No name

Homer Price

Book cover: 'Homer Price'
Author(s): 
Robert McCloskey
Number of pages: 
149 pages
Copyright: 
1943
Publisher: 
Puffin Books
Binding: 
Softcover
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 
These clever and humorous stories of the adventures of a brainy, problem-solving small-town boy make great reading for grade-schoolers (especially boys) or a terrific read-aloud. This is suitable for rolling-on-the-floor type laughing (not terribly well-suited to bedtime!). A real classic! The sequel, Centerberg Tales is just as good. Older children may also appreciate allusions to liberal naming of townspeople after characters from the Iliad.

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
3-25-02

Homeschoolers' College Admissions Handbook

Book cover: 'Homeschoolers' College Admissions Handbook'
Author(s): 
Cafi Cohen
Number of pages: 
321 pages
Copyright: 
2000
Publisher: 
Prima Publishing
Binding: 
Softcover
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 
This book provides loads of information regarding homeschool admissions to college. Although not written specifically for Catholics, the author did solicit survey responses from Catholics (the webmaster was one of the respondents and has several quotes in the book under the pseudonym "Alexa") and there is a great deal of valuable information for any homeschoolers applying for college. It will be especially helpful for those beginning the admissions process with some trepidation and those wanting to attend colleges that are not especially known to be homeschool friendly.

Mrs. Cohen provides a great deal of advice (from herself as well as parents and homeschool graduates have successfully gone through the admissions process) on shopping for colleges, the diploma question, portfolios, transcripts, essays (an important aspect of admissions for homeschool applicants), letters of recommendation, testing, and a chapter on how homeschoolers are doing in college.

Although it is important to seek out information from a Catholic perspective as well (particularly with regards to choosing a good college), this book will be very useful to homeschoolers eagerly, but nervously seeking to apply to the college of their choice.

Perspective: 
Christian
Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
1-30-01

How Do Bees Make Honey?

Book cover: How Do Bees Make Honey?
Author(s): 
Anna Claybourne
Number of pages: 
24 pages
Copyright: 
1994
ISBN: 
9780746017654
Publisher: 
Usborne
Binding: 
Softcover
Grade / Age level: 
Resource Type: 
Review: 

A small, inexpensive book filled with pictures and lots of other information picture about bees and other insects. You'll learn how to tell bees apart from other insects, how bees live together in colonies and all about their beehives, how bees communicate with each other (my children have really enjoyed trying to re-enact the bee's dances) and of course how bees make honey. The one thing I didn't like is that the material is so disjointed because it jumps around between different kinds of insects.

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
1998-99

How Much Can a Bare Bear Bear?

What are Homonyms and Homophones?
Author(s): 
Brian P. Cleary
Illustrator(s): 
Brian Gable
Number of pages: 
32 pages
Publisher: 
Millbrook Press
Subject(s): 
Grade / Age level: 
Resource Type: 
Review: 
Do you know what homonyms and homophones are? If not, this book will certainly help you understand them. With clever writing and silly cartoon illustrations (and a somewhat obnoxious typeface), they give many clever and memorable examples of each. Here's a small sampling of text from each of the two segments:
Homonyms are words that sound and also look alike. But they have different meanings, as in "Can you pass that can, Mike?" Or "May I sail with you in May and coast along the coast?
and
Now, some words sound identical but are spelled in different way. These words are known as homophones. Like praise and preys and prays. Though homophones have matching sounds, their meanings aren't the same. And there isn't any question, they're as fun as any game.
The homonym and homophone pairs are highlighted in matching colors to make it easy to identify each set. On the whole, we found this book both entertaining and helpful.
Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
6-27-2009

How the Reformation Happened

Book cover: How the Reformation Happened
Author(s): 
Hilaire Belloc
Number of pages: 
290 pages
Copyright: 
1928
ISBN: 
9780895554659
Publisher: 
TAN Books and Publishers
Binding: 
Softcover
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 

This book is a surprisingly readable and interesting account of "How the Reformation Happened". Although it is written from a Catholic perspective, Mr. Belloc is very fair in dishing out the blame to the appropriate people on both sides. The years covered are 1517 (when Martin Luther affixed his protest against the Indulgences to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany) to 1648, but also includes commentary of the implications of the "Reformation" on our own times. He covers all the major countries involved and is very skilled at explaining the essentials of what happened and the lessons we should take from it. This is the answer for homeschoolers looking for the whole story of what is so often misrepresented in History texts – whether Protestant or Secular. It makes good reading for adults who are teaching younger children or for high schoolers to read on their own. Includes a complete index.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
3-25-2000

How to Celebrate Christmas as a Catholic

Book cover: 'How to Celebrate Christmas as a Catholic'
Author(s): 
Amy Welborn
Copyright: 
2005
Publisher: 
Our Sunday Visitor
Subject(s): 
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 
This nice pamphlet is a simple introduction to Catholic customs and keeping Advent and Christmas meaningful and holy. The Advent segment overviews traditions such as the Advent Wreath, Jesse Tree and Advent Calendar and makes suggestions for remember the great Marian feasts of the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Guadalupe. There are brief explanations of the symbolism and history of some of these customs as well as relevant tidbits. The Christmas segment covers Christmas Mass, the Nativity Scene, Christmas Trees, Candles, Exchanging Gifts and Sharing a Feast, helping readers understand the religious significance and importance of each. The pamphlet concludes with a "Christmas Season" segment which includes the Solemity of Mary, the Mother of God; the Epiphany and the Baptism of Our Lord.

