A surprisingly in-depth account of the characters involved in the writing of the United States' Constitution and many of the fascinating details of life at that time, the struggles involved in such a monumental task, and the somewhat humorous attitudes and actions of our Founding Fathers. Approximately 4th grade reading level, but could be read aloud to younger children (and would be informative for older ones as well).

Pam Young and Peggy Jones were the original "slob sisters" and "SHE"s (Sidetracked Home Executives). Their homes were disorganized, untidy, and definitely not conducive to peace and joy – until they found a way up and out of the chaos. To share their discovery with other SHEs, they wrote this now-classic book.

The book has two great strengths: Its authors write from their personal experience, which makes it easy for anyone else who is not "B.O." (Born Organized) to relate, and it is written with delightful humor. It is so engaging and motivating that, while reading it, you'll find yourself restraining an impulse to tidy a room or scrub a floor. Or maybe you shouldn't restrain yourself. In any event, the book will make you want what they have: a clean, organized, happy home.

To climb out of the chaos in their homes, Pam and Peggy realized that they needed a new set of habits. They devised a system of index cards, described in the book, with chores to be done daily, weekly, monthly, and semi-annually. They also describe index cards you can set up for your children, at ages 3, 5, 7, and 8, with suggestions for additional chores to add as they grow.

While nothing in this book is directed specifically at homeschoolers, there is nothing that couldn't work just as well in a homeschool family as any other. The ideas for children's file cards would be especially helpful in a homeschooling family.

This edition (2001) also suggests alternatives to the file card system. You could use your own PC to set up checklists, or, as the authors suggest on their website (www.shesintouch.com), you could turn to Marla Ciley at www.flylady.net for no-nonsense instruction in building new, more orderly habits. Marla read Pam and Peggy's book some years ago as she sought a way out of her chaos, then took their ideas (with permission) and ran with them on the web.

But no matter which system you think you might prefer, pick up this book if you are looking for an enjoyable and motivational introduction to the art of getting organized.

This documentary video presents rather compelling evidence, from diverse fields of science, that the Shroud of Turin is the authentic burial cloth of Christ. Scientists and doctors also explain the sufferings of Jesus based on the evidence present on the cloth in conjunction with other historical data. Because some scenes from Christ's Passion are dramatized, the movie may prove too intense for very young, innocent children. It would be more suitable for older grade school and high school ages.

This movie has been around for quite awhile - I remember first seeing it in 4th or 5th grade when it was shown at our Church each year during Holy Week. I remember being quite impressed and fascinated with the details at that age. I recommend that parents preview the movie to determine suitability for their own children. It is excellent for Lent and Holy Week and a very moving film! Highly recommended.

A very simple and lovely grammar book based on the text First Grammar Lessons written by Charlotte Mason in 1928. The text is illustrated with charming 19th century drawings which are used within the text for exercises such as: completing sentences and making sentences of certain types and telling stories using certain parts of speech. The text is intended for fourth grade and up (the Charlotte Mason method recommends waiting until then for formal grammar studies - focusing on reading and narration earlier). It is simple enough to be used as a "lap-text" for the earlier grades as well (for mother and child to work on together in an informal manner). I found the explanations to be very good at helping children understand what the different parts of speech are used for.