The Oregon Trail from a Horse's Perspective {An Appaloosy Books / Homeschool Review Crew Review}

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

Love horses? Historical fiction? Supporting small publishing houses and independent authors?

Take a look at the latest Horses in History book Blue Skies West from Appaloosy Books. 

Several years ago, my children and I had the pleasure of coming to know author Mattie Richardson's Appaloosy Books and appreciated how they offer a window into history through the perspective of horses. 

So, when we were offered a chance to review the latest book in the series - Blue Skies West, we took it.

What Awaits in Blue Skies West?

Blue Skies West is the fifth book in an exciting series that can help kids ages 8-12 (plus younger or older siblings and adults, too!) to learn more about important stories in U.S. History from - how fun! - a horse's point of view.

More than just a story, the book contains...

... a map for perspective followed by 12 chapters and an epilogue that tell a wholesome, interesting, tale which shares the true strife, tragedy, and conflicts of history in a sensitive way...

... a "Blast From the Past" which gives more historical details...

... a Bibliography and About the Author page

... and Author's Note/Historical Disclaimer which makes me respect and appreciate Mattie Richardson even more!

Throughout this softcover historical fiction novel, you follow the horse Blue and his rider Charlie as they travel the 2,000 mile long Oregon Trail from their longtime home in the Iowa farmlands to their new home. As you would expect, adventure awaits and danger abounds - including water crossings, stampedes, and even wagon train robbers!

What My 12-Year-Old Thinks about Blue Skies West

My 12-year-old has been enjoying Blue Skies West. Here is what he had to say about it:

Why did you want to get this book?

We read the other books in the series and they were fun.

Before reading this book, did you know much about the Oregon Trail and were you interested in it?

I knew about the Oregon Trail. I had played the game before and studied it a little, but I did not know too much.

Did you learn anything about it through this book?

Yes. I got a little feel for the hardship and understood what the journey might have been like.

Can you tell me anything about the book and your thoughts on it?

I'd say it is a pretty good book. It starts out at a farm and then escalates as they go to the Trail. On the trail the horse's rider faces many learning experiences. It is nice to picture in my mind, is easy to follow along with, and is entertaining and exciting. 

One of my favorite scenes was when the boy broke his arm by sneaking out and getting caught in the middle of a buffalo herd. That scene had exciting adventure mixed with life lessons.

I would recommend it to people who like exciting history, people wanting to learn about the Oregon Trail, and people who like horses.

Did you like this book as much as the other ones in the series?

Yes. They are fun, short books, and I like that they are from the horse's perspective.

My Thoughts about Blue Skies West

I have not yet had the time and focus to read the book myself, but I have listened to my son's oral narrations of it and have also read him a chapter or two at bedtime or when he was sick and asked me to read to him instead of him reading on his own.

In doing so, I have come to see that Blue Skies West, like the other books in Horses in History, tells a vivid tale with accurate historical details.

Told from the horse Blue's perspective while still offering character development of other characters, the book draws you in with its unique point-of-view. 


I believe that horse lovers, history lovers, and those who like to read stories that do not shy away from the harder parts of history but also treat them with sensitivity might like this story as a family read aloud, for children's independent reading, as a history supplement, or as part of interest-based or unit-based learning.

Learn More

See our review of other Horses in History books.

The Horses in History series are told from a secular - not expressly Christian or Catholic point of view, and as such do not aim to teach any religious/moral lesson. They also, however, do not contain any morally objectionable content. Thus, the books are appropriate for all audiences and could be added to any public school curriculum or library.

Because this book is set in a historical period, does represent events and language in ways that might raise eyebrows to particularly sensitive readers (such as death, the use of the word "Indian", etc.), but it does without any graphic details and in an age-appropriate way.

I commend Mattie Richardson on writing well-researched wholesome, historical reads that can cross over between homeschool, private school, and public school audiences.

