Spark Curiosity With Guinness World Records 2017: Block Busters

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Hey homeschool moms, do you  have a child that sometimes says they are not interested in anything?  Well when we first began our unschooling journey my children sometimes would say those dreaded words and wouldn't have the slightest idea about what they wanted to learn about. But then we discovered Guinness World Records and Ripley's Believe It Or Not books. After a few minutes of paging through these books my children were full of questions and ideas about things they wanted to delve deeper into learning about. Both of these book series helped make our homeschool a little more interesting and exciting. So if you have a child that says "I am not interested in anything," hand them one of these books and watch their curiosity be sparked.

We recently received Guinness World Records 2017: Blockbusters the newest book in the Guinness World Record portfolio and have been having a blast learning the record-breaking low-down on the top trends and personalities in pop culture. But that is not all that this new book provides. It also adds an educational and entertaining twist by providing information about the real-life records behind  favorite fictional stories. For example you can find facts about the world's largest ocean creatures which served as inspiration for the characters in the 2016 hit movie, Finding  Dory.

Last month we went on a fieldtrip to see the last show for the Greatest Show on Earth. I immediately grabbed our Guinness World Records 2017: Blockbusters book, to see if Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus was highlighted in the book.....and of course they were. They are the longest running circus in the World...147 years this year.

Thank you @RinglingBros @infiniteenergycenter for the great #family memories. #sehsfun #homeschool #unschool #history #circus #fieldtrip #familyfun

A post shared by Kathy Ulrich Balman (@kbalman) on Mar 12, 2017 at 10:05am PDT

Over the last few months we have used our Guinness World Records book to compliment various fieldtrips, to spark interest and to settle debates. This is definitely one book the entire family will enjoy!

Throughout this book children will discover:

6 chapters featuring kid-focused activities, with captivating features, spreads quizzes and stats:

1. Watch: learn about box office blockbusters such as X-Men, Disney, Star Trek, Finding Dory and more.
2. Browse: explore record-breaking vloggers, memes, and impressive social media feats from the digital world.
3. Read: dive into records from fan-favorites including Dr. Seuss, the Divergent series, Harry Potter and comic books.
4. Play: examine amazing records relating to popular toys, from Lego and Knex to robots and drones.
5. Go: check out jaw-dropping roller coasters, impressive circus performances, and attendance feats at sporting events in this section full of records involving outdoor activities and attractions.
6. Consume: drool over records featuring delicious food, drinks and sweets.

Record breaking activities:   

Throughout the book young readers are encouraged to become the record breaker in the house, and potentially the world by attempting the record-breaking  challenges exclusively featured in the pages of this book. How many underwear can you put on in one minute?

Jaw dropping photographs:

Not only is this book filled with amazing records but it also is filled with fantastic full color photos.

To add to the fun Guinness World Records also has additional exclusive content including interviews with record holders, interesting photos, fun games, quizzes and tutorials on the record-challenges to try at home on their website.

There is also a fantastic Place Value Math Activity download available to compliment the book.

Now available for only $14.99 (currently it's on sale on Amazon), its colorful and kid-friendly pages are filled with fun, educational, and exclusive records of interest to ages 6-12 and will make for the perfect addition to any library. It also strongly emphasizes reading and activities (which could relate to social & cognitive development, & academic skills) and ultimately be of interest to educators.

Fieldtripping With National Geographic Kids Books #NGKInsider

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Five days a week we are out exploring and fieldtripping. We cannot help it, learning is just way more fun when you are visiting a museum, going on a nature walk or hanging out with friends at a group activity. Everyone may not agree with our road-schooling style, but it is what works best for our family. The kids are more engaged and excited to learn and they retain the information they are learning better. One way we make the road-schooling work is by taking along amazing resources with us on our fieldtrips. When we head out to our fieldtrip we make sure we take along one of our fieldtrip exploration bags. We have 6 bags always ready to go which include things like books, magnifying glasses, colored pencils, clipboards, resources from the venue (which are generally available on their websites under the educator section), tracing paper, tape measures and some of my fieldtrip journal pages (digital download currently 20% off for 60+ journal page file). We have a bag for each type of venue...art museum, history museum, zoo, aquarium, etc.

Recently we received some great resources from National Geographic Kids that we will be adding to our bags for upcoming fieldtrips.

Ultimate Ocean-pedia:
This 1 inch thick, hard back book might be heavy to lug around the aquarium but that's okay it will definitely be going into our aquarium bag this year. This 272 page book is the most complete ocean reference book you can find. It is loaded with amazing facts, stunning photos, maps and detailed diagrams. The book is broken into 7 chapters and covers: Oceans, Ocean Life, Ocean in Motion, Wild Weather, Underwater Exploration, Along The Coast and When People and Oceans Meet. One of the things my kids really love about this book are the "Bet you didn't know" blurbs found throughout. Like did you know that a sea otter needs to eat up to 30% of its body weight every day in order to get the energy it needs to stay warm? For a big male otter, that means eating about 25 lbs of food! In the back of the book there is a glossary to help your kids learn the meaning to various terms, a find out more section (includes links to websites, must see movies and recommended places to visit), and a detailed index which makes it easy to find exactly what you are looking for. As we looked through the book we also discovered it would be a good compliment to our upcoming fieldtrip to the local science museum too. The museum is getting in a special exhibit and Imax show related to weather. So of course the Wild Weather chapter of the book will be the perfect compliment. The retail cost of this book is $24.99.

