It’s a Jungle in Here ~ Book Review

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It’s a Jungle in Here by Kristie Wilde is the third book in the Joyful Creation Series collection.

I love when I find a book or an author that I have not read or heard about. I also love when I find new books that have a Christian theme.

Want to take a little trip to the jungle to see all of the great animals God created? It’s a Jungle in Here takes readers through the jungle and shows them many of God’s wonderful creations. We see colorful butterflies, big lions, even bigger elephants, and many little frogs. This cute little book is an easy read. It doesn’t take very long to read through and can be read easily by new readers. There is about one sentence on each two page spread. The illustrations are beautiful and colorful. I read this to my seven year old daughter (because she loves to be read to) and she loved looking at the pictures. She wanted to study each page to see if there were any hidden animals.  I love that this book focuses on the creations that God made and how he made each animal different. The book also mentions that God is happy with how He created us. The last pages of the book tell some facts and include Bible verses.  We look forward to reading the other books in this series.



Disclosure of Material: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through the BookCrash.com book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR Title 16, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Weigl Publishers

We were recently given the chance to review three media enhanced children’s books (A Lion's World, There Once Was A Cowpoke Who Swallowed An Ant, and Glaciers) from Weigl Publishers. They offer several books that have codes to unlock media content for the book.

Each book has a special code that you put in on a certain website and then you are able to view the media for each book. Each book has different media like videos to watch, activity pages you can download and print, or have the book read to you.

There Once Was  A Cowpoke Who Swallowed An Ant is a story that is designed for children in grades K-2. It is about a cowboy that swallows an ant but soon figures out that it was not the best thing to do. He then swallows other animals and even himself to get the ant.

The media on this book is just the story being read to you. There is a narrator’s voice and the cowpoke’s voice. There are also different sound effects as the story is being read to you. The words are highlighted as the story is being read. You can see what it looks like on the computer in the picture below.



A Lion’s World is also designed for children in grades K-2.  This is a simple one sentence on each page with a picture that a child could read alone. When you log onto the EyeDiscover website with your special code, you will see a video of the lion’s in the background while the story is being read by a narrator. You will also be able to hear the lion roar in some of the videos.  There are some things included in the book that are not on the website. The book includes some lion facts and keywords. The media on the website just shows video of lions and reads the book.



Glaciers is a book that is designed for children in grades 3-6. The book tells about the size of glaciers, where glaciers can be found, and different aspects of glaciers. The media found on the website includes videos, interactive maps, web links, slideshows, activities that can be downloaded as a pdf, and much more.

Side note: Because this is not a Christian science book, the book does talk about millions of years ago. I don’t keep my children from reading books that talk about this because I tell them from an early age that we don’t believe in that, but they can still the read the book, but remember what we believe.

This book and website has a lot of great information and I would definitely use it to teach my children more about glaciers.



My youngest daughter looked at and read through A lion’s World and There Once Was  A Cowpoke Who Swallowed An Ant. I had her go through the books on the website and she enjoyed having the books read to her and seeing the videos of the lions. She thought the cowpoke book was the funniest and had a good laugh as the story was being read to her.

I looked through the glacier book and website myself and liked that there was so much information that can be used for future studies with my youngest. I did show this to my oldest daughter who will be starting 8th grade in the fall. She said she would enjoy parts of the book and website if her studies included glaciers.

Overall, we enjoyed the media enhanced books and will take a look to see if there may be other books that we would enjoy.

YWAM Publishing ~ Review

Having reviewed books from the Heroes of History line from YWAM Publishing, I knew we would not be disappointed with any of the choices that were offered to us. For this review, our first choice was Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Storybook Life. My oldest daughter had just finished reading one of Laura’s books and I thought she would love to read more about her growing up years and her family.

YWAM, which stands for Youth With A Mission, publishes different biographies to encourage Christians to make a difference. in the world.

Laura Ingalls Wilder was written by Janet and Geoff Benge. Janet and Geoff are a married couple who have twenty years of writing experience. They desire to make history come alive.

This biography is less than 200 pages and has 15 chapters. It could be read fairly quickly or you could read it slowly over a period of time. This book would make a great read aloud book or you could choose to have your children read through it themselves. The book covers Laura’s life from when she was a small child until her death. It talks about the hardships the family encountered, but it also talks about the fun they had as well.



These books have an accompanying digital unit study that can be used with them. The unit study is a downloadable pdf that includes study questions, ideas for a display, essay and creative writing, and hands-on projects. There is also a fact sheet that you can fill out that lists the full name, date of birth, parents, siblings, and date of death. A timeline of important events during the person’s life is included, as well as some maps of the area where the person lived or traveled.

In the past, I have used this books as a read aloud for my children. This time I decided to let my 7th grade daughter read the book on her own. She had just finished reading one of Laura’s books and I thought she would like to read about the author’s life.  My daughter read through about a chapter a day. She did know some of the things she read just by reading Laura’s books and also by watching Little House on the Prairie. She enjoyed learning about some things she didn’t know like Laura’s Christmas present of a doll one year.