Find Appaloosy Books on social media - Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Over 25 Homeschool Review Crew families read Blue Skies West. Click through to find links to each family's thoughts in social media, blog, and video reviews

Follow a Daring WWII Rescue in the Christian Historical Fiction: Prisoner of War {A Whatsoever Stories / Homeschool Review Crew Review}

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

If you're looking to connect World War II history with some Christian fiction for reading aloud or independently, Whatsoever Stories is a place to look. We've recently had the opportunity to review one of their new releases, Prisoner of War by Kinsey M. Rocket, and have enjoyed it.

Prisoner of War is well done.

Prisoner of War begins with action and continues to engage throughout.

The story centers around an attempt to save over 100 unarmed men from a POW camp under German control during World War II and moves back and forth between what is happening with the imprisoned characters and what the men of the Wings of Service - who plot to save the POW's - are doing.

Switches in location/scene are indicated by visual breaks in the text. 

(When reading aloud, I indicated the switch by saying things like, "back to the POW's", "scene change," or "back to the Wings of Service" to help my son follow along without the visual cue of the stars.)

The book is intended for readers 12 years old or older, but I believe can be enjoyed by families with younger children as well. It is definitely written with an aim to engage readers while honoring Christ, and, as it says in the front pages of the book and on the Whatsoever Stories website:

"The purpose behind Whatsoever Stories is to produce wholesome, God-honoring books that parents can trust to uphold biblical principles and that will give young people good things with which to feed their minds so that good things can come forth from them." 

Prisoner of War fits this mission, and, although intended for readers 12 years old or older,  could be enjoyed by families with younger children as well I believe.

My son enjoyed this Christian historical fiction book.

When I asked my son for his thoughts for this review, he said:

My mom and I have been reading Prisoner of War recently. I have found it to be an interesting historical fiction novel set during World War II. 

The book focuses on two storylines that intersect. One is about a U.S military man - Charles Brentley - who gets captured by German soldiers and is put in a prison camp, where and he and his prisonmates try to escape. The other storyline is about an air rescue squad that attempts to rescue the soldiers in the prison camp. The stories intersect with an American special agent - William Whitlock, who swaps places with an enemy soldier and becomes the inside man at the prison camp.

The book is a Christian one, so there are references to God and the Bible, and one of the rescue squad people named Zach gets converted. 

I think the book is a decent one. The plot is exciting and easy to follow along. Sometimes, I found the story a little predictable and wordy, but I enjoyed it overall.

I would recommend this book as an independent read for fifth graders on up. Families could also read it together. People who like history, aviation, World War II, and Christianity might like this book.

Learn More

Prisoner of War is a 381-page paperback that seems to have a good binding and thick pages.

Each of its three main parts has a black and white illustration on its title page.

Before the historical fiction story unfolds, there is a Historical Note.

Then, at the end of the book, there is an Afterward which is a letter from the author to the reader that speaks to the reader about the author's hope that the tale has spoken to the reader's heart and encourages the reader to embrace Christ.

There is also a brief section in the back called "Inspiration" which summarizes the true incidents and facts that inspired the author.

Finally there is a glossary and a very brief author bio which, among other things, states that the author is a homeschool graduate!

You can preview the book here.

Thirty-five Homeschool Review Crew families reviewed Prisoner of War, Trial at the Ridge (mean for ages 10-14), or Farmyard Faith (meant for ages 10-adult). Be sure to click through to find links to each of the blog, social media, or video reviews.

Learn about the Famous Men of Greece with Ease and Independence! {A Homeschool Review Crew / Memoria Press Review}

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

If you are looking for a well-written and designed classical history resource Famous Men of Greece by Memoria Press is worth a peek.

I had just been thinking about how I would like to refresh my 11-year-old’s history studies with something self-paced and mostly independent when an opportunity to review products by Memoria Press arose. Thus, I grabbed my son, showed him the options, and he chose the Famous Men of Greece set, a classically-based history resource designed for children in grades 5-6.

Shortly thereafter, we received our review materials - a text, a Student Guide, a Teacher Guide, and flashcards.

All three books are formatted in the same softcover size and are designed to be open-and-go.

