Focusing on God's Plan for Our Lives Through Women of the Bible with Truth Becomes Her {A Homeschool Review Crew Review}

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read the latest release from the Bible Belles series written by Erin Weidemann. Several years ago, the children and I had read a couple of the original stories, all of which focused on women from the Old Testament. This new book, The Adventures of Rooney Cruz RINGLEADERS from Truth Becomes Her, continues the story of a young girl named Rooney, but this time the story focuses on women from the New Testament. 

Not only did we receive the hard cover book, The Adventures of Rooney Cruz RINGLEADERS, we also received a devotional titled, The Adventures of Rooney Cruz RINGLEADERS A Devotional for Girls, RINGLEADERS A Journal for Mothers and Daughters, and a RINGLEADERS Coloring Book.

These books work together to help girls realize that God is with them, cares about them, and has a plan for them. In the original HEARD stories, Rooney was given special "powers" from God, powers we can all have. She was guided by the angel Mari and through stories of five Old Testament women to learn about the powers of Prayer (Hannah), Patience (Esther), Bravery (Abigail), Loyalty (Ruth), and Leadership (Deborah). And in this continuation of her story, Rooney is again taken under the wing of the little angel when she is having struggles in her life. 

However, while Rooney learned about the Old Testament women through a series of five books, the New Testament stories are told in this 200 page chapter book. Rooney learns about six different women in nine chapters:

• Chapter 1: A Leading Lady
• Chapter 2: Setting the Stage
• Chapter 3: The Role of a Lifetime
• Chapter 4: The Show Must Go On
• Chapter 5: Waiting in the Wings
• Chapter 6: Into the Limelight
• Chapter 7: A Dream Role
• Chapter 8: A Tough Act to Follow
• Chapter 9: Center Stage

As you might be able to deduce from the chapter titles, this story revolves around a play. Rooney and her classmates are excited about their new school year and their new play. However, during the course of the year, Rooney has different concerns she needs to work through, and she needs to learn what God actually wants her to say with these "superpowers" he gave her.

First Rooney is concerned because she has these powers, but she still feels afraid and doesn't have confidence. Thanks to the encouragement of her friend, Dani, and the reminder from Mari, she is able to prepare for the audition. She learns, through the story of Elizabeth, Zechariah, and John, that God will set the stage, or prepare the way. She is then excited about the possibility of having the lead in the play, and quite disappointed when she doesn't get the part. In fact, she is given the role of understudy, which she isn't sure she wants because it seems like it would be a lot of work for the opportunity to just stay backstage and not actually be in the play. It is at this point that Mari shows Rooney the story of Mary and the birth of Jesus. She learns that God's role for our lives may not be the role that we planned for our own lives. And she says, "Yes" to God the same way Mary did. 

Unfortunately, Rooney's struggles still aren't over. She has feelings of being an outcast, and learns through the story of the Samaritan woman about Jesus being the Messiah and how he came to save us from our sins. In order to explain what sin was, Mari showed her how God is in charge of everything and when we are thinking of ourselves instead of others it is because of our selfish desires. 

And then, after she is content in her role, there is a twist in the story and she finds herself taking on the role of the lead in the play. You'd think she would be thrilled, but she now has new worries. Through the stories of Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus, she learns that there is only one thing that is really important, spending time with Jesus. But she still doesn't understand how to do this or what exactly God is trying to tell her. 

It is right before the play is to take place that she is finally made to understand as she is shown the events of Jesus death, burial, and resurrection. And we see the role that Mary Magdalene had in spreading the good news of Jesus's resurrection to the disciples. It is also at this point that Rooney truly understands about Jesus, and gives her life to the Lord, and is prepared to share the message with those God brings into her life, through not only the words she speaks but the life she leads. 

I have to admit, having read a couple of the first books, it didn't really dawn on me that Rooney wasn't a Christian. It also appears that she didn't really grow up in a Christian home if she doesn't even know the story of Jesus. That was sort of a surprise. It almost seems like the story was told in reverse and she should have learned about Jesus and became a Christian and THEN been given the different powers to help her live out her Christian live and share the gospel. 

