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

Learn Pre-Algebra with Flexibility and Independence {A TabletClass Math / Homeschool Review Crew Review}

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

If you are looking for a middle school or high school math program that is complete, understandable, flexible, and able to be used online and on paper online, solo or with parent input, then TabletClass Math could be for you.

My 12-year old has been trying out the Pre-Algebra and so far, I've been pleased with the course and would therefore recommend it, or TabletClass Math other homeschool math courses as a possible solution for you and yours. 

Other courses offered are:

• Algebra 1
• Geometry
• Algebra 2
• Pre-Calculus

Each course is designed to provide a complete math curriculum that can be self-paced by students with 24-hour online access to a full host of pre-recorded video lessons and printable practice problems and tests/keys and notes. 

Clear Math Teaching

Instruction is offered by Mr. John Zimmerman, a credentialed and proven master teacher who has helped countless students reach their goals - from finally "getting" math to getting into top colleges. His style is engaging as he aims to make math enjoyable and understandable while making complex concepts clear.

Mr. Zimmerman also aims to offer homeschool students the full teaching they would receive in a classroom situation, which means he provides full down-to-earth video lessons which introduce and teach concepts and skills and also bring students step-by-step through solutions to all practice problems. 

You can get a flavor for Mr. Zimmerman's style on his YouTube channel.

Ease of Use

Each TabletClass Math is self contained and easy for students to use on their own with any online device, a printer, paper, a pencil, and, if desired, a calculator. No textbooks or other supplies are needed.

With a well-organized online portal hosted on the teachable.com website, students can use TabletClass Math independently and control the pace of instruction in a way that suits their learning style - pausing videos, replaying them, skipping ones about concepts they "get", moving quickly through lessons or taking thing slow.

The online portal is set up with consecutive links almost like chapters in a text book, so basically, you can self-pace through the online teaching then put pencil to paper by completing printable practice problems, exercises, and tests. Doing so will help you master chapter core math skills and concepts.

Of course, you can also use TabletClass Math as a ready reference or tutorial system logging in any time you get stuck on a particular concept and using the easy to use navigation to find a lesson which targets just what you need more help with.

Or, like my son and I, you can use TabletClass Math as both and independent and parent-supported math program - working independently when life requires it and having some Mom (or Dad)-taught lessons using the printable worksheets when time allows and you ask for such things. 

Parent Support

Although TabletClass Math is set up for students to do on their own, Mr Zimmerman did not forget parents. 

As a parent, you can gain access to a Parent/Admin Portal that includes:

• Chapter Tests / Keys
• Chapter Tests Summary Worksheet
• a Course Guidebook
• Final Exam Directions
• a Final Exam
• a Final Exam Key
• a Course Grade Calculation Worksheet
• a printable Course Certificate

No worries if you don't "get" math or are rusty, all solutions are there!

Plus, you can easily see how students are doing by paging through their printable worksheets or taking a peak at periodic quizzes.

Comprehensive Math Teaching

Some online math programs seem more supplementary than complete. Not TabletClass Math! Each TabletClass Math course is designed to provide much more than a brief overview of concepts.

Each topic is taught in-depth, to include lesson videos, practice problem examples and step-by-step video solutions, a wide range of printable problems, etc.

Lesson videos, on average, are more than 15 minutes long in order to maximize complete explanations and mastery.

Basic and advanced skills, including word problems, are covered and each chapter includes
a comprehensive, printable summary of notes for each concept covered​.

There are also end-of-chapter quizzeswith instant feedback so you can see how you are doing.

Designed for student practice and mastery of core academic skills, TabletClass Math offers more than many other online math courses I have seen.

My Son's Thoughts|

My 12-year-old said:

At first, I hated it, because I did not want to start Pre-Algebra, but once I watched the videos I realized it was not that bad. The videos teach well. They have clear explanations and there are also videos to walk you through the problems.

I like that there are printable worksheets. I like being able to write on paper. Also, the worksheets make it so that I can learn 1:1 with Mom when I don't want to watch the videos. The program gives me options to decide if I want to be online or off and to be able to decide if I want to get ahead. 

I would recommend it and will continue it, which will make my mom surprised because at first I was adamant I would not do Pre-Algebra.

As Mom, I am surprised. My 12-year-old was not thrilled when I suddenly jumped him to Pre-Algebra, but he's realized that with this program, he can do it. Hoorah!

My Final Thoughts

So, far, I have been pleased with the flexibility and comprehensive teaching of TabletClass Math.