Almanac 2017:
This nifty 350 pg, softcover, New York Times bestseller book is the perfect compliment for a variety of fieldtrips. Contents include Your World, Amazing Animals, Going Green, Culture Connection, Awesome Adventure, Fun and Games, Super Science, Wonders of Nature, History Happens and Geography Rocks. So as you can see it compliments many different subjects and topics. My daughter of course found the amazing animals section fascinating and my son was mesmerized by the Awesome Adventure section. I really enjoyed reading through the Culture Connection section. As we paged through the book which includes tons of animal stories, weird-but-true facts, amazing photographs, detailed maps, fun games/jokes/activities, reference materials and more our wheels began turning on ALL the fieldtrips we could utilize this book for. So it won't go into just one bag...it will have a permanent home in the car book basket. On page 16 there are some cool events highlighted for 2017 like Star Wars Day on May 4th (which we already have plans for) and International Tiger Day on July 29th (I think we will be heading to the zoo to celebrate). And man do I love it when books contain a detailed index like the Almanac does, it makes it so much easier to find specific topics/subjects. As I was browsing through the index I soon discovered that this book will compliment our Cultural Culinary Club, that we do every other month with our homeschool group, quite nicely. This Spring we will be learning about China, India and France as we dine at authentic restaurants around Atlanta. The almanac has several pages of material on each of these countries, how awesome is that?  The retail cost of this book is $14.99.

Dirtmeister's Nitty Gritty Planet Earth:
We are a rock hound family so this book has been a huge hit with the children. Every few months we go on rock/gem digging fieldtrips so learning all about rocks, minerals, and dirt is sort of never ending for us. This softcover, 128 page book covers everything you need to know about geology in a fun and unique way. It is one of the only National Geographic kids books that actually incorporates graphic novel aspects (my kids love graphic novels as you may know and we hope that Nat Geo will continue to add more to their lineup). Throughout the book Geologist Steve Tomeck aka Dirtmeister and his sidekick Digger dig up amazing information including the origins of Earth, minerals, plate tectonics, erosion, sediments, biographies of scientists, rocks as resources and much more. The book has colorful illustrations, lots of fun facts and even simple experiments. For teachers or homeschoolers who follow educational standards the book even has a science standard correlation guide in the back of the book as well as an index. So get ready to dig in and learn all about geology with this book. The retail cost of this book is $12.99.

Tales From The Arabian Nights:
One of our favorite museums in Atlanta is the Michael C. Carlos Museum. The museum has the largest ancient art collection in the Southeast which includes objects from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, the Near East, Africa and the ancient Americas. Tales From The Arabian Nights is a great book compliment for this fascinating museum. The hard back book is 208 pages and includes 17 tales from the areas we know today as Asia and the Middle East. The magical tales intertwined with beautiful full page colorful illustrations will take you on a journey where you will find adventure, love, royalty, monsters and even magicians. Unlike most storybooks there are sidebars throughout the book that connect the stories to history, culture, and geography. There is also a map in the back of the book that puts the stories into geographic context. Our favorite story so far has been the Ebony Horse. The retail cost of this book is $24.99.

How Things Work:
100 times a day! That is approximately how many times a day my kids ask me how something works. Seriously they are so inquisitive and curious. This book answers everything from opera singers to the waves in the ocean. The hardback book is 205 pages long and provides children with quick answers as well as more complete explanations. The book is a great compliment to many fieldtripping adventures. We used it recently during our visit to the Children's Museum of Atlanta for the launch of their new special exhibit "From Here, To There." The new special exhibit focuses on how things move by land, sea and air, and thanks to this book any questions that popped up were easy to answer! The book contains numerous detailed diagrams and spectacular photos. There are tons of facts, inspiring bios and real-life stories. And there are even hands on activities to get children experimenting. The retail cost of this book is $19.99.

I hope you learned about some new books and how books can be used compliment fieldtrips.

Teaching Liberty and Economics With The Tuttle Twins (Book Review)

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We are so blessed to be able to homeschool because it means we are able to teach our children about many things they would probably not cover if they were in public school like liberty and economics (at least not in elementary school). The Tuttle Twins books, which now have 5 books in the series, have been on my radar for about a year now but unfortunately I haven't had a chance to pick up a copy of any of them. I was recently contacted by the publishing company and asked if we would review the newest book The Road to Surfdom. Well now we are hooked and we will be definitely be adding the other 4 to our home library. And guess what fellow homeschoolers? The author Connor Boyack is a homeschool dad! He wrote this series of books after trying to find existing material that taught young children about the principles of freedom. After he realized there wasn't anything he stepped up to the plate in hopes of not only educating his own children but thousands of others!

