It is found in national parks, and provinces, caught sidling up to families having picnics, in bears held tight, and in listening to lonely friends.  Love is found in the smiles and helps that others offer.  Love is found everywhere you look in Canada… and as you know…. you can never have too much love.

An easy reading rhyme flows from beginning to end with many Canada attractions mentioned.

I love how this book points out all the ways and places love can be found.   The work that the illustrator did is simply marvellous, so many things to point out to a wondering, learning child.

Recommendation:

I would happily recommend both of these books.
Love is… it’s a cute story of a girl with her duck, and it parallels so well the love of a family for their child. 
Love is all around Canada: the delightful rhyme, the pictures, the Canadian content… it works.

The illustrators have done a fabulous job with both books, the writers in showing the importance of love and family.   It is what Valentine’s Day is all about right?   The love shown in families that broadens to the community around us.

 Amazon.ca: Love Is
Amazon.com: Love Is 
 Love Is
by Diane Adams
Illustrator: Claire Keane
Chronicle Books

9.58 x 7.67
32 pages
Ages 3-5

Amazon.ca: Love Is All Around Canada
Amazon.com: Love Is All Around Canada
Love is all around Canada
By Wendi Silvano
Illustrator: Joanna Czernichowska
Sourcebooks
11.08 x 8.75 
32 pages
Ages 4-10

January Book Reads

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January was a good month.  It was .   It had it tough moments with the church closing, but overall.. a good month.  I am finally, for the most part, healthy.   Hubby had a good night of sleep (though needs many more).  We finally have SNOW again!!!!!   Perhaps hubby will be able to get away for a couple of nights of camping yet!!!  🙂

Anyways, we got some books read this month and I thought you might like to know about them.

Books that I read with my lad

World History Encyclopedia

This was a great book for us to read through.  One two-page spread per night, and we learned so much.  Tons of pictures, maps, artifacts and so much more. 

 
 

I love these 100 facts books.  This one was on World Wonders.  Again, we read a two page spread every night, and often paused to look things up that interested us.   It caused me to say “hey, I could do up a worksheet on that, or this would make a great ebook”.  🙂   But that will wait.

We read these three biographies and found them fascinating.  The smallest one was about Sojourner Truth… An interesting black lady with a strong will and mind.  Learned the importance of obedience, learned the importance of standing for what was right, a fervent fighter for freedom from slavery and women’s rights.  She was a speaker who travelled far and wide

Sharing: the story of the Mayo Clinic.  
This was a read that told us how the Mayo Clinic started and gave a reason for why the Mayo Brothers shared so easily with others.

Facing a Challenge: the story of Terry Fox.
My son never understood who Terry Fox was or why he’s so important, and now he does.  🙂   Fighting cancer, fighting to be who he thought he was, fighting to help others…his story continues to this day.

I read a variety of books for reviews:

Current Reads:
War Plan Red (review)
Dog in the cave (review)
The Overlook (for fun)
The nature book (with the lad)
Snakes (with the lad)
Bronze bow (with the lad)
Tirza (with the lad)
Nieces book that I can’t tell you anything about other than … IT”S GOOD.
Rainforest Journey (with the lad)