I particularly appreciate that my son can use the TabletClass Math system independently and control the pace of instruction in a way that suits his personal learning style and our crazy schedules. Because the system is set up so that students use both technology (any online device) and traditional materials (pencil and paper!) to learn, my son can use it at home and at co-op during study hall when he has internet connection, or or alongside me or his own on paper when we have pre-printed included worksheets and are somewhere without internet connection or when he just wants some Mom-time and teaching.

The TabletClass Math approach seems excellent for retention and engagement as well as flexibility and I encourage you to look into it.

Learn More

About 20 Homeschool Review Crew families tried out a course or more TabletClass Math. Click through to find links to video, social media, and blog reviews.

Find TabletClass Math on social media: Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Get a Homeschool Science Membership for the Whole Family {A Greg Landry's Homeschool Science/Homeschool Review Crew Review}

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

What happens when a former college professor and veteran homeschool dad spends about two decades teaching thousands of homeschooled students and hundreds of college students in the U.S. and worldwide Science? Whole families get to reap the benefits of Grade 1-12 Science resources with practical, self-paced courses as a part of Greg Landry's Homeschool Science Membership from Greg Landry's Homeschool Science.

Our family was introduced to Greg Landry's in 2021 when my son opted to review a half-semester Biochemistry and Microbiology class. Having met with success with that course, but then veered away from Science studies while concentrating on other things, my son has now returned to Greg Landry's Homeschool Science as he works to complete his high school Science credits.

When I asked him to write out his thoughts for this review, he shared the following.

What Is this Product?

A Greg Landry's Homeschool Science Membership includes access to courses for Grades 1-12, including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Anatomy and Physiology, and online labs. Each high school level course contains pre-recorded video lessons and a pdf workbook. The workbooks have worksheets, note taking, and diagrams. 

Why Did I Choose this Product?

I paused my Science studies for a while and now want to finish all of my Science credits in one year. So, I chose Greg Landry's Science, because it has both sciences I need in one place which allows me to get used to the program and then use it through both programs instead of jumping to different ones as I usually do.

When I took Greg Landry's Science before, I found that lessons were easy to complete and more importantly to me, not time consuming. Unlike with other programs I have used, I can speed up and slow down the videos, which allows me to take things at my own pace.

This is a feature I like about these courses.

How Do Lessons Flow?

Let me take you through the process of a lesson. First you log onto your Canvas account, open the course you want, open the next video lesson in it, and grab some paper or the special note taking sheets Greg Landry provides if you have opted to print them out. Then, while watching the video, you take notes. After this you complete the worksheets and can also do corresponding labs from the online labs access.

Would I Recommend this Product?

I have recently realized that I prefer in-person lessons over online ones for subjects such as Science, so while Greg Landry Science is not my absolute favorite style of program, I still find it reliable and easy to use. It gets the job done, and, for this reason, I would recommend it to any high school age homeschool student and their parents who don’t have access or time for in person learning. 

Learn More

A Greg Landry's Homeschool Science Membership offers you and your family access to over $4500 (if purchased separately) of Science and Virtual Labs for grades 1-12 plus things for Mom and Dad. For students in grades six or above, the courses can typically be self-paced with little parent involvement.

My approach to using the high school courses with my son is to let him watch videos, take notes, use the pdfs, etc. as he wishes to and, then, to check up on him by browsing his notes binder and using the optional downloadable True or False tests and require the online labs as well.

I am happy to be able to have my son finish his Science credits at his own now-quickened pace with Greg Landry's Science and recommend Greg Landry's Homeschool Science Membership as an effective resource that makes Science accessible for your family to pace through as needed. With monthly membership payments that decrease every six months, Greg Landry can become your Science "easy button".

Ten Homeschool Review Crew families have been blessed to review Greg Landry's Homeschool Science Membership. Click through to find reviews of each family's experience.

You might also like some of the free resources Greg Landry offers.

Get a Discount and Add Dramatized Bible Stories to Your Day with The Adventum {A Homeschool Review Crew Review and Discount Code}

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

If you and your family enjoy audiodramas and Bible stories then I recommend taking a listen to The Adventum, Volume 1, produced by Wise King Media. I have recently had an opportunity to review this fictional retelling of stories of Bible stories and am impressed with how they imaginatively make the Bible come alive with powerful background music and sound effects and a full cast of voice actors.

What Is The Adventum?

The Adventum, Volume 1 is an imaginative, immersive, and gripping retelling of Bible stories that takes families back to the Creation through Noah's family's experiences and when Abraham's experienced euphoric relief when God provided a ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac to stories of Jacob and Esau.

Available as a 4-CD set, like I received, or a digital download, The Adventum, Volume 1 makes the Bible come to life for families by taking the characters of the Bible, the Words of God, and some imagination to create engaging stories filled with music, sound effects, narration, and dramatic dialogue that immerse you in what it might have been like to live during ancient Biblical times.