Even though it seemed a bit unrealistic in that aspect to me, I felt that this book did a great job showing the story of Jesus, and how God works in our lives. Helping us to understand our need for him, and his sovereignty over our lives. I do love that this was taught through the stories of women in the Bible. We see how God cares for all of us, even though the stories of the women are usually over looked. 

The book itself is of great quality. It is a sturdy book with thick, glossy pages. The are illustrations on at least every other page which help bring the story to life. 

I love that Mari shows Rooney the Bible stories through a window and they don't actually interact with the people from these stories.

Even though I read the other books to all the children, I had figured this book would be Hannah's. The other girls are a bit old for it now, and Harold isn't really interested. So, I had Hannah read the book independently.

I appreciate that each chapter ends with a Bible verse to help summarize what was focused on in that chapter.

I had mentioned that we also received other books. The devotional and journal fit in with the stories of each of the women featured. I had wanted Hannah to read through the entire story before going back and doing the devotions.

There are six weeks worth of devotions. The first five focus on the women, with the sisters Mary and Martha sharing a week. The final week focuses on Rooney and how the reader learns to share the good news. There is a devotion for every day of the week, which includes Bible verses to read, a reading that is derived from the story, pictures from the story, and activities to do, such as memorize a verse, discuss questions, draw, or write. 

The journal is filled with blank lines and prompts for both the mother and daughter to write on. This isn't something I am sure we are going to use as Hannah is not a huge fan of writing, and I don't want this to be a chore for her.

And of course there is the coloring book which has pictures that come straight out of the story.

Even though Hannah isn't a huge fan of coloring, I do think it will be a fun activity for her.

Altogether these books are a wonderful way to share Jesus with a girl in your life. I was thinking it would be a great Advent activity, or a great Christmas gift to then spend the next several weeks focusing on the story of Jesus. I will say,  it was helpful that we had read the previous books, but I can see this book standing along or being read first and then a girl getting to read the stories from the Old Testament. 

I highly recommend The Adventures of Rooney Cruz RINGLEADERS for a young lady in your life. 

You can find Truth Becomes Her on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BibleBelles
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthbecomesher/

And don't forget to click on the banner below to see what my fellow Crew Mates thought of these great books.

Learning About Computer Science and Coding with Workman Publishing {A Homeschool Review Crew Review}

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

Tabitha had become interested in coding a while back when she had found a book at the library. She has since returned that book, but was quite interested when the opportunity arose for her to review Everything You Need to Ace Computer Science and Coding in One Big Fat Notebook written by Grant Smith and published by Workman Publishing. I figured this was an important interest to encourage, seeing as computers are so important in everyday life. 

This 566-page, 8"x 6" softcover "Big Fat Notebook" is the newest of a series. There are also "Big Fat Notebook" study guides for Math, Science, American History, World History, and English Language Arts.  I love that these are put out by the makers of Brain Quest. Tabitha used to love her Brain Quest workbook when she was a preschooler, and so did I. So, I was quite intrigued to learn they had these books for middle schoolers (recommended ages 11-14). I am definitely contemplating adding the other books to our homeschool library.

This Computer Science and Coding study guide is recommended for those who may be having trouble with their computer science class, or with a coding project. Perhaps you already had a class and would like to refresh your memory, this would work as well. Tabitha has been using it to teach herself the basics, and I figured it would be a great way for me to learn, because well, computers and technology never really have been "my thing," and I would like to change that.

There are eight units in this "Big Fat Notebook," which are then broken down further into chapters (between 2-9 chapters for each unit, for a total of 39). Here are the subjects you and your students will learn about in this book. 