When my daughter had finished the chapter, I would go over the questions with her. I had her pick one hands-on project to do after she finished reading the book. She picked to make a rag doll like Laura’s. We found some instructions online and made a no sew one easily and quickly with some scrap fabric I had laying around. I was hoping she would want to bake or make something to eat, but she said she wanted the doll because Laura’s doll was named Charlotte and that is my daughter’s name.

She enjoyed reading the book, going through the questions, and making her new doll. I also had her fill out the fact sheet and had her look at the states where Laura lived and traveled through. We also went over some of the events on the timeline.

My daughter enjoyed the book and said she would love to read another biography soon. I had her look through some of them and she mentioned Amy Carmichael might be one she would enjoy.

Carole P. Roman Book Review

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I was first introduced to Carole P. Roman several years ago when I was able to review some of her If You Were Me And Lived In…books. I am always excited when I see her books come up for review. Her books are informative and the drawings by the illustrators are great.  This time we were able to review three books from the Carole P. Roman books and collections. We chose Oh Susannah: Things That Go Bump, Oh Susannah Color With Me, and If You Were Me And Lived In…Egypt.

Having recently read and reviewed Oh Susannah: It’s In The Bag, I knew my daughters would like to read the next story in the chapter book series.

I like that these chapter books are short and can be read in just a few sittings. Or an older child may be able to read the book in one sitting.

Oh Susannah: Things That Go Bump is a story about Susannah and how she is dreading going to her friend’s house for a sleepover. This book does make reference to the first book, but I don’t think it’s necessary to have read the first book before reading this book. Susannah is nervous about spending the night because of her friend’s brother. He picks on her and tells her their house is haunted. Susannah still goes about her day but is constantly thinking about the sleepover. Eventually, she talks to her mom about her fears and her mom reassures her about it. In the end, she goes and has a good time.

Oh Susannah Color With Me is a coloring book with several illustrated pictures about the two Oh Susannah chapter books. There are ten two-page spread pictures to color. After each spread of coloring pages, there is a page with five questions about each book and a page where you can draw something about each book. Because there are not any pictures in the chapter book, the coloring book was fun to look at and remember the parts of the story that the picture matched.



If You Were Me And Lived In…Egypt tells the story about  Egypt from a child’s point of view. It tells where Egypt is located and names a few of the major cities.The story tells what names you may be given and what you would call your family members.  It tells about the pyramids and the Great Sphinx. It also tells about the different traditions you would have in Egypt. It talks about what kinds of foods you would eat and what kinds of games you would play. The book also has a pronunciation guide at the end to help you with pronouncing all of the words the correct way. It is a short twenty-eight page book that can be read in one sitting.

We love reading through the If You Were Me books each time and learning more about different countries. I read the chapter book to my seven year old daughter and she enjoyed looking through the coloring book while I was reading to her. I do want to make a note that the Oh Susannah book does mention Harry Potter. Even though my daughter doesn’t know anything about Harry Potter she never asked about it. We love all of the books and will use them for years to come. We give Carole P. Roman books and collections 5 stars!

Find Carole P. Roman on social media:

• Facebook:  www.facebook.com/CarolePRomanAwardWinningAuthorAndBooks
• Twitter:  http://twitter.com/caroleproman    
• Instagram:  www.instagram.com/caroleproman          
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6A9PDx7NdBgYUN1giUOp0A   

Until I Knew Myself ~ Book Review

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Tammy L. Gray is a new to me author that I was introduced to by another author I follow on Facebook. I haven’t been reading much lately over the past several years because I haven’t really had much time. This year, I wanted to get back into the habit of finding good Christian authors who have good Christian books available.

 Until I Knew Myself is a story about friends. It’s a story about finding out who your family really is. Tyler was an orphan taken in by his best friend’s family. Ten years have passed, but he still longs to know about his biological family. Can a call following his grandfather‘s death tear him apart from his adopted family? Will Tyler trust his friends or his biological family? What will happen to Tyler’s relationships with his girlfriend and best friend? Will he see that they are his true family?

What I thought ~ I would consider this book a contemporary Christian fiction book. It takes place in modern-day Texas. It did take me a couple of chapters to get into the book. But once I started reading, I was hooked. There were some parts of the book that I was not expecting. Tammy Gray managed to keep me guessing what would happen next. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the story took a totally different turn. There were some parts of the story that I wished had gone a different way, but in the end, the story came together and it had a great ending. I'm glad to have been introduced to this author and will read more of her books, especially in this new series so I can find out what happens next.

*I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.* 

S is for Soon

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I have three reviews coming up this month (March) and wanted to just give a sneak peak.  We have enjoyed the review products that we have gotten so far this year.

Magic Stix Washable Markers ~ These were a favorite. We have enjoyed coloring with these markers. My girls and I and even my 14 year old son have used these over the past several weeks. They are so bright and vibrant. Look for the review to post next week.