A moms review:

As I mentioned above we received the newest book in the 5 book series The Road to Surfdom. This book teaches children about how government officials decisions, well-intentioned or otherwise, can sometimes harm others. Considering everything that has been happening recently with our country and politics this is such an important lesson for kids right now. This book is a very easy read. It is 60 pages long with full color illustrations and large text. The recommended reading age is age 5-11 years old. We chose to read the book aloud as a family so we could have a discussion afterwards.

This story is actually an introduction to F.A. Hayek's famous text The Road to Surfdom which was published in the 1940s and focuses on the dangers of central planning and collectivism and the importance of being an individual. Hayeks book however is a fairly difficult read and not one that parents would be able to easily pickup and read aloud to their young children. But the Tuttle Twins version of The Road to Surfdom takes these important lessons and boils them down to key basics, and wraps them in a fun story so that children and their parents can read and learn together about these important principles.

In this book The Tuttle Twins head to their favorite beach destination "La Playa" for a family reunion. They are eager to have the same amazing fun they always do which includes soaking up sun on the beach, surfing and snorkeling in the ocean and most of all shopping and eating at the boardwalk shops. But before they even arrive at the beach they notice things in town are not quite the same. First they have to take a long detour to get to the beach which was full of traffic and went through a neighborhood they had not seen before. Then after they arrive at the beach they notice that many of their favorite shops have closed down. Distraught and wanting answers The Tuttle Twins set out with their investigative reporter uncle named Ben, to solve the mystery.

After interviewing shop owners and the town residents they discover that a new roadway and beach town called Surfdom was to blame. The new roadway that La Playa residents thought would help their town instead brought them disruption, sadness and home and business loss. While spending the day at Surfdom The Tuttle Twins learned more about central planning, collectivism  and individualism as they built a sand castle with their parents. They learned that sometimes unintended consequences occur that were never anticipated and probably not even considered. You know how the saying goes, "be careful what you wish for"? The Tuttle Twins and Uncle Ben solve the mystery and Ben exposes the story on his news channel. But unfortunately this story has no happy ending for the town because the damage is done. But The Tuttle Twins hope that Ben's news story will go viral and provide knowledge to future towns about the damage of central planning. And the Tuttle Twins refuse to give into the new exciting stores and restaurants at Surfdom and chose to stay at La Playa and enjoy the road less traveled!

I cannot say enough good things about this book. As a mom who once had her real estate license I was very excited to see terms like eminent domain being introduced in the book. I know many adults who don't even know what eminent domain is. The story was engaging and educational and raised lots of questions, and any book that gets the kids asking questions gets 5 stars. In the back of the book there is even a glossary of terms and several discussion questions.

A kids review:
I really liked the book. It helped me learn about the responsibilities that I need to take when it comes to decisions about my home. It also taught me that even when things don't go as planned you should still never give up and should still work hard to continue to make your dreams come true. I liked the artwork in the book too. I hope mom buys the other books for us.

About the Author:

Connor Boyack is president of Libertas Institute, a public policy think tank in Utah. He is the author of several books on politics and religion, along with hundreds of columns and articles championing individual liberty. His work has been featured on international, national, and local TV, radio, and other forms of media. A California native and Brigham Young University graduate, Connor currently resides in Lehi, Utah, with his wife and two children.

Resources:

For $4.99 you can get a a pdf workbook that compliments the book.

Links to follow:
Website
Twitter
Facebook

Where to buy:
The retail price is $9.99 per book or you can get all 5 plus bonuses for $41.99. You can order the books on the Tuttle Twin website.

Multicultural Children's Book Day - I Am Not A Number Book Review #ReadYourWorld

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I am really proud to be part of the Multicultural Children's Book Day event for a third year. As part of the blogging team our family received a fantastic book from Jenny Kay and Kathy Kacer to review. Our review is below along with a fun project idea, but first let me tell you more about this event, the sponsors and the cohosts.

What is Multicultural Children's Book Day?
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2017 (1/27/17) is its fourth year and was founded by Valarie Budayr from Jump Into A Book and Mia Wenjen from PragmaticMom. Our mission is to raise awareness on the ongoing need to include  kid’s books that celebrate diversity in home and school bookshelves while also working diligently to get more of these types of books into the hands of young readers, parents and educators.

Despite census data that shows 37% of the US population consists of people of color, only 10% of children’s books published have diversity content. Using the Multicultural Children’s Book Day holiday, the MCBD Team are on a mission to change all of that.

Current Sponsors: 
MCBD 2017 is honored to have some amazing Sponsors on board.

