No name

The Swamp Fox of the Revolution

Book cover: Swamp Fox of the Revolution
Author(s): 
Stewart Holbrook
Number of pages: 
146 pages
Copyright: 
1959
ISBN: 
9781402757037
Publisher: 
Sterling Point Books
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 

Back in print! This interesting and entertaining story is a biography of Revolutionary War General Francis Marion and his significant but oft-forgotten role in winning our independence. Marion is a very interesting character I should have learned about in my history classes in grade school! He fought the British against what seemed like impossible odds (in the Southern Colonies) and ended up playing a very significant role in winning the British surrender. His courage and mercy (he allows his prisoners go free if they promise not to rejoin the other side) are admirable.

The reprint retains the index from the original Landmark book.

Additional notes: 

Originally published by Random House in 1959 as a Landmark book.

Reprinted 2008 by Sterling Point Books. Book details are for the reprint.

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
1998-99

Language of God for Little Folks (Level D)

Book cover: 'Language of God for Little Folks (Level D )'
Author(s): 
Nancy Nicholson
Number of pages: 
139 pages
Copyright: 
2005
Publisher: 
Catholic Heritage Curriculum
Binding: 
Spiralbound
Subject(s): 
Grade / Age level: 
Resource Type: 
Review: 

Designed for 4th or 5th grade, this level of the popular Catholic grammar curriculum is another winner! The book has been improved from the earliest editions of the lower levels by using a high-quality, bright-white, erasable paper with a lay-flat spiral binding. The 120 exercises in the worktext provide four short lessons per week for thirty weeks, including regular review of concepts already taught on lessons titled "Practice". There are no tests, although the "Practice" pages could be used as tests. The examples and exercises are gently Catholic, using bits of Catholic history, explanations of Catholic customs, and illustrations from daily family life as the sentences upon which the students practice. Pictures are simple black-and-white drawings and sketches and add to the simplicity of the book. It is very refreshing to use a text that is not filled with politically correct rhetoric and visually overwhelming photos and diagrams!

This level reviews grammar topics covered in earlier grades and extends these topics with grade-level information. A study of the parts of speech and their usage comprises the majority of the lessons. An introduction to traditional sentence diagramming (7 lessons) and sentence construction is also included (about 10 lessons). The exercises require very little actual pen-and-paper work and are ideal for a child who struggles with the physical act of writing. To practice a child's handwriting and to improve his retention, I have my children copy some of the daily practice sentences into their grammar notebooks, rather than just filling-in-the-blanks. For a student of this age, this text is not a complete language arts curriculum; you will also need regular composition exercises.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Additional notes: 

Copyrights 2001/2005

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
1998-99

Language of God Level E

Author(s): 
Christine Schintgen
Number of pages: 
170 pages
Copyright: 
2008
Publisher: 
Catholic Heritage Curricula
Binding: 
Spiralbound
Subject(s): 
Grade / Age level: 
Resource Type: 
Review: 
We love CHC English workbooks, this one is no exception. From details such as being spiralbound and nice, white paper, an uncluttered layout, to the pictures and Catholic content, these books offer a superior choice! This is the first middle school level of the series and the first no longer written by Nancy Nicholson but by Christine Schintgen, an English college professor, who happens to be the grandaughter of Hilda Van Stockum! This level has a part dedicated to writing skills that is taken more in-depth than previous levels: paragraph format, the Writing Process, pre-writing, drafting, transitions, editing, proofreading, five-paragraph essay, thesis statement, etc As with the rest of the series, the book has the right amount of information and exercises--we do a page or two a day in our homeschool. The Catholic content makes this book a wondeful choice for Catholic families!
Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
9-12-2009

The Big Dipper

Book cover: The Big Dipper
Author(s): 
Franklyn M. Branley
Illustrator(s): 
Molly Coxe
Number of pages: 
32 pages
Copyright: 
1991
ISBN: 
9780060205119
Publisher: 
Harper Collins
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 

A very simple science book for children with cartoon-like pictures (nice cartoon, not cheezy-cartoon) that introduces some basic concepts about the stars. The very simple story line discusses looking at the night sky, that you see different stars in the summer and winter, where the big dipper got it's name, the names of the stars that make up the big dipper, how people can find direction from the North Star and the traditional constellation Ursa Major that the Big Dipper belongs to. The language is very simple, but not at all dumbed down - especially appropriate for preschool.