Another fun review is from Zirrly ~  My girls, my 14 year old son and I had a good time playing with the super beads and creating the animals that were included in our package. This review will post around March 20.

One last review that will post around the last week of March are books by Carole P. Roman ~ We have reviewed several of Carole’s books before and we still love reading through her books. This time we are reviewing a chapter book and the coloring book that goes along with it. So fun!

We love reviewing products and curriculum and sharing them with you.

I am linking up with:
Hopkins Homeschool

A Light On The Hill ~ Book Review

I love finding new to me authors and being able to read a good Christian fiction book. Recently I found an author I haven’t read before and she was looking for influencers for a new book in a new series she was launching (which is today February 6). One word ~ Wow! I am so glad to have found Connilyn Cossette and read her latest novel, A Light On The Hill.

I love reading Christian fiction and have read from several authors over the years, but have never found an author that could hook me from the first page, but Connilyn has managed to do just that.

About the book: Moriyah, who had been taken captive in Jericho seven years ago and was branded with the mark of the Canaanites gods, is trying to find peace with God in her life.  The mark causes her to hide behind veils, Moriyah hides and doesn’t socialize. Because of this, she has not had any thoughts about marriage…until now. Her father has found someone who is willing to marry her.  She will cook and be a mother to the motherless sons of this man. But when things go horribly wrong, Moriyah is forced to leave her home and head to a city of refuge.  It is not an easy journey fleeing to the city of refuge. She encounters many dangers along the way.



My thoughts: This was the first book I have read that is written by Connilyn Cossette and it is not my last (I've already ordered the 1st book in her 1st series). This book is a Biblical fiction and you can tell from reading the book that much research was done. Connilyn has actually visited the Biblical cities that she is writing about.  Although there may be some parts that are not true to what would have happened during that time (I don't want to give anything away), I realized that this is a fictional story and the details are added to help tell the story.

If Moriyah was a real person, I would have wanted her for a friend. She is a great woman of character and finds out how to trust in God again after being through so much. I really loved everything about this book, the people, the places, and just everything. This is a great book if you are looking for a clean romance Biblical Christian fiction book.

I cannot wait for the second book in this new series to be released. Connilyn has me hooked!

*I received an advanced copy from the publisher. This is my honest review.*

I is for In Review

I can’t believe in less than 3 weeks that this year will be over and it will be 2018.

Here are my top posts for each month for this year. Click on the pictures to see the post.

January

February

March

April (there was a tie)

May

June

July

August

September

October

November (there was a tie)

December (so far)

I am linking up at:

Hopkins Homeschool

F is for Favorites

It’s time for the annual Blue Ribbon awards from the Homeschool Review Crew. You can find the post here of all of he favorites from the crew. Last year, I mentioned our top five favorites. This year we have so many favorites, I am going to post our favorites in the different categories.

ART ~
We have a couple favorites that we used this year in the art category. The first one is the Thin Stix from The Pencil Grip, Inc. We were actually lucky enough to review this product twice this year. This product is one of my girl's favorite art supplies.

Another art product we enjoyed this year was the  ACTÍVA rigid wrap that we used to create a butterfly. We plan to make some Christmas items with the product that we have left.

HISTORY ~
This year, we have reviewed many history curriculum and supplements it was difficult to choose our favorites because there are so many great ones. We narrowed it down to the following products.
Drive Thru History ~ This was a favorite of my high school boys. We all learned so much from the videos and look forward to watching more.

Another favorite history curriculum is from Home School in the Woods. We reviewed Make A State and The Middle Ages. Even though there is a lot that needs to be printed, this curriculum is packed full of information and hands-on activities.

Our favorite history supplements are from Heirloom Audio Productions. We reviewed two of them this year, In the Reign of Terror and Captain Bayley’s Heir.

BOOKS ~
We reviewed so many great books this year and we are looking forward to the next books in both of these series, Imagine…The Great Flood and The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls.

Here is a link to all of the products we reviewed this year and past years. You can read through to see how we used and how it fit or did not fit for us to learn more about these different companies.

Be sure to stop by the Homeschool Review Crew blog to see the rest of the crew’s favorites from this year.

I am linking up with:
Hopkins Homeschool

God’s Great Love For You ~ Book Review

God’s Great Love For You is a children’s book that was written by bestselling author and pastor, Rick Warren.

This is a beautiful yet simple story that reminds us that God loves us “on good days and bad days.” His love is with us everywhere and it will never end. Although this simple story was written for young children, I think older children adults need to also be reminded of God’s love for them. The illustrations in the book are wonderful and help tell the story beautifully.



Our family has enjoyed reading through this story and remembering that God’s love is always there for us. And though it has few words, the pictures bring the story to life. This is a great book that I think all ages will enjoy, but especially young children.

I am able to give away one copy to my readers in the Continental USA. Please use the rafflecopter form below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.