Platinum Sponsors include: Scholastic, Barefoot Books and Broccoli. Other Medallion Level Sponsors include heavy-hitters like Author Carole P. Roman, Audrey Press, Candlewick Press,  Fathers Incorporated, KidLitTV, Capstone Young Readers, ChildsPlayUsa, Author Gayle Swift, Wisdom Tales Press, Lee& Low Books, The Pack-n-Go Girls, Live Oak Media, Author Charlotte Riggle, Chronicle Books and Pomelo Books

Author Sponsors include: Karen Leggett Abouraya, Veronica Appleton, Susan Bernardo, Kathleen Burkinshaw, Maria Dismondy, D.G. Driver, Geoff Griffin,  Savannah Hendricks, Stephen Hodges, Carmen Bernier-Grand,Vahid Imani, Gwen Jackson,  Hena, Kahn, David Kelly, Mariana Llanos, Natasha Moulton-Levy, Teddy O’Malley, Stacy McAnulty,  Cerece Murphy, Miranda Paul, Annette Pimentel, Greg Ransom, Sandra Richards, Elsa Takaoka, Graciela Tiscareño-Sato,  Sarah Stevenson, Monica Mathis-Stowe SmartChoiceNation, Andrea Y. Wang

You can view the co-hosts here.

A Moms Review:
As you may know (if you read my blog often) my daughter loves learning about Native Americans. She fell in love with their culture after attending her first powwow when she was just 4 yrs old. Every year we cover some part of Native American history in our homeschool lessons, per her request. We have reviewed a variety of Native American books, have taken many Native American related fieldtrips and have collected numerous Native American artifacts. But when I found out what book we were receiving for MCCBD I realized there were 2 topics we have failed to cover.....the Native Americans of Canada which are called the First Nations and the residential schools.

I Am Not A Number introduces one of the First Nation tribes of Canada the Nipissing and the topic of residential schools. The residential schools were something even I knew very little about so I was anxious to read this book to the children. Residential schools are definitely a sensitive subject to discuss with children, but I Am Not A Number did a great job of telling what the residential schools were and what horrible atrocities occurred at them in a way children could easily understand.

I Am Not a Number is geared towards children in grades 4th-6th and is based on the true account of author Dupuis's grandmother. Irene the main character in the book and the authors grandmother shared her story with Dupuis when she was a teen so she could learn more about the legacy of the residential school system and understand what Irene and many others had to endure. The residential schools are an unfortunate part of history that need to be remembered so that something like this never happens to children again. The watercolor illustrations in the book are beautiful and eye catching and translated the written words very well. Even the color palette for the illustrations helps tell the story.

I Am Not A Number begins with Irene in her reservation home with her and her siblings huddled behind their parents as an Indian agent tells her parents that he is taking the children that are of age to the residential school. Her parents have no choice because if they don't obey they will be fined and imprisoned. Irene and her 2 brothers are whisked away by the agent in a bus and sent to an unfamiliar place. Before leaving though her mother tells them, "Never forget home or our ways. Never forget us. Never forget who you are!" Those words would stay with Irene throughout her time at the residential school. The majority of the story is about Irene's time at the residential school and the hurt, fear and pain she experiences. The nuns try their hardest to strip away Irene's culture including the way she speaks and looks. They even try to strip away her name and only refer to her as number 759. But Irene stays strong and when summer arrives she gets to go home to her family for a short time. She is reunited with her parents and siblings back on the reservation, she is home. But she knows that the time will be short and eventually she will have to return back to the residential school.....so the family comes up with a plan. If you want to know how the story ends you will have to read the book.

In the back of the book is a section telling more history about the residential schools and the 150,000 First Nations, Metis and Inuit children who for over a century were removed from their homes and sent to live at residential schools across Canada.  There is also more information (including photos) on Irene Couchie and her family.

This book was the perfect way to introduce the history of residential schools to the children. It provided them with just enough details about residential schools and the way that the children were treated at them. And because it was a true account I think it made even more of an impact.  Whenever I read a book like this to the kids I hope that it will spark an interest to want to learn more and I Am Not A Number did just that.

About the Author:
There were two authors for this book:

Dr. Jenny Kay Dupuis
Dupuis is of Ojibway/Anishinaabe ancestry and is a proud member of the Nipissing First Nation. Jenny's commitment to teaching about Indigenous issues along with her interest in her family's past led her to write her grandmother Irene Couchie Dupuis' story. Jenny lives in Toronto, where she works for the advancement of Indigenous education.

Kathy Kacer
Kacer is an award winning author who has written many books about the Holocaust for young readers including The Secret of Gabi's dresser, Shanghai Escape, and The Magician of Auschwitz. She is very honored to help share Jenny Kay Dupuis' family story with young people. Kathy lives with her family in Toronto.

About the Illustrator:
Gillian Newland is an artist who works mostly in watercolor, ink and pencils. She finds most of her inspiration to draw outside of her studio, and can sometimes be found sketching her fellow customers at a coffee shop. She is the illustrator of The Magician of Auschwitz and many other books. She lives in Toronto.

Fun Project Idea:
Our project to compliment this book was making story stones. The First Nations are great storytellers and this book was about a grandmother telling her story to her granddaughter so we though story stones was the perfect fit.

