No name

Behold and See 6

Book Cover

Author(s):

RoseMary C. Johnson

Number of pages:

365 pages

Copyright:

2012

Publisher:

Catholic Heritage Curricula

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

Grade / Age level:

Review:

Recently during our school hours the iPad told us of a new study on salmon behavior--a link to it was posted by a prolific Facebook friend. It was an "Aha moment"! We are using Behold and See 6 for Science and had read recently about the curious and amazing behavior of the salmon: it returns to the very place it was born to lay its eggs even after years in the open ocean. The article in question was about a new study where scientists think the salmon may actually use earth's magnetism to help direct them on their way back to their birthplace. We wouldn't have read the article, or cared about salmon at all, if not for the wonderful Science curriculum. I will spare the reader of this review from details of the curriculum per se. Publisher Catholic Heritage Curricula is very generous in providing information and details about it, along with many sample pages. As it happens with any good curriculum, if I am reading it aloud to the 6th grader, family members of different ages will invariably stop to listen as well. In this case it is most likely the eighth grader. Never mind she is two grades ahead: she loves it, and when I ask the workbook questions orally she can answer them all. What's to love in this curriculum? Start with the professional presentation, binding, layout and overall quality: outstanding. The book is gorgeous and everything about its quality of production is top-notch! What a delight to have something so professional done available to the Catholic homeschooler. Then the writing is wonderful. The right combination of story-telling, engaging language and the right amount of information provided on any given topic. The lessons revolve a homeschool family studying science together and we get to "know" them pretty well! In this manner the book also inspires families to follow their example of creative whole-family learning models. The organization is also so well done: chapter divisions, illustrations, photographs, sidebars definitions and workbook links, he workbook, labs. Everything has been very well-thought of! I use the poetry volume by the same author and publisher so I am familiar with her capabilities: suffice is to say she graduated Summa Cum Laude from The University of Dallas and, having a son there, I can attest to almost-impossibility of this feat. Enjoy browsing through the samples and informational on their site. This science volume is recommended for 6th-8th grade but truly I think it can be done from 3rd to 8th grades... well, actually, I am much older and I am learning as well!

Reviewed by:

Ana Braga-Henebry

First reviewed:

2-25-2013

A Boy and His Pony

Book cover: 'Billy and Blaze: A Boy and His Pony'

Author(s):

C.W. Anderson

Number of pages:

56 pages

Copyright:

1936

Publisher:

Aladdin Paperbacks

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

"Bridge" Books A

Grade / Age level:

Review:

This book is about a boy and his horse. The boy and his horse like to go riding together. He got his horse for his birthday. And later on he saw a dog in the woods and brought it home. My four year old brother likes the story and so do I. I am six years old and I can read it. The other book that we have in the series is called "Blaze and the Indian Cave".

Additional notes:

Reviewer age six

Reviewed by:

First reviewed:

1998-99

Blaze and the Forest Fire

Book cover: 'Blaze and the Forest Fire'

Author(s):

C.W. Anderson

Number of pages:

50 pages

Copyright:

1938

Publisher:

Aladdin Paperbacks

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

"Bridge" Books A

Grade / Age level:

Review:

Reviewed by:

Alicia Van Hecke

First reviewed:

5-23-05

Blaze and the Lost Quarry

Book cover: 'Blaze and the Lost Quarry'

Author(s):

C.W. Anderson

Number of pages:

48 pages

Copyright:

1991

Publisher:

Aladdin Paperbacks

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

"Bridge" Books A

Grade / Age level:

Review:

Billy visits with a friendly old neighbor who tells him of a quarry he used to visit as a boy the location of which had been lost to the townspeople for many years. With some clues, he and Blaze find the old quarry - a beautiful spot and a great place for swimming. They rescue and befriend a dog.

Reviewed by:

Alicia Van Hecke

First reviewed:

5-23-05

Blaze and the Mountain Lion

Book cover: 'Blaze and the Mountain Lion'

Author(s):

C.W. Anderson

Number of pages:

48 pages

Copyright:

1959

Publisher:

Aladdin Paperbacks

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

"Bridge" Books A

Grade / Age level:

Review:

This book is a bit shorter than others in the series, and so might be a particularly good one for less-confident readers. It seems to average about five lines per page.

In this story, Billy and Blaze search for the lair of a mountain lion that has been troubling ranchers and rescue a baby calf from a ledge on a cliff.

Reviewed by:

Alicia Van Hecke

First reviewed:

5-23-05

Blaze and Thunderbolt

Book cover: 'Blaze and Thunderbolt'

Author(s):

C.W. Anderson

Number of pages:

48 pages

Copyright:

1955

Publisher:

Aladdin Paperbacks

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

"Bridge" Books A

Grade / Age level:

Review:

Billy and Blaze are on a family trip out west where they encounter Thunderbolt - a beautiful wild horse that is the envy of every cowboy. Rather than trying to capture Thunderbolt with fast horses and lassos, Billy makes friends with Thunderbolt slowly and eventually gains his trust.