• Unit 1: Computing Systems
• Unit 2: Data and Analysis
• Unit 3: Software Engineering
• Unit 4: Algorithms and Programming
• Unit 5: Universal Programming Principles
• Unit 6: Programming with Scratch
• Unit 7: Programming in Python
• Unit 8:Web Development

I appreciate that the book starts with the basics, allowing the student to learn what computer science is and what computers really are, along with their background. I mean, yes, children these days use computers or tablets, or phones, all the time from a very young age, but I think there is definitely a benefit to understanding the basics. I love that it looks at what is and is not computer science. Sorry, no, playing a video game is NOT computer science. Programming your own IS. 

I really love the fact that the book looks like a notebook, complete with highlighting and doodles. As the student works through the book it helps to know the way it has been organized. 

Vocabulary words are highlighted in yellow and definitions are in boxes:

Important people, places, dates, and terms are written in blue:

There are doodles, graphics, and charts to show big ideas.

I really do love that humor is added with these graphics.

And the charts really help the visual learners.

And main ideas are underlined. 

Each chapter concludes with a "Check Your Knowledge" section.

The answers are then shared on the following pages.

Tabitha has been working though this book, doing about a chapter a week. She reads and then rereads if she needs to make sure she is comprehending. She takes notes in a notebook, and answer the questions there as well. Even though there is some room to answer questions in the book, I have found there isn't really enough to write out the answers all the time. So, we are using the book more as a study guide and textbook, keeping it fresh for younger siblings.

Though you do not have to work though the book in order, in fact it is color coded to be able to easily go to the unit you are interested in learning about, Tabitha prefers to work in order, as do I. Personally, I can't wait until she gets to the chapters on programming with Scratch and Python. It looks very interesting.

From what I have been able to tell, not being very knowledgeable myself in computer science, this book is a wonderful foundation for the age range it is meant for, along with beginners of any age (i.e. me as an adult with no clue). The information is laid out in an inviting fashion and makes learning fun. I definitely recommend this as an addition to your homeschool library. And I definitely want to look into the other books in this series.

You can find Workman Publishing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Don't forget to click on the banner below to see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Everything You Need to Ace Computer Science and Coding in One Big Fat Notebook.

Digging into The Hidden Message of the Great Seal {A Homeschool Review Crew Review}

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

I was thrilled when I was given the chance to read a historical research book titled, The Hidden Message of the Great Seal  by Michael Kanis. This book from The Hidden Message, LLC came at the perfect time because we have been learning about early American history. 

This 256-page softcover book really intrigued me. I'd heard different accusations regarding important people in our country's history adding certain parts to the seal because of freemasonry or some sort of new world order. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I believed such conspiracy theories, but when I learned of this book, I was truly interested in what the true story behind the Great Seal was. Though I admit, I was a little hesitant, thinking, wait, what if this book ends up being misleading. Thankfully, I have discovered that that concern was unfounded. 

There are a total of 24 chapters, including an introduction and a conclusion, plus a section for endnotes. Here is a list of the chapter titles: 

1. Introduction
2. Time Capsule
3. The Significance of the Seal
4. Setting the Stage
5. A Tale of Two Systems
6. Studying the Seal 
7. How Could It Have Been Hidden So Long?
8. Charles Thomson
9. Francis Hopkinson
10. The Pyramid
11. Annuit Coeptis
12. Novus Ordo Secorlum 
13. The Eye
14. The Early Designs Part I
15. Early Designs Part II
16. The Covenant
17. The Front of the Seal
18. The Four Pillars
19. Virtue
20. Freedom
21. Providence
22. Unity
23. Unexpected Connections
24. Conclusion

The first nine chapters of the book set the stage for the rest of the book, explaining the importance of the seal. It discusses important seals from the past, and includes images.

It explains how our founding fathers would have put a lot of import in the making of the seal and the seal itself. I love that the book explains how the founding fathers, specifically George Washington put a lot of importance on believe and trust in God. and there are lots of his quotes. We see the importance of holding fast to the form of government our founding fathers gave us, a system that has worked for years.