This inexpensive booklet ($12.95 for 50) is a good start for those wishing to better understand Catholic customs and a holy celebration of Christmas. You would need to do further research to implement some of the customs in your home, but the information is readily available on the Internet and elsewhere.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Additional notes: 

full color pamphlet

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
11-29-05

How to Dress a Duck and Other Stories from Science

Book cover: 'How to Dress a Duck'
Author(s): 
Nancy Nicholson
Number of pages: 
110 pages
Copyright: 
2007
Publisher: 
Catholic Heritage Curricula
Binding: 
Softcover
Grade / Age level: 
Resource Type: 
Review: 

This book offers thirty-six stories about God's amazing world that very nicely brings science back to its creator and helps children make connections between faith and reason. We've had the earlier edition of this book for a number of years and I have found many tidbits about nature that were new and very interesting to me - especially information about why God made things the way that he did and what is good and useful about his creation.

This new edition includes many new stories and looks more like a grade school workbook - in size and appearance as well as having space for the students to answer the chapter questions right in the book. In addition to the Catholic content I really like this book because 1. it is loaded with interesting content, 2. it is written in an appealing story-like format, 3. it is not "dumbed-down" or written in a condescending tone like so many textbooks. Here's a brief excerpt to give you a sense of the style and content:

"God has a similar system for supplying water to places that don't get much rain in the summer. Instead of a freezer, God uses tall, snow-covered mountains to store up icy snow. In some mountain ranges, like the Rocky Mountains that stretch north and south across Canada and the United States, peaks often receive thirty or forty feet of snow each year. That is nearly enough snow to bury a Ferris wheel! Even after winter has passed, the cool mountain air allows the snow to melt very slowly. Melting snow slips into creeks and rivers that carry needed water to farms and cities far away. Some of those farms and cities don't get much rain in the summer. Some of them don't even have snow in the winter. But the people who live there are happy to drink and swim in the water that came from God's faraway frozen mountains." (from "Merciful Rain" pgs. 59-61)

This book can be used as a science supplement or as a non-fiction reading comprehension workbook.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
5-2-03

How-to Book of the Bible

Author(s): 
Karl A. Schultz
Number of pages: 
351 pages
Copyright: 
2004
Publisher: 
Our Sunday Visitor
Subject(s): 
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 
I was pleasantly surprised when I sat down with this book—actually, I was hooked! And another thing: I wish this book was available during my years of Bible study.... If you think the subtitle—Everything You Need To Know But No One Ever Taught You—is a little pretentious, it isn't. This book really does live up to its claim: it answers all of those questions you may have had about the Bible. Which translation is best? Why? Protestant Vs. Catholic Bible? And what about the Old Testament? How to understand puzzling passages? And more, much more. If you are a curious person and are always willing to learn something new, chances are you will love this approach to understanding and tackling the Bible. Furthermore, even if you have participated in Bible study for many years, I believe you will find something in this friendly volume that you didn’t know before! The book is divided into three sections following an explanatory introduction, presenting to the reader the way the book works. It is in the introduction for instance that the first question appears: Why read the Bible? A solid argument for the importance of the most influential book of Western Culture follows, along with spiritual reasons. Here we also become familiar with the format of the book and icons used throughout, along with several considerations to be made. The three sections are entitled "How to read the Bible", "How to read the New Testament", and "How to read the Old testament". Each section contains from six to eleven chapters. It would be smart to read the book in the order presented, but it is also possible to fully enjoy it by just picking it up and reading a page chosen at random. There is a useful bibliography of sources, but I would have liked to see an index. It would have been more useful to those using this book as an aid to a Bible study. Yet, the book is so well and clearly sectioned that the table of contents should serve a similar function.
Editorial Review: Perhaps you know very little about the Bible … or enough to realize there’s so much more to discover! Maybe your previous attempts to read the Bible have not been fruitful, and you don’t get much out of the readings at Mass. You observe the role the Bible plays in the lives of others and feel that you’re missing something. The How-To Book of the Bible, by Karl A. Schultz, is your key to unlocking this treasure. Unlike other Bible-related books, this one not only introduces you to the Scriptures but also helps you develop a deep, fulfilling, and lasting bond with the Bible. I believe this would make a fantastic choice for a high school homeschool student who needs a year of Bible. The format and language will appeal to the young student and in comparison with the dryness of the texts available to homeschoolers, this will shine. I would love to see a workbook companion for this, complete with tests and an answer key!
Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
9-17-2006

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