Reviewed by:

Alicia Van Hecke

First reviewed:

5-23-05

Blaze Shows the Way

Book cover: 'Blaze Shows the Way'

Author(s):

C.W. Anderson

Number of pages:

48 pages

Copyright:

1969

Publisher:

Aladdin Paperbacks

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

"Bridge" Books A

Grade / Age level:

Review:

Billy and Blaze befriend another horse and boy-rider team. Tommy and his horse Dusty are just getting used to each other and Dusty is a little nervous about jumping. Nevertheless they decide to try out for a pairs jumping contest.

Reviewed by:

Alicia Van Hecke

First reviewed:

5-23-05

Out of the Silent Planet

Book cover: 'Out of the Silent Planet'

Author(s):

Clive Staples Lewis

Number of pages:

160 pages

Copyright:

1965

Publisher:

Macmillan Pulblishing Co. Inc.

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

Grade / Age level:

Review:

The first story in the "Space Trilogy", Out of the Silent Planet begins with a man of such littleness that he is only known, for now, as the pedestrian. He is taking a summer holiday - trying to 'get lost' - from his philology professorship. This is NOT a nailbiter yet. By accident Ransom (Lewis himself was a Cambridge professor keen on words - so you know you have been given his name for a reason) stumbles onto an old schoolmate, Divine, and another professor, Weston, in a strange house. The bizarre scene sees them drug our poor Ransom and gives way to the much more bizzare rest of the book. They travel through space to Mars (or Malacandra as the inhabitants call it). But like a mystery novel the strange story starts to give way to order. Ransom is smart. He gathers that he is being brought back to Mars by these two as a sacrifice to creatures called Sorns. They had been to Mars before and started happily collecting gold there. But the inhabitants told them they would have to present themselves to the world leader. They dreaded this so much they returned to Earth just to retrieve that sacrifice, that Ransom! (see I told you) Ransom escapes shortly after they arrive and goes about trying to survive, understand and finally love this new world. There are 3 or 4 species on the planet which are intelligent (it's handy to be a philologist when you have to learn a few new languages in a hurry!) I can't tell you more because it really is a book that is hard to put down. After you get through the first bit you will drink in the rest with exceeding pleasure. Lewis has given himself a tool to really explore different mindsets. Here he is not bound by current conventions - not even by 'terrestrial' conventions. In fact we are allowed to explore a world that is so different Ransom at first has trouble separating out the geographic, plant and animal features - they are all just a sort of blur when he first sees them. And just when he has allowed us to wonder about talking with different species he gives us some of the most eloquent defenses of what in life, in every life of every intelligent species, is good and strong. There are many things to explore in this book. I am sure that I have not plumbed the depths of allegory and language that Lewis, a professor of Medieval and Renaissance literature, is sure to have woven in. But even the first reading will bring to the surface an abundance of issues to discuss and ponder. This book could be read as early as 7th grade. But it would be better understood by high school age.

Reviewed by:

First reviewed:

3-17-2001

Perelandra

Book cover: 'Perelandra'

Author(s):

Clive Staples Lewis

Number of pages:

222 pages

Copyright:

1944

Publisher:

Macmillan Pulblishing Co. Inc.

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

Grade / Age level:

Review:

Perelandra is Venus. Ransom gets sent to Venus on a mission. Of course it takes him some time to get settled with the new surroundings again.

While Mars was an old and mostly ruined world Venus is brand new. The clouds hide a lush tropical paradise. And Ransom is to see to it that this world's "Eve", temporarily separated from her "Adam" for this adventure, is kept from the fall. There is no guarantee. In fact, Ransom bears the same, human, form as the tempter - none other than Weston. But he is more often called the Tempter and the Un-man. He is, like the serpant from Eden, a possessed thing.

Lewis explores original sin AND original good. Having read this in seventh grade, this was the first book that really made me think about the latter a lot. It is a fascinating 'world' to explore. There are incredibly lengthy debates that are actually exciting to read. How can Ransom convince her to choose good when she knows nothing of the other option? How does one justify the good to the just? It is an exploration in first principles.

This book could be read as early as 7th grade. But it would be better understood by high school age.

Click here for our study questions on this book.

Reviewed by:

First reviewed:

3-17-2001

That Hideous Strength

Book cover: 'That Hideous Strength'

Author(s):

Clive Staples Lewis

Number of pages:

382 pages

Copyright:

1946

Publisher:

Macmillan Pulblishing Co. Inc.

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

Grade / Age level:

Review:

Perspective:

Judeo-Christian

Reviewed by:

First reviewed:

3-17-2001

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