The entire Volume 1 set is about four hours long, broken into segments of a few minutes to about 30 minutes, with an average of, I'd say, 20-minute stories.

In the tradition of all great audiodramas, The Adventum, Volume 1 uses high-quality sound effects, music, and dialogue to immerse you in action and adventure, making your listening experience almost like watching a movie in your mind with full audio.

What The Adventum Is Not

The Adventum audiobook series is not an audio Bible recording that only uses the words of Scripture. It does, however stay true to the characters of Scripture and, where the voice of God is used in the audioadrama, it's taken verbatim from the NKJV and NIV translations of Scripture. There is no artistic license taken with His words.

A Discount for You

If you'd like to listen to samples of the audiostories, make sure to go to The Adventum website where you will also see - at the time of this writing - that The Adventum, Volume 1 is 50% off. Better still, The Adventum is offering free shipping for Training Happy Hearts readers! Just use the code advcrew22 at checkout!

Our Experience with The Adventum

The first time I listened to The Adventum, Volume 1 I was on the tail end of a long roadtrip with two of my children. Both children enjoyed the stories with me and thought the imaginative retellings were interesting, but one thought that the sound effects were a bit too overpowering.

After that, because my children were rarely in our minivan at the same time this summer, I listened to the rest of the 4-CD set on my own on my way to and from daily Mass. Interestingly, on a few of the days I listened, the messages from the CD-set and those from the Scripture and homilies I had heard at Mass lined up, allowing God to use a combination of prayer, my time at Mass, and my time with the audiodramas to speak to my heart. (I love it when these things happen!)

Likewise, on a few occasions when my daughter and I were going for what I call walk-n-talks, she brought up things that she had heard or read during her studies and personal spiritual reading time and I found myself relating thoughts I had had after listening to The Adventum on those mornings. 

Thus, I can attest that the creative and immersive retellings of The Adventum impacted my thoughts and family conversations, and I am glad I have had the opportunity to listen to the CD-set.

How You Might Use the Adventum

The beauty of a CD-set like Adventum is the flexibility with which it can be used. It comes in a hard plastic case with sleeves for each CD that - through my experience - stands up to being shuffled about in bags and vehicles. Some ideas for using it are:

1. Enjoy family listening time together by listening at home while you color, do chores, play with blocks, etc.
2. Pair the audiodramas with history studies so that early Biblical history can come alive.
3. Engage in Bible study time by listening to the audiodramas and then reading corollary Scripture.
4. Dive into Lectio Divina with kids by keying into the Scripture passages that each story in the set was created from and then choosing another Scripture passage for children to read, meditate, pray, and contemplate.
5. Prompt Biblically-inspired writing by having your kids pick Words of God from Scripture in other parts of the Bible and then create an imaginative retelling using real Biblical characters and stories much like The Adventum does.
6. Share selections in a co-op or catechism class.
7. Make long car rides seem to go faster by immersing yourself in the stories.

The Adventum, Volume 1 seeks to inspire and captivate you through:

• helping you identity with Bible heroes of the past - as real people with real struggles much like us
• igniting a hunger to read Scripture.
• sparking curiosity, excitement, and a deeper love for God.

Enjoy its immersive experience of the stories of Genesis.

 

Learn More

See how other Homeschool Review Crew families used The Adventum, Volume 1 by clicking through the banner below.

Listen to samples of this engaging Bible stories audioadventure at The Adventum website.

The Adventum has more resources for your homeschool, to include four more volumes in this series and a growing collection of text and audio lessons, which can be found on The Adventum blog, and are directly connected to the the audiodramas

Don't forget that at the time of this writing you can get 50% off  The Adventum, Volume 1.

Training Happy Hearts readers can also get free shipping by using the code advcrew22 at checkout!

You might also enjoy the additional four volumes of this series that are also available on the website, including Volume 5, which is ready for pre-order.

Super Teacher Worksheets Support Struggling Readers! {A Homeschool Review Crew Review}

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

When my children were younger, I was introduced to the 10,000+ (now 20,000) printables that Super Teacher Worksheets offers and found them super helpful. Two years later, I revisited this winning resource with delight, but, then, my kids aged of it.

So, why would I have chosen to review another 1-year membership of this K-5th grade resource now?

Because I am working with a homeschool friend's struggling reader and having the worksheets at my fingertips to use for supplementary work and homework is super helpful!

Teaching Reading with the Help of Super Teachers Worksheets

Since my homeschool friend asked me to help her son with his reading, I have been working with him once a week using a loose Orton-Gillingham approach combined with phonetic readers and Super Teacher Worksheets.

