Mattie Richardson's Horses in History Series by Author Mattie Richardson/Appaloosy Books: A TOS Crew Review

Mattie Richardson's Horses in History Series by Author Mattie Richardson/Appaloosy Books

Do you have a history or horse loving reader?  If you don't here is a wonderful way to turn your children into one!  We have been enjoying a new discovery Mattie Richardson's Horses in History Series by Author Mattie Richardson/Appaloosy Books.

These delightful books combine horses and history into a great story aimed at your 8-14 year olds.  We have received four books:

Appaloosy - written when the author was just 13 years old!  This book is set among the Nez Perce Indians (same tribe as a family favorite American Girl...it's a great companion book)

Dusty's Trail - this story takes you on an exciting adventure along the Pony Express.

Golden Sunrise  - a family favorite - takes the reader to the Alamo and the unforgettable fight for Texas freedom.

Day and Night - The story is set in the Civil War, and follows two brothers caught in the conflict that divided our country. 

Each of the books was about 60-120 pages in length - perfect for your newly confident independent readers, or as a family read aloud.

The author, Mattie Richardson is an inspiring story in herself.  She began writing when she was just 13 years old, and has continued ever since.  This was a BIG encouragement to my daughters.

In each of the books, she combines her love of horses with history.  The stories are told through the eyes of the horse, giving a unique and endearing perspective that my girls simply loved. 

I love historical fiction and how stories can teach.  The books are filled with great life lessons and family values.  A rare treat in today's tween/teen literature to be sure!

The books are illustrated by Clarissa Richardson (another young person!) with sweet black and white drawings. 

Each book also contains "A Blast from the Past" section at the back that helps the readers learn more about the historical setting of the story.

We also had a chance to take a peek at the 100 page PDF of the brand new Day and Night Enrichment Guide to accompany the Day and Night book.  I love getting a chance to capture their interest, and get them learning too!

The PDF is filled with great ways to expand the learning - it could easily be a full unit study, or even used for a literature class. It's broken down into 8 parts.  Here's some of what you'll find:

• Reading Comprehension - Make sure they understand what they are reading, they also make great discussion questions.
• Vocabulary - matching and fill in the blank type exercises
• History - more information about the historical period.
• Geography - a great way to explore America .
• Horses - my girls loved learning more!
• Biography & Research - meet the famous figures of each era.
• Creating Writing - Mattie encourages them to begin writing their own storiesand shows them how.
• Living History - great ideas to help bring history to life!
• Soldier's Life - An inside look, includes recipes too.
• Further Reading Suggestions - recommendations for more.

My girls loved reading these!  They are well-written and capture the reader's interest right away.  What a great way to also sneak in some American History...

Check them out!

Find Author Mattie Richardson/Appaloosy Books on Social Media:


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Appaloosy7/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/appaloosybooks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AppaloosyBooks

Hashtags: #hsreviews #AppaloosyBooks #appaloosybooks #authormattierichardson #horsesinhistory





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Beauty & the Beast

Their show was AMAZING!

I'm so proud of them - CYT did an outstanding job with this show.  Here are just a few pics to show them off... more coming soon!

American History Smash Book

We are having fun in American History this year making our History Smashbooks!

What is a Smashbook?  Basically, you take any book or journal - we are using old Childcraft Encyclopedias and smash whatever you want into it.

That's right - no rules!  Tear out pages (breathe mamas...it's okay), add sticks or candy wrappers, write on the pages, and even let it hang off the pages...

I like to call it "rebel scrapbooking" and my history students are loving it! 

Let me show you a few examples:

 Sometimes it helps to smash them down... and it's fun!

Their assignment is to find something from the history reading for the week, and make a summary to add to their smashbook.  They are learning so much, and having fun!

I'll bring items like maps or notebooking pages they can add as well.

 We love how they are personalized for each student - and full of what they have been learning!

Try it - you'll get hooked.

CrossTimber - Name Meaning Gifts: A TOS Crew Review

Your Amazing Name - Personalized Adventures for EVERY name! from CrossTimber - Name Meaning Gifts

Your child's name is a beautiful treasure. CrossTimber - Name Meaning Gifts wants to help you celebrate it!  This family operated company prides itself on helping you discover the unique meaning and special story behind your child's name.  They offer a wide selection of personalized gifts that highlight the meaning of your child's name. Check out our review of a special name plaque from them!