The chapters that focus on Charles Thomson and Francis Hopkinson seemed a bit out of place to me at first, but then I realized the author was sharing their background to express their credibility in their part in creating the seal.

The author then focuses on the reverse of the seal, starting with the pyramid. I found so much intriguing information in this chapter. This is the part from the front of the seal that the author spends the most time on. As he does with the Eye, Mr. Kanis starts out by dealing with the misconceptions and debunking them. I appreciated that he showed the common thoughts on the meaning of the 13 steps, but digs further into the meaning, looking back through history and showing the connection with the Solidus from Byzantine empire.

I was quite intrigued.

The book goes into such detail, making sure to show how thoroughly the designers thought through the images, the format, and the words that went onto the seal. 

The common thought behind the 13 step pyramid is that they represented the original 13 states, and it was unfinished, because the country could still grow. But the author shows that their is dual symbolism. Mr. Kanis is very thorough in showing how much Godly principles and virtues would have played a part in what the designers wanted from not just the seal, but for our country. As we have just recently been learning about Benjamin Franklin, I was quite interested to learn that the 13 rows also symbolize Franklin's 13 Virtues.

The author then expresses how important it is for our country to get back to the founding fathers' beliefs on the importance of virtue, showing how without it, our country will eventually fall into tyranny. And as I was reading the book, I could see the truth in what he was saying. He even shared a chart which depicts the stages of government as written about by Plato in The Republic thousands of years ago. Honestly, it is scary to see where our country could be heading as it falls further away from the ideals our founding fathers held so dear, and made sure were in place in such things as the Great Seal, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution.

The next three chapters focus on the final parts of the reverse of the seal. Then the author looks at the Early Designs.

And shows that even though the changes, there was a consistent message and common elements.

I noticed that the information about the front of the seal didn't take up near as much room in the book. In fact, the Front of the Seal is just one chapter that incorporates each symbol and it's extended metaphor. 

The book concludes with chapters that talk about the major themes found in the seal: virtue, freedom, providence, and unity. 

As I mentioned above, this book is quite intriguing. I appreciate the detail that the author put into the book and the research that he did. It is so important to understand what the founding father and the designers of the Seal really had in mind when they designed it. This book sure is enhancing my understanding our the beliefs of our founding fathers and my understanding of American History.

I have not yet shared the book with the children. There is a lot of information here that I feel can't quite be grasped by them at this time. When I find some information that intrigues me, I do like to share, sometimes with them or with my husband. I am still working my way through the book and am really enjoying. But I read non-fiction books quite slowly and find myself needing to reread portions multiple times to get things to "click." I am sure as I continue to read the information in the book, I will be just as intrigued as I have been so far.

The one concern I had with the book is that it is a softcover book and is heavy and bulky and very hard to hold while reading. This in no way negates the message of the book, but I did want to bring it up. I found the easiest way for me to read the book is to be lying down and be able to balance the book on the bed or couch beside me.

I don't know if would have been easier to handle if is was a hardcover book or not. Because that would have made it heavier, but then the one side of the book wouldn't be flopping so much.

It is definitely a great book for adults and older middle school/high school students, for understanding our great country of the United States of America, and definitely a book I fell should be in every homeschool family's library.

In fact, you can get the book for 50% off until May 30th, 2020 by using the discount code that was generously offered. This can be used if you purchase the book from The Hidden Message website. Just enter the coupon code: HOMESCHOOL at checkout.

Don't forget to click on the banner below to read what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about The Hidden Message of the Great Seal. 

Getting Closer to God with Psalms for my Day {A Homeschool Review Crew Review}

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

When I was given the opportunity to review a lovely child's praise devotional from Christian Focus, I jumped at the chance. I thought it would be a great opportunity for Hannah to start having her own time with the Lord to start her day. She has been reading Psalms for my Day each morning, and sometimes at night as well. 

This 88-page, hardcover picture book contains passages of Psalms translated from the Hebrew by Dr. Alec Motyer, devotional thoughts written in a way a child can comprehend, along with a short, relevant prayer written by Carine MacKenzie, and beautiful, full color illustrations by Catherine Pape. 