The textbook, written by John H. Haaren and A.B. Poland is broken into 32 chapters which introduce students to the rise, Golden Age, and fall of Greece, by beginning with discussion about Greek Gods and then carrying forth with introducing the lives and minds of thirty famous Greeks to include Aristotle, Ptolemy, Odysseus, and Alexander the Great. Written in an engaging and understandable style - with both black-and-white and full-color images throughout, the text helps student establish a grasp on the faces and places which made Ancient Greece and its impact.

Corresponding to each chapter in the text are workbook pages in the Student Guide which follow a similar pattern chapter by chapter, using the following sections:

• Facts to Know, which names and defines essential people, places and concepts and, sometimes, lists famous quotes, too

• Vocabulary, which presents a short list of terms that students will come across in their reading and can note the definitions of

• Comprehension Questions, which ask for straightforward information from the chapter

• Activities, which are primarily mapwork

Additionally, the Student Guide contains periodic review pages, which ask students to do such things as define words, name who said specific quotes, describe events, review geography, and recall important people, places, and concepts, thereby encouraging students to review and retain learning from prior chapters.

At the end of the Student Guide there are also pages for Greek Gods and Their Roman names, notable quotes, timelining, drill questions, and maps. Correcting and reviewing the Student Guide is made super simple with the Teacher Guide, which is almost identical to the student workbook, but has the answers typed in the blanks and includes the addition of seven tests, a final exam, and keys for all tests and exams.

The flashcards are well-constructed, traditional cards that can help students with memory and drill work.

How Did We Use Famous Men of Greece?

When our review copy of Famous Men of Greece set came in, I introduced it to my 11-year-old during a 1:1 on our back deck. Together, we tag-read the first chapter and worked through the first pages of the Student Guide. He told me he liked the book. Hoorah!

After that one sitting, my son began to self-pace through the material with me checking in on his progress about once a week. By the time he got to the first Review portion of the Student Guide he had tired of the workbook-style of learning so asked if we could just chat about some of the material, which we did, continuing to use the materials in this way - an easy, effective, mostly-independent approach for my son.

What Does My Son Have to Say about Famous Men of Greece?

When I asked my son for his thought to share in this review, he said:

The Famous Men of Greece is a fun-to-read, independent learning material set. The way it works is that you read a chapter or so of the book and, then, answer questions about what you read.
 
I like the reading part, but the workbook gets a bit old. It is a lot of writing, which gets repetitive. It does make sure you know what you're reading through. I plan to finish the book and parts of the workbook. I would recommend this to students who like Ancient History or traditional schoolwork and who are in fifth through seventh grades.

Considering my son has picked the text up since I had him give his review thoughts, I would say the materials are a success here.

Would I Recommend This Classical History Resource?

Since Memoria Press offers classical homeschooling materials, if your family follows a classical approach, the Famous Men of Greece set will fit right into your homeschool. The materials, in my opinion, would also be fully appreciated by traditionally-minded homeschoolers who benefit from straightforward, open-and-go, read-and-respond-to-prompts type materials and those who have children that want to move forward with learning independently off screens.

Here, because we tend not to have a traditional, workbook-type learning, the text and Teacher Guide (with its written answers which helped me to easily jump right into discussions/checks of my son's independent work) were our favorite parts of the set.

Overall, I have found Famous Men of Greece to be a well-organized, open-and-go set with opportunities to learn history, improve geography, understand the impact of Greek men of thought, and let students work independently. Thus, I am pleased that we have begun using it and recommend as a worthwhile resource for studying classical history.

Learn More

Over twenty Homeschool Review Crew families reviewed Famous Men of Greece or other Memoria Press, history, Latin, or math resources. Be sure to click on through to find blog, social media, and video reviews about each family’s experience.

You might also enjoy browsing our past Memoria Press reviews.

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My Daughter Devoured C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller {A Homeschool Review Crew / YWAM Publishing Review}

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

"OOO! Guess what, guys? We're being offered a chance to review another YWAM Publishing book!" I said before proceeding to read through the titles of the Christian Heroes: Then & Now books we could choose from.

No sooner had I read the words C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller than did my 14-year-old excitedly proclaim, "That one!" She had recently become enamored with some of C.S. Lewis' nonfiction writing and wanted to know more about the man behind the books she had been reading.