Materials:

• Flat stones
• Permanent markers
• Native American picture symbol examples like these and these
  

Instructions:

1. Choose 10-15 flat stones.
2. Decide what symbols you are going to use.
3. Draw the symbols on the stones with a temperament marker.
4. Put the stones into a baggie. Without looking choose 5 stones then tell a story using the stones symbols.
   
   

More Resources:
-Free Multicultural Books for Teachers
-Free Kindness Classroom Kit for Homeschoolers, Organizations, Librarians and Educators
-Free Diversity Book Lists and Activities for Teachers and Parents

Links to Follow:-Multicultural Children's Book Day Facebook
-Multicultural Children's Book Day Twitter

-Multicultural Children's Book Day Pinterest

Where to Buy:
You can buy I Am Not A Number on Amazon for $18.95.

Kid Beowulf Book Review (Book 1)

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Graphic novels are the preferred genre in our home. You see we are an artistic family so it should come as no surprise that comic style books area huge hit. Both kids go through graphic novel series so quickly that I am always on the search for exciting new series they will enjoy. Well just before Christmas I was contacted by Andrews McMeel Publishing about doing a review on Kid Beowulf The Bloodline Oath. I took one look at the front cover and knew it was right up my kids alley.

A moms review:

Kid Beowulf is a series (currently 3 books, plus an educational guide and prequel) inspired by the epic poem "Beowulf" and introduces children to classical literature in a way they will enjoy and understand. Any book that introduces my children to classical literature gets a star in my book.

Kid Beowulf is geared towards children ages 8-14 years old. It is a 280 page soft cover book written and illustrated by Alexi E. Fajardo. This story is about 12 year old twin brothers Beowulf and Grendel and their quest to redeem their fallen ancestor. Throughout the book there are dragons, monsters, kings, an enchanted swords and oh a pig! This book will appeal to Percy Jackson fans who love mythology and adventure. The book teaches important lessons about family, loyalty and integrity.

One of my favorite things about the book is the more to explore section in the back of the book. This section includes a world map showing Beowulf and Grendels adventures, key terms, character glossary, Beowulf family tree, origins of the epic poem, information on monster slayers, a how to draw Beowulf lesson and even the anatomy of a comic book page

Gwyns Review:
Okay so let's hear about the book from one of the kids that read it. Gwyn is soon to be 11 and a reading fanatic.

The book is about a boy who was being raised by his Uncle who sets out on an adventure after his ghost father tells him to stole away on a ship to find his long lost brother......but ends up finding much more. The story taught me that family bloodlines may not be what you always expect. The book is really funny and many of the characters are sarcastic. My favorite character was the dragon because he has a really cool backstory. He used to fight King Arthur's dad and took off the Kings hand in return the King took the dragons eye. I also like Grendel because he frees animals out of traps. The character I could relate with most though was the sword because he never stops talking, just like me. I recommend the book to kids who are interested in mythology, bloodlines and comics.

I am really looking forward to reading book #2. I cannot wait to find out what happens next with Beowulf's family.

About the Author and Illustrator:
Alexis E. Fajardo is a student of the classics – whether Daffy Duck or Damocles – and has created a unique blend of the two in his graphic novel series, Kid Beowulf. Lex has taught cartooning throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, and currently resides in Santa Rosa, where, when not penning Kid Beowulf, he works for PEANUTS at the Charles M. Schulz Studio.

Freebies:

Be sure to check out the Kid Beowulf website for some games and download a teacher guide.

Where to buy:
The retail price is $10.99 and the book can be purchased at local books stores and on Amazon.

Best of Signs Banner Review

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I was invited to speak at my first homeschool convention this year. As you can imagine I was excited, scared and well unprepared.  Thankfully Best of Signs contacted me about reviewing one of their high quality banners relieving me of one of my "to do list" items.

Ordering a sign was simple and quick. I choose to go with a vinyl, full color sign with clear acrylic grommets. Since I wanted to be able to hang my sign in a variety of places, including in front of a banquet table, I went with a 5 ft x 2 1/2 ft size. Banners start at just $9.00 (2 x 2 size). Best of Signs guarantee that their sign prices are the cheapest (btw, if you find a cheaper banners, they will meet that price and slash another 10% off your order.). You can create a banner by uploading your own graphic, which is what I did, utilizing the Best of Signs design tools, choosing one of the many available templates or even letting Best of Signs design it for you.

The banner was printed and shipped quickly and I was very happy with the quality. The print quality of the graphic, which my husband designed, was amazing. It was crisp and the colors were spot on! My husband and I were pleasantly surprised that even the texture he added to the graphic showed up on the sign. The sign has a total of 6 grommets (3 on top and 3 on the bottom) making it easy to hang.

So far I have used the banner at two functions and have received so many compliments on it.  All Best of Signs products come with a 180 day guarantee.

So if you are looking for a banner, window sign, decal/sticker or vinyl lettering for your next function give Best of Signs a try!