After the table of contents and endorsements, this book introduces the Book of Psalms, explaining how the psalms were written to be songs of praise to God. You will also find an explanation of the translation of the Bible passages found throughout the book. Alec Motyer was a Bible scholar, and he used the original Hebrew so we can have a feel for what they really meant in the original language of the writers.

Following this introduction, there are 31 daily devotions, each from a different psalm, though of course, this is only a fraction of the psalms that are in the Bible. Though all of the psalms are important, I was thrilled to that there were several of the psalms that I was quite familiar with, such as Psalms 1, 8, 23, 46, 100, and 150. Sometimes the entire psalm was included, other times only portions of it. 

Each devotion follows the same format and spans the full double-page spread. First you read the passage from the day's psalm, then there is the short devotional, and finally you finish with a prayer which is usually 1-3 sentences in length.

Bible Passage for Psalm 8: 1-9

Devotional section

Prayer

And here's a look at the full double-page spread.

Here's a look at a couple more:

As you can see, each devotional focuses on a specific aspect of God. Besides the ones seen here, you will find such aspects as the Suffering Saviour, the King of Kings, God's Holiness, Our Strong God, Worthy God, and so much more. 

Also interspersed throughout the book are pages of quotes from Alec Motyer and double-page spreads of illustrations of God's creation. 

Finally, at the back of the book you will find a short, one-page glossary of new words that may be unfamiliar to the reader.

I did want to note that you may find the wording of the Bible passages to be a bit confusing at times, especially if trying to read it out loud. And I would say it could be more of an issue if you already know the passage well. However, as I have noticed at other times when reading other translations, having to read the Bible in other versions really makes me think about what I am reading, instead of just zinging through what is already in my head. So, even if it seems weird at first, definitely give it a chance, and remember that Dr. Motyer wanted to look at what the original Hebrew words really meant with his translation. 

I think Psalms for my Day is a wonderful book for young children to be able to start digging into God's Word. Children who are 7-11 years old, should be able to read this independently. You can also choose to read it to younger children (ages 4-6). In fact, I have decided that I would like to start adding a Bible time back into our day, and I plan to read this to the younger children. 

And I just wanted to mention the illustrations one last time. They really are lovely and add quite a bit to the devotional. And I love the extra illustrations added in between some of the devotionals. 

I highly recommend this book for your Bible time or for older elementary children who would like to have their own personal time with the Lord.

You can find Christian Focus on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Don't forget to click on the banner below to see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about this book or one of these two other books we were able to choose from: 

30 Prophecies: One Story 

Not If, But When

Enhancing Our Studies of Early American History with a Hero of History: George Washington: True Patriot {A Homeschool Review Crew Review}

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

For the past several weeks we have been supplementing our history curriculum with a wonderful book from the Heroes of History series from YWAM Publishing titled George Washington: True Patriot by Janet & Geoff Benge. This actually isn't the first book we reviewed from YWAM Publishing. Several years ago we had the opportunity to review Christopher Columbus: Across the Ocean Sea. And then, a couple of years after that, we had the pleasure of reading one from the Christian Heroes: Then and Now series, David Livingstone: Africa's Trailblazer. These books really are wonderful. Here, let me tell you about the newest one in our homeschool library.

We received the 223-page, paperback book in the mail, and we also received the digital unit study via email.

As with the previous books from YWAM Publishing that we reviewed, this story begins with a look at an event later in George Washington's life before moving to his childhood. In the first chapter titled, "The Enemy," we are introduced to the man who was then the commander in chief of the Continental Army, and made aware of the fact that if the patriots were to lose in this conflict against the army he was once a part of, that he would be hanged for treason. Such a cheerful thought to begin the story with. Thankfully, most readers are already going to know that George Washington goes on to become the first president of the United States of America, so there isn't anything to worry about. However, it sure is quite the adventure reading about the details that lead to this point in the life of our first president. 