Shortly after, we were delighted to receive a 191-page softcover copy of C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller in the mail and a link via email to download a Unit Study Curriculum Guide that corresponds to the book.

As soon as the book arrived, my daughter dove right in and barely came up for air. This is what she had to write when I asked for her review:

When my mother asked me if I'd like to review C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller by Janet & Geoff Benge, I automatically ensured her that I did. Remembering my past enjoyment of these books and considering my latest - what would you call it- obsession with C.S Lewis, I knew I wanted to read the book.

I did not know much about C.S. Lewis when I started the book. I do now.

The book follows the common theme of Christian Heroes: Then and Now books, which, is, of course, to make what could be a boring history of someone's life a compelling and informative story. This book in the series was so compelling, in fact, that I believe I read it in three days! I kept saying to myself and my poor mother, "just one more page.... last chapter for now...." and then proceeded to read the next and the next until I had finished the book.

I do not want to say much about what I learned about C.S. Lewis, because I do not want to ruin it for others, but I will share some random things:

• Did you know that C.S. Lewis' nickname was Jack? (I have a brother named Jack, so found this interesting.)
• Did you know he fought in the World Wars?
• How about that when he first married his life it was not because he loved her, but so that she would not have to go back to the United States?

 

I also learned more about some of the background of C.S. Lewis' writing.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about C.S. Lewis or to just read an interesting biography. I think it would be good for people eight and up.

As you can see, my daughter thoroughly enjoyed C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller, and, given that and our past pleasure with other YWAM Publishing books, I second her recommendation of the book and its corresponding unit study.

Regarding the Unit Study Curriculum Guide, it is a thorough one that can be used as a full-on unit study or can be cherry-picked for specific ideas and information that suit your particular child and homeschool style. Like all YWAM Publishing curriculum guides, it has ideas, prompts, and information for reinforcing various curriculum areas, including history, geography, essay writing, creative writing, reading comprehension, public speaking, drama, and art and is written so that both homeschool parents and teachers of co-ops/classrooms can use the material contained in it.

As a relaxed, eclectic homeschool family, we rarely use such resources in their entirety, but, rather, choose to cherry-pick ideas. Examples of how we do this are:

• use included Bible verse quotes as journal prompts.

• chat about the vocabulary words and terms that are highlighted in the Chapter Questions and Social Studies sections to ensure that my child understand each.

• have my child browse the Essay Question prompts to select one for practice essay writing.

• suggest my child look over the Creative Writing prompts to see if one strikes her fancy for journaling or a personal project.

• use the included maps to find some of the places mentioned.

There's so much in the Curriculum Guide- and all well-organized and easy to browse through - so it is easy to extend learning as little or as much as you want.

We absolutely love YWAM Publishing here and  C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller did not disappoint. 

You can find our past YWAM Publishing reviews by browsing here. Also, be sure to click over to the Homeschool Review Crew to find links to current blog, video, and social media reviews from families that have read  C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller or other Christian Heroes: Then & Now books.

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Who Knew Douglas MacArthur Would Draw in Three Super Different Kids? {A YWAM Publishing Review}

I received this complimentary product through the Homeschool Review Crew.

If you are looking for fabulous biographies perfect for individual reading, family reading, unit studies, and more, YWAM Publishing is a name to remember.

Through the years, our family has been blessed to review a number of titles in their Heroes of History series and have thoroughly enjoyed each one. 

The latest - Heroes of History, Douglas MacArthur: What Greater Honor by Janet and Geoff Benge (which can be paired with a downloadable curriculum guide) followed suit with being as engaging and well-written as the other books in this series we have read. In fact, for one of my children, it trumped all the other titles!

Seriously, this is what my 10-year-old dictated to me when I asked him for his thoughts for this review:

I thought this book was amazing in every single way, and we should get more of these stories. 

You may be wondering why I liked it so much.

Well, it is well written and engagingly narrates the life of Douglas MacArthur, who was a leading general in the army during World War II and the Korean War.

I was amazed by the courage, determination, and character of Douglas MacArthur and the way the story was told magnified the excitement of Douglas MacArthur's life.