Loupe Led Magnifying Glass Review

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We have a lot of pastimes some of which include exploring nature, stamp and coin collecting, rockhounding and playing with maps. All of these activities require a specialized piece of equipment which has been around since 400 BC. It hasn't changed much over the years...until now! The Loupe Led Magnifying Glass with 3 interchangeable lenses is a new, innovative magnifying glass that meets all your needs.

This set comes with a high quality case to help you protect your equipment, 3 interchangeable lenses, a cleaning cloth so you can safely clean your magnifying glass, a cleaning brush to help you clean hard to reach areas, such as the changing lenses connections, assuring a longer product life, and a credit card magnifier so you can easily have access to a magnifier on the go.

2.5x, 5x and 16x interchangeable magnifiers are included. The lenses are so easy to switch...even a child can do it. Simply push the 2 release buttons and the lens pops right off. With this feature you will NEVER have to worry about not having the right lens for the job. The lenses are top quality and provide you with a clear, sharp image. The powerful LEDs can easily be turned on and off using the handle switch. We especially liked this feature because we often go out on night excursions and we were still able to explore nature even in the dark! the magnifying glass also has a great non-slip handle making it comfortable and stable to hold...especially for littler hands. Everything fits safely and securely into the carry case so it is easy to transport if you are on the go like we always are. I can just toss the magnifying glass bag into our hiking bag and we are ready to go explore nature or hit up rock, coin or stamp expo!

Best of all your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you are not satisfied with your purchase they will give you a full refund. So you can buy this product with absolute confidence.

Check out Gwyn's YouTube video below:

Multicultural Children's Book Day - Rafa The Refugee Book Review #ReadYourWorld

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.

I am really proud to be part of the Multicultural Children's Book Day event again this year. As part of the blogging team our family received a fantastic book from Terri Hoops to review. Our review is below along with a fun project idea, but first let me tell you more about this event, the sponsors and the cohosts.

What is Multicultural Children's Book Day?
Mission: Despite census data that shows 37% of the US population consists of people of color, only 10% of children’s books published have diversity content. Using the Multicultural Children’s Book Day, Mia and Valarie are on a mission to change all of that. Their mission is to not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity, but to get more of these types of books into classrooms and libraries. Another goal of this exciting event is create a compilation of books and  favorite reads that will provide not only a new reading list for the winter, but also a way to expose brilliant books to families, teachers, and libraries.

"The MCCBD team’s mission to spread the word and raise awareness about the importance of diversity in children’s literature. Our young readers need to see themselves within the pages of a book and experience other cultures, languages, traditions and religions within the pages of a book. We encourage readers, parents, teachers, caregivers and librarians to follow along the fun book reviews, author visits, event details, a multicultural children’s book linky and via our hashtag (#ReadYourWorld) on Twitter and other social media."

The co-creators of this unique event are Mia Wenjen from Pragmatic Mom and Valarie Budayr from Jump Into a Book/Audrey Press. You can find a bio for Mia and Valarie here.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2016 Medallion Level Sponsors:

• Platinum: Wisdom Tales Press*StoryQuest Books*Lil Libros
• Gold: Author Tori Nighthawk*Candlewick Press*Bharat Babies
• Silver: Lee and Low Books*Chronicle Books*Capstone Young Readers*Tuttle Publishing*NY Media Works, LLC/KidLit TV
• Bronze: Pomelo Books*Author Jacqueline Woodson*Papa Lemon Books*Goosebottom Books*Author Gleeson Rebello*ShoutMouse Press*Author Mahvash Shahegh*China Institute.org*Live Oak Media

MCCBD's Cohosts Include:

• All Done Monkey
• Crafty Moms Share
• Educators Spin on it
• Growing Book by Book
• Imagination Soup
• I’m Not the Nanny
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• Multicultural Kid Blogs
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Classroom Reading Challenge:
This very special offering from MCCBD which offers teachers and classrooms the chance to (very easily) earn a free hardcover multicultural children's book for their classroom library. These books are not only donated by the Junior Library Guild, but they are pre-screened and approved by them as well.

So teachers/librarians/classrooms click here to find out how. There is no cost to teachers and classrooms and the process is super simple.

A Moms Review:

If you watch the news then you are well aware of the influx of refugees coming into the United States. And whether you agree with the situation or not it is something that our children need to be educated on so they learn to be accepting of others from different races, religions, cultures and countries. Our family is always learning about different cultures which is one reason I love participating in the Multicultural Children's Book Day.

"Rafa the Refugee” is a soft cover picture book about a young girl whose family flees Iraq and escapes to the United States. The book follows her journey to United States, adoption of a new culture and realization that her heritage, language and culture are part of who she is. As Rafa settles into her new home she soon discovers that she needs both languages and cultures to grow and succeed. 

This inspirational children’s book celebrates culture, heritage and language. It shows kids that it is okay to be different and that one should always take pride in one’s own culture.

We enjoyed what the book was trying to convey, but personally I would have liked more in depth information regarding Rafa's language and culture. For example there is some Arabic writing throughout the book and a translation of the phrases would have been a great addition. And I wasn't overly impressed with the writing style or illustrations, in comparison to other cultural books we own or have read. But the kids did enjoy it and we will be passing it along to a library so others can enjoy it.