The authors then take us back to George's childhood, where we also meet his younger siblings, parents, and his older half-brother Lawrence. We read about his family's move to Ferry Farm, which was also a move away from the big brother he had come to idolize. We see George's love for learning and his anticipation of the day when he would be able to head to England to go to school. And then we read about Lawrence joining the British army to go off to fight the Spanish, which was sadly around the time that George's infant sister Mildred passed away. And all this was in the second chapter of the book. 

As the story proceeds, we meet George's other half-brother Austin and then are reunited with Lawrence as he arrives home from war. And soon after, George has another devastating loss when his father dies. This leads his mother to become overbearing and demanding, and George's hopes of going to England for school are dashed as he is to stay home as the man of the house, at only 11 years of age. She then also forbids him to join the military when he is interested in that, dashing more of his dreams. He does find a way to keep himself busy beyond the farm though, when he becomes interested in surveying. It is this interest that grows and helps him venture further to the west. 

Eventually this opens up an opportunity with the army, which of course was one of his dreams as a youth. We learn that his military career has its ups and downs, at times leading him back to the plantation. In fact, when trying to drive the French out of the Ohio Valley, we learn of George's grave mistake of killing an ambassador, because he technically didn't follow orders. This helped spark the Seven Years' War between England and France. Funnily enough however, he is still regarded as a hero by the people.

As the book continues we learn so many details of George Washington's life. Details that shape him into the man that ends up going to Philadelphia as a part of the First Continental Congress in an attempt to drive home to the king of England that the colonists will no longer take being unfairly taxed and have their rights violated. Unfortunately a strongly worded letter along with a simple ban on British imports wasn't going to be enough to change the way the colonists were treated. Soon, he was attending the Second Continental Congress, and then he found himself appointed as the General and commander in chief of the Continental Army, not a position he was vying for by any stretch of the imagination.

The second half of the book details how General George Washington led the Continental Army, laying out the struggles, the defeats, the betrayals, and the victories, all leading to the ultimate surrender of General Cornwallis. And then, after the end of the war, we see the beginning of the new government of the United States of America, and how George Washington becomes the first president. Ironically, this happens after George had exclaimed to his wife Martha, "Just think of it, Martha! For the first time in thirty years, I'm a private citizen. No more politics or war for me." And, George finds himself dealing with more bickering and more fighting, first as the delegates struggled to form the government and then as the newly formed government struggled to figure out how to take control of the country without becoming a laughingstock.

I have to say, I found it quite intriguing learning all the different struggles that our founding fathers dealt with on the road to creating our new nation. Beyond that, there was the realization of how the American's Revolution sparked the upheaval in France that led to the "Reign of Terror" which we learned about a while back. I was also surprised to learn that the massacre was more personal to George Washington because people who were dying had fought under him against the British. For some reason connecting these dots moved me. I love discovering how different events are connected, in a way that I never realized before. Honestly, it's one of my favorite things about homeschooling, getting to learn along with the children, and realizing there is so much I didn't really learn in school.

The book concludes with George Washington's death, and with these final words, "The young nation he had helped to found would now have to find its way forward without him." And of course, it did.

Not only have we been reading the book, but we have been working our way through the Unit Study that we also received.

Though I have read the book in its entirety, we have not yet finished it as a family. I had started out by letting Tabitha read it on her own, because she was interested in it. However, because of all her other reading assignments, she wasn't moving through it at a pace that was going to have her finishing it by the time the review was due. So, I decided I would read it to the younger children. Then, after we had gotten several chapters into the book, I decided I wanted to utilize the study guide. Oops. This meant we needed to start back at the beginning of the book, because no one could remember enough details to answer the chapter questions, including me. Plus, there were other aspects of the unit study that I wanted to utilize.

Let's take a quick look at the Unit Study Curriculum Guide.