Additional notes: 
Copyrights 1962/1991
Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
1-29-01

The Moon Seems to Change

Book cover: The Moon Seems to Change
Author(s): 
Franklyn M. Branley
Illustrator(s): 
Barbara Emberley
Ed Emberley
Number of pages: 
32 pages
Copyright: 
2015
ISBN: 
9780062382061
Publisher: 
Harper Collins
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 

This book, through simple illustrations and very readable text, gives young children (approximately Kindergarten thru third grade) an excellent explanation of the moon and the changes we can easily observe in it during a month. What often seem like complex concepts - the phases of the moon and its movement relative to the earth - are made very understandable through the text and a very simple experiment involving an orange stuck onto a pencil (a styrofoam ball stuck onto a chopstick worked quite well for us with less mess) and a flashlight. Naturally, it's recommended to do some real observations along with the book.

Additional notes: 

Many editions, 1960 onwards.

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
12-2-99

What Makes a Magnet?

Book cover: What Makes a Magnet?
Author(s): 
Franklyn M. Branley
Illustrator(s): 
True Kelley
Number of pages: 
32 pages
Copyright: 
1996
ISBN: 
9780064451482
Publisher: 
Harper Collins
Binding: 
Softcover
Grade / Age level: 
Resource Type: 
Review: 

What Makes a Magnet? constitutes a fairly substantial introduction to magnets for children approximately ages 5 to 9. They are invited to do a little discovery for themselves by doing some "fishing" with a magnet in a box of miscellaneous objects and see what things the magnet will pick up. The book goes on to explain that magnets pick up, not everything made of metal, but objects which contain iron in particular. Also explained are how to make your own magnet and compass, the poles of magnets and the earth, and the history of the discovery of the first magnets (lodestones) and how they were used for early navigation. This is a very nice early science book (despite a few "corny" pictures) because of the rich content in a simple format and how the book actively involves the child in the learning process.

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
12-27-99

Elephant Families

Book cover: Elephant Families
Author(s): 
Arthur Dorros
Number of pages: 
32 pages
Copyright: 
1994
ISBN: 
9780785734154
Publisher: 
HarperTrophy
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 

This book focuses on elephant's care for and interaction with each other with a significant emphasis on elephants being killed by poachers.

Unlike the interesting scientific information designed to impart facts and help children develop an interest in science (as I've come to expect from the Let's Read-and-Find-Out Science Series) this book gets lost in the mediocrity of environmentalism by giving children a sort of emotional attachment to elephants (by over-emphasizing their slight similarities with people) and shocking them with details about how and why people kill elephants and a somewhat gruesome (relative to the age-level) picture of a truck filled with blood-stained elephant tusks. Rather disappointing altogether.

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
4-4-01

How We Learned the Earth is Round

Book cover: How We Learned the Earth is Round
Author(s): 
Patricia Lauber
Illustrator(s): 
Megan Lloyd
Number of pages: 
32 pages
Copyright: 
1990
ISBN: 
9780064451093
Publisher: 
Harper Collins
Binding: 
Softcover
Grade / Age level: 
Resource Type: 
Review: 

A history and science picture book that covers the development of man's understanding of the shape of the earth focusing on the discoveries of the Greeks and on the voyages of Christopher Columbus and Magellan. Currently out-of-print.

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
4-5-01

Animals in Winter

Book cover: Animals in Winter
Author(s): 
Henrietta Bancroft
Richard Van Gelder
Illustrator(s): 
Helen Davie
Number of pages: 
32 pages
Copyright: 
1997
ISBN: 
9780060271589
Publisher: 
HarperTrophy
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Grade / Age level: 
Resource Type: 
Review: 

A beautifully illustrated look at where various animals go when it snows and how they prepare for winter. We learn details of the migration of various animals (such as birds, butterflies and bats), animals that hibernate, animals that store up food for the winter and animals that have to find their food throughout the winter. Includes instructions for feeding birds and other wild animals in your own backyard.

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
4-4-01

How a Seed Grows

Book cover: How a Seed Grows
Author(s): 
Helene J. Jordan
Illustrator(s): 
Loretta Krupinski
Number of pages: 
32 pages
Copyright: 
1992
ISBN: 
9780064451079
Publisher: 
Harper Collins
Binding: 
Softcover
Grade / Age level: 
Resource Type: 
Review: 

A very simple, charming book that explains to young children what seeds are and takes them through the development of some bean seeds. The growth present each day is illustrated in the book and the child is invited to try grow the beans themselves and watch the progress in real life. The book also introduces children to different kinds of seeds (for trees, flowers, vegetables, etc.), and how each seed will grow into the same kind of plant that it came from, and the basic things necessary to make a plant grow.

Additional notes: 
Copyrights 1960/1992
Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
12-27-99

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