For example, I like the way the beginning of the story started later in Douglas' life as he and his family were evacuating the Philippines and, then, the story flashbacked to MacArthur's childhood and told the rest of his story.

Overall, the story ignited my imagination as I pictured MacArthur fighting bandits in Mexico, driving off Japanese enemies in the South Pacific, and standing up for the Philippines, post-war Japan, and Korea. 

The story was a motivating and inspirational story that you - yes, you!- should read it.

I have read other books in the YWAM series and liked them, but this one is my favorite so far, because it was about a courageous man during war times.

He truly loved the book and would often stretch our read together times by asking for more of the book.

As you can imagine, he was quite disappointed when the book ended.

His big brother also enjoyed the book.

In recent history, my eldest child, 15, has rarely joined us for read aloud time without complaint. However, the Douglas MacArthur book eased his contention. 

When I asked him for his words for this review, he said:

We decided to read MacArthur as a family read aloud. Lately, I have not liked read alouds and have tried to avoid them, but this story drew me in.

I enjoyed it.

 

Before reading the book, I knew a bit about General Douglas MacArthur from a video game and thought he sounded cool. When we read the book, I realized he had an interesting life and was an amazing person.

 

Some things that stood out to me about him were:

• how he overcame his medical condition to get into West Point.

• how he always stood on the front line with his soldiers.

• how he rebuilt the destroyed country of Japan and made it into an economic and cultural power.

• how he believed that if you go to war, you must win it as effectively and as quickly as possible, yet, in peace times, he treated everybody wit dignity and honor.

• that he possessed remarkable courage, diligence, and ambition.

I would recommend this book for any American. Even though Douglas MacArthur died in 1964, some of what he experienced and fought for affects us today, in particular, things related to China and Korea.

My daughter, 13, also noted how apropos the MacArthur book seems to current issues with China, Korea, Communism, and Socialism.

She shared:

Douglas MacArthur was a veteran in World War II and the Korean War, therefore, I had never been that interested in him, because topics I tend to avoid are the French Revolution and the World Wars. (Both tend to be extraordinarily gruesome.)

Still, when my mother introduced us to the YWAM book, Douglas MacArthur, I found out it was quite intriguing. 

I probably would not have agreed to listen to the book if I had not liked the other books in the YWAM series, such as Milton Hershey, Benjamin Franklin, etc. Because I found those books engaging even if the people and places in them had not seemed interesting to me before, I did not immediately disregard the Douglas MacArthur one. 

I did not regret my decision to listen to Douglas MacArthur. As the book told it, his life was not as boring and gruesome as I expected to be. In fact, it was quite intriguing.

One thing that stood out to me were that the president that told Douglas MacArthur not to go ahead and crush North Korea caused many issues and conflicts that could have been avoided in later history. (This was not actually explained in the book, but my common sense when looking at the history in the book and current events filled in the gaps.)

I would completely recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about an outstanding man who fought for freedom and treated others with dignity and respect.

So, as you can see, the book was a hit here and made a rather profound impact on my children.

I admittedly was wowed by some of the details and connections the book brought to light, too, and even found myself sharing about it at several recent homeschooling events.

This book is definitely one we all recommend!

Oo, and if you are a homeschooler that likes to turn books into studies or a teacher in a co-op or classroom, great news! There is a downloadable Unite Study Curriculum Guide available to go with the book, too.

Because we were so getting into just reading the Douglas MacArthur book together here, I did not pause to go over the Key Quotes, Chapter Questions, Maps, Extension Ideas, and more that are contained in the comprehensive unit study, but I did look them all over, and I have some quotes printed out that I intend to use for either copywork, dictation, or impromptu speech exercises as well as some essay prompts to challenge my older child with.

Surely, if I were still teaching at co-ops, I could easily run a full course with the book and all the materials and suggestions within the unit study. It's fabulous stuff!

If you'd like to learn more about how others are using this book title and its corresponding unit study materials - or if you'd like to read about some of the other studies, do click on through to the Homeschool Crew Review to find links for 40+ Crew reviews for YWAM titles.

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