There were actually two separate files, Unit Study 1 and Unit Study 2. The first contained the bulk of the information and is 64 pages in length. The second was a 4 page file containing a George Washington Fact Sheet, two maps, and a timeline.

After the Introduction, the Unit Study is divided into eight sections:

1. Key Quotes
2. Display Corner
3. Chapter Questions
4. Student Explorations
5. Community Links
6. Social Studies
7. Related Themes to Explore
8. Culminating Event

There are also two appendices. 

• A - Books and Resources
• B - Answers to Chapter Questions

There is just so much here to help a homeschool parent or school teacher get as much as possible out of the book in several different curriculum areas. I appreciate that the introduction states that we are to take what we feel best fits the needs of our children. I decided that we would use the Key Quotes, the Chapter Questions, and the Social Studies sections.

I had the children use the Key Quotes as copy work, and then they were to choose one of the quotes to display.

We have been working through the Chapter Questions as a family. Though at first Tabitha wanted to work independently, she was struggling with finding the answers to the questions, which was holding her back, so I told her she might as well just follow along with us. 

The format for each chapter's questions is the same. 

1. Vocabulary word which includes the page number where it was found so we can read it in context. Children are to define the word and write it in a sentence. 
2. Factual question arising from the text
3. Question to gauge the level of comprehension
4. Open-ended question seeking an opinion or interpretation

Prior to reading the chapter, I would read the questions. Then I read the chapter. And finally, I re-ask the questions one at a time, and we work out the answers together. 

For the vocabulary word I would see if they could figure it out through the context. Then we would look up the definition, and if there were more than one, we would figure out which one fit the context. I would type up the definition and they would copy it out. Then they worked on their own sentences. I would sometimes have to give examples and then write out some ideas. 

Sometimes the factual questions were quite easy to figure out the answer to, other times it took me re-reading the passage where the answer was found. Sometimes multiple times. I would usually have to write the answers out for Hannah and Harold to copy. 

Even Tabitha and Amelia needed some guidance on answering the third question of each chapter most of the time. Sometimes they were able to give some good thoughts for the final question, sometimes they struggled.

We just started working through the Social Studies section. There is map work, vocabulary, and a timeline. I like that the unit study gives multiple suggestions for using the materials given.

I was also delighted to find some website suggestions for further learning in Appendix A. The children were able to spend some of their computer time taking a virtual tour of Mount Vernon. As much as Harold complains about having to do his schoolwork, he seemed to be having a great time finding different places on George Washington's old plantation.

If our finances were better and we had more room in our home, I would have loved to have set up a Display Corner. Unfortunately, we face the same issues as we did five years ago when we reviewed the Christopher Columbus biography and unit study. I stuck with parts of the unit study that were the easiest for us to work through. 

I have absolutely enjoyed learning more about our first president, a founding father of our country. 

I love that the authors don't skip over the flaws and mistakes that he made, which I had mentioned when I was reviewing the Christopher Columbus book. I loved seeing how all the events in his life shaped him into the person who was trusted to lead our great nation. I also greatly appreciate that they include his Christian faith, and remind us that our founding fathers did pray, even though in this day and age people seem to think those in government are barred from praying and having a faith in the Lord. 

The unit study is chock-full of information to help a family (or class) get the most out of the book. Though, some of the activities almost seem as if they would be better suited for a classroom situation. I am glad I was able to take what I needed and not worry about the rest. 

I highly recommend this biography and the unit study, especially, if like us, you are learning about early American history. It was a perfect way to supplement our lessons and increase our knowledge of an important figure in history. As I mentioned, even I learned so much. 

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I also invite you to read my past YWAM Publishing reviews. As I mentioned above, we read and reviewed Christopher Columbus: Across the Ocean Sea, and David Livingstone: Africa's Trailblazer.

Don't forget to click on the banner below to read more reviews of these great biographies from YWAM Publishing. My fellow Crew Mates and I had quite a few books to choose from. There were 26 Heroes of History books, and 6 Christian Heroes: Then and Now books.