About the Author

Terrie Hoops is a passionate educator working in second language acquisition. Terrie develops K12 curriculums for modern languages and ESOL programs serving migrant and refugee populations. She has a bachelor's degree in anthropology and a master's degree in administration and leadership from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, as well as a Certificate of Advanced Study in curriculum, assessment and instruction from the University of Maine at Orono. Terrie is originally from Montreal, Quebec, and is fluent in English, Spanish and French. She lives in Bradenton, Fl with her husband Dave.

Fun Project Idea:
As I was searching for a fun activity that would compliment "Rafa the Refugee" I found a great blog by a fellow homeschooler. She is Muslim and has some great hands on projects for kids. Check out her blog for information on creating Arabic Letter Mosaics.

Image from Muslim Homeschool Blog

Links to Follow: -Multicultural Children's Book Day Facebook
-Multicultural Children's Book Day Twitter

-Multicultural Children's Book Day Pinterest

Where to Buy:
You can purchase Rafa and the Refugee on Amazon for $19.99.

Homeschooling With National Geographic Books #NGKInsider

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.

It is no secret that our family has a slight, okay a BIG, book addiction. We have several favorite publishers that we love and utilize in our homeschooling journey and National Geographic Kids is one of them. Their entire line up of books are educational, fun and filled with beautiful illustrations. And most importantly the kids LOVE them.

Over the last few months we have received several amazing books from National Geographic, it is one of the many perks of being part of the National Geographic Kids Insider Club. Sadly I got a little bit behind due to some health issues so I am sharing all of the great books we received that we have been utilizing in our homeschool learning adventures.

I'd like to also mention that all of these books make great gifts for the upcoming holidays too and many are currently on sale on Amazon right now!

A Friend For Lakota by Jim and Jamie Dutcher - ($16.99) Since we homeschool you might think bullying is not a huge concern for our family, but it is, and mostly in our own home. I always say that my kids are each others best friends and worst enemies, it is to be expected since they are together ALL the time. In this book Emmy winning Jim and Jamie Dutcher had the unique experience of living in a tented camp in Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains among a pack of wolves where they observed and documented the rarely seen social behavior, including bullying. In the book Lakota is a shy wolf pup who is growing up as the lowest ranked and frequently picked on member of the wolf pack (his brothers and sisters). This story was a great one for my kids. It taught them a very important lesson about not bullying one another and being there for each other no matter what and it also taught them that they shouldn't bully other kids and should they see a kid being bullied to do something to help them. In the back of the book there is a map that shows where Lakota lives as well as information about gray wolves, notes from the authors and a page with websites, books and places to see wolves. The photographs in this book are absolutely stunning by the way and make you feel like you are right there with the National Geographic photographers.*If you hurry you can get this book for $11.79 on Amazon right now!

100 Things To Make You Happy by Lisa m. Gerry - ($9.99) Have you ever made a happiness bucket list? Well after you flip through the pages of this book you just might. This book is filled with great ideas that are guaranteed to make you happy. Try a few or try them all, from exercises and foods that boost happiness to tips from professional "happy makers," like psychologists and even magicians. This book is also filled with inspirational quotes, heartwarming tales from the animal kingdom and interviews with National Geographic explorers who followed their dreams. I will tell you I have been very down in the dumps lately due to my health. I am in pain just about everyday and extremely exhausted. So whenever I am having a really bad day I flip open to a page in this book and find some inspiration to be happy. So not only is this book great for kids it's great for moms too! "The secret to happiness is to start by doing things that make you happy!" *If you hurry you can get this book for $7.34 on Amazon right now!

Why? Over 1,111 Answers to Everything by Crispin Boyer - ($19.99) Have you ever wondered why your cat hacks up hair balls? Or why volcanoes blow their tops? Well this book has you covered. It contains 7 chapters covering questions about your body, our planet, the universe, history, technology, animals and pop culture. This book is filled with hundreds of topics ranging from silly to serious, and includes expert information! It is fun and entertaining and will literally keep your kids busy for hours....seriously it kept my kids busy during a recent road trip from Georgia to Florida. Answers include all kinds of fascinating extra info like top ten lists, weird-but-true facts, explorer profiles, and cool activities. If your kids are anything like mine they ask a lot of questions....well this book will give them the answers without needing to Google! *If you hurry you can get this book for $10.99 on Amazon right now!

Mission Tiger Rescue by Kitson Jazynka - ($12.99) One of our favorite series from National Geographic Kids is the Mission Rescue Series. One of the homeschool clubs I run is zoo club. Each month we visit the zoo and learn about an animal while sitting in front of the animals habitat. Well thanks to the Mission Rescue books I am always well prepared for zoo club and can not only teach the children about the all about the animals but also ways we can help rescue them. Mission Tiger Rescue combines fun and amazing adventure stories, beautiful photographs, hands on activities, tons of facts and more. Throughout the book you meet real life tigers and learn about their habitats, challenges, and successes plus how YOU can personally take action and save these amazing endangered animals. Check out my review on Lion Rescue and Elephant Rescue here. *If you hurry you can get this book for $11.4 Amazon right now!