Your Amazing Name - Personalized Adventures for EVERY name!  is a new product that not only features the origin and meaning of their name, but also the child's own artwork.  This special gift arrives as a 28 minute long HD video that can be downloaded and viewed over and over.  DVDs are available as well.  Check out this video -



After placing my order, I completed a questionnaire with some basic info and provided a picture, a piece of original artwork and a personalized letter from me to my daughter. CrossTimber researched my daughter, Chloe's name, and put it together in a fun animated video.

Along the adventure - Benjamin, Mr. Owl and Rescued the Lamb spoke directly to Chloe about the meaning and origin of her name, and why names are so important to God.  Scriptures were highlighted throughout the video. Mr. Owls puns were very entertaining to both of us!

 In fact, Chloe's name was in the video over 20 times - she got a huge kick out of seeing it appear on the screen as she watched.

The adventure ends with a personalized letter from me, read to Chloe. 

 CrossTimber also presented  a special hand-picked Bible verse chosen especially for her.

Are you looking for a unique gift?  The video was a personal and meaningful gift that Chloe will always cherish.

Check out CrossTimber - Name Meaning Gifts on Pinterest !

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Calvert Homeschool Online: A TOS Crew Review

Calvert Homeschool Online from Calvert Homeschool

Do you wish you could find the perfect curriculum for you?  We've been exploring online learning with our six months of access to Calvert Homeschool Online.

This program offers access to over 45 courses in four subjects of history and geography, language arts, math, and science for grades 3-12 on either an Individual Plan or a Family Plan, all you need to provide is internet access and the device and all the planning and curriculum is taken care of.

The program is well-designed and easy to use. Calvert Homeschool is a well-established and award winning supplier of homeschool curriculum that has been around for a long time.  You will have access to great support and customer service with a simple phone call.

To begin, you need to set up your Parent Account, which allows you to create student accounts, assignments, monitor your student's progress and more.

One aspect we really like about Calvert Homeschool Online is the ability for us to customize grade levels we are working on for each course.  This is a great way to reinforce a subject that you may be struggling to complete, or allow your child to work ahead where they are gifted. A student can even work in multiple courses all at different levels.

A handy, downloadable PDF Student Guide will help them navigate through the program and how it works...I highly recommend starting here!

My testers are working in American History and Science.  I love that with my family plan - everyone can work in a different place.  You choose the course and level in your parent dashboard.

Once your student logs in with their personal login, they are taken to the Assignment screen.  It's so easy - the program automatically takes them to where they left off, no need to remember.  If you prefer, you can create specific dates in your parent dashboard for assignments.

From their log in - they can work on assignments in their course or several other options (determined by the parent in the setup)like working with flashcards for Times tables or State Capitals or learning the Periodic Table.  There are also some games that they can access for review and fun.

The assignments my testers were working on - for grades 5,6, and 8 contained text to read along with embedded video and audio components.  The reading is followed by multiple choice questions or matching exercises to test comprehension.  The family plan includes access for 3 students.

For science courses, hands-on lab work is included.  Students are encouraged to conduct the experiments and complete written lab reports.  Frankly, we had a hard time with experiments because we didn't have all the supplies needed... test tubes, bunsen burners and Benedict's solution are not things I have lying around the house.  But, we simply clicked our way through them and kept going (it will skew the online grading system if you choose to do this).

My testers favorite part was the Vocabulary Arcade - where they could play games with the vocabulary words from the lessons.  Incorrect words are shown after the student misses.

If you have a very independent learner and are a fan of traditional learning, or if you are looking for high level learning for upper grades, or you prefer a solid, well-designed curriculum that has been put together for you - Calvert Online may be a great option.  The courses are interesting and the information has all been planned out for the student to work independently.

Overall, we enjoyed this program.  I'm impressed with the scope of courses and will definitely be continuing to use it as a supplement.

You can try it yourself with their FREE TRIAL and see if it's a good fit for your family.


Find  Calvert Homeschool on Social Media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CalvertHomeschool
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CalvertEdu
Instagram: www.instagram.com/calverthomeschool
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/CalvertHomeschool/


Hashtags:  #hsreviews #Calvertlegacy #CalvertHomeschool #HomeschoolwithCalvert

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