Buzz Aldrin Welcome To Mars with Marianne J. Dyson - ($18.99) This book is perfect compliment for our astronomy lessons. This book has 5 detailed chapters and covers Why Mars, Off to Mars, Approaching Mars, Riches of Mars, Martian Home and Green Mars. The kids favorite part of the book are the hands-on science experiments. I love that in the back of the book there is a section with additional book recommendations and websites. *If you hurry you can get this book for $12.22 on Amazon right now!

Pope Francis by Barbara Kramer  - ($3.99) I am sure you are all well aware there is a new Pope in the Vatican, Pope Francis! But did you know that he is the oldest of 5 siblings, that he loved to play soccer as a kid, that he was the first pope to take a selfie, or that he is an excellent cook? Well you can learn these facts and more in this Level 1 reader. This book arrived at the perfect time because my daughter asked to learn about the smallest country in the World this year which is well the Vatican!

How to Survive Anything by Rachel Buchholz - ($12.95) My kids are very interested in survival skills so this book is right up their alley. It contains 31 chapters and covers everything from surviving a tornado to a breakup. We took this book along with us on a recent camping adventure it was the perfect book to read at bedtime. I mean knowing how to survive a snakebike, being lost in the woods, or wildfire is definitely important information to know when camping! *If you hurry you can get this book for $8.34 on Amazon right now!

APPS:
Before I get to some really exciting news I want to quickly share one more valuable resource we use in our homeschool and that is apps. Well National Geographic experts have teamed up with Google Play to hand select some top educational apps. Nat Geo Kids is all about exciting children to explore the world around them. With these apps kids will have so much fun discovering all about animals, science, countries, and more that they’ll forget they’re learning. We have personally tried at least 4 of these apps and can say they definitely deserve to be on the list!

 

My kids love their National Geographic Kids subscription. This magazine subscription definitely makes a great gift for any child. Each magazine is loaded with engaging age appropriate content and fantastic photography. Little kids is designed for children ages 3-6 yrs old and Kids is designed for children age 6-12 yrs old. Currently you can get a subscription for as low as $12-$15.

Giveaway:
Guess what? One winner will receive a 1 yr subscription to their choice of Kids or Little Kids National Geographic Magazine thanks to National Geographic. Just fill out the Rafflecopter entry form below. Only the first entry is mandatory. Other entries are optional and give you extra chances. This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook in any way. The winner will be posted on the blog and will be emailed. Winner must reply within 24 hrs with their contact information or another winner will be chosen. Prize will be shipped by National Geographic. Wait a moment for it to load....

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Brick Builders Club Review #BrickSwag

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.

I have another Lego related item for you that I reviewed. Can you tell we are a Lego loving family? This one is an awesome one of a kind subscription box for the Lego lover in your family and its called BrickSwag from the Brick Builders Club! Subscription boxes are the newest fad and I can totally see why....I mean who doesn't love getting fun stuff in the mail every month?

Now I don't have Rowyn's opinion yet on this amazing product because it is going to be one of his Christmas gifts but I think it's safe to say he is going to go crazy over it.

Every month a Lego style box arrives at your door filled with an exclusive T-Shirt, trading cards, parts packs, activities, techniques/tips, mini build challenge and more!

In our November box we received a turkey build, really cool t-shirt (which I claimed because it is too big for Rowyn), brick booster pack, trading cards, Lego cup, BrickSwag brick, fun poster, build a feast challenge pack and tips and trick book. I can already tell you Rowyn is going to go crazy over the bricks but I also know the trading cards are going to be a huge hit because since they have become a new hobby for him over the last few months. When you sign up for a subscription you can select the t-shirt size you need so you won't have to worry about it being too big or small (since we received our set to review I wasn't able to select the size).  The challenge pack is definitely something Rowyn is going to love participating in, especially since he aspires to become a Master Builder. Each month you can build a creation to go along with the theme and submit it online boosterbricks.com/brickswag. If you win you receive a Booster Bucket 500! Pretty awesome right?

Want a box? Subscribe!

Brick Builders Club is Now Enrolling for May! Don't miss out! 

Sign up for the plan that suits you:

$26/mo (one month)

$23.50/mo (three months)

$21.50/mo (six months)
$20/mo (1 year)

*You can receive 10% off your NEW Membership by using code HAPPYTEN at checkout.

Still undecided? Perhaps the cost is holding you back? Well let me tell you that these boxes are worth every penny. The shirt alone is worth $20. If I had to place a value on all the items you receive I would put the cost of these boxes at about $35-$40.

You can learn more about Brick Builders Club through their website. Be sure to connect and share with Brick Builders Club through Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube! Use hashtag #BrickSwag to tag and share your photos and videos!

You can also register for the Brick Builders FREE Lego Building Guidelines emails.