Each week as I prepare for our meeting, I quickly browse the reading, writing, phonics, spelling, and sight words worksheets on the Super Teacher Worksheets membership website and print off ones that relate to whatever target phonograms we have recently worked on or will be attacking that week.

With these on hand, I am easily able to add extra challenges and fun to our lessons and to provide his parents with concrete exercises and activities to do between our sessions.

I love that I can quickly pull up and print a wide variety of worksheets which dovetail with whatever target phonogram I am teaching on a certain day and that there are multiple offerings to support lessons. With the available printables, I always have a new challenge or review resource at hand to work on together in session or to send home with my friend's son for homework.

My friend's son seems to enjoy the printables, too! Often, when he comes back with his completed work, he is eager to see how he did on it and sometimes asks for more worksheets! I think he and his parents appreciate that the worksheets are clear cut, not overwhelming, and provide an ideal amount of practice and stretching of skills.

More than just ELA

At present, my friend's son and I are only working on his English Language Arts skills. However, should I be asked to expand what I am helping him with, I can also easily access math, social studies, science, holiday, and seasonal printables with thanks to my Super Teacher Worksheets. membership. (I have used worksheets from these other areas with my own kids in the past.)

It's fabulously convenient to have so many printables right at your fingertips with easy navigation.

With games, cut-and-glue activities, puzzles, mini-books, traditional worksheets, and more, there truly is something for everyone on Super Teacher Worksheets, and since Individual Memberships currently cost just $24.95 per year and offer unlimited downloads, the resource is amazingly affordable!

It's one-stop resource for worksheets for:

• math
• reading comphrehension
• phonics
• early literacy
• grammar
• spelling
• reading and writing
• chapter book units
• science
• social studies
• PreK and Kindergarten
• Holidays
• parent/educator tools

There is also a worksheet generator where parents and teachers can create their own math problems, spelling lists, Bingo games, wordsearches, flashcards, quizzes, and more. What a time saver that is for busy educators who want to customize printables but not be responsible for totally designing them!

I recommend  Super Teacher Worksheets to homeschoolers, tutors, and teachers with K-5 students. It is an easy-to-navigate, super helpful resource that allows you to find premade printables or customize your own quickly.

Learn More

Find Super Teacher Worksheets on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.   

Over 30 Homeschool Review Crew families have been benefiting from this comprehensive library of printable resources.  Get a  peak into more of the resources by clicking through to read all of our reviews as many of us chose different ones to highlight. 

Check Out These Excellent Study Guides for 2 Classic Books {A Progeny Press / Homeschool Review Crew Review}

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

Do you have a child reading C .S. Lewis or Tolkien this year?  Then, I recommend you dig in with the The Last Battle Study Guide and Fellowship of the Ring Study Guide by Progeny Press. Each of these interactive literature guides is top notch!

Why Did We Choose to Use These Progeny Press Guides?

When we were offered the opportunity to review The Last Battle Study Guide and Fellowship of the Ring Study Guide, I jumped at the chance, for, even though I knew our summer was going to be busy, our past experience with Progeny Press guides has been so positive that I wanted to check out these ones, too.

Our past reviews of Give Me Liberty, My Side of the Mountain,  Redwall, and Frankenstein proved to me that Progeny Press can flex with whatever schedule we have and can offer us as little or as much as we want as we dive into pieces of literature.

A Little Bit about These Guides

Like most Progeny Press study guides, The Last Battle Study Guide and Fellowship of the Ring Study Guide offer a wide variety of information and activities, which includes:

• a brief author biography
• background information
• pre-reading activity ideas
• exercises to help learn and use vocabulary words
• focus on moral lessons and character values
• study of literary techniques
• a variety of comprehension and "digging deeper" questions
• writing assignments
• suggestions for further reading
• a complete answer key
  

Plus, both guides are written from a Christian perspective.

Wonderful for families with multiple children, these studies can be used over and over again for multiple students in your families. (Just do a "save as" of the file for each child or print out multiple copies.) 

High School Students Can Dig into the Fellowship of the Ring Study Guide

The Fellowship of the Ring Study Guide is aimed at grades 9-12 and, when done in full, can earn a high student .25 transcript credits.

The classic Fellowship of the Ring book itself is not included with the downloadable study guide, but can be easily accessed online, taken from public libraries, or even purchased through Progeny Press.

With book and guide on hand, students can do the prewriting activities, then read the book in its entirety, then jump into the guide, Or, they can read a few chapters a week and do corresponding activities. Or, like my son, they can revisit a book previously read for enjoyment only and dig a little deeper into it with a more academic bent in mind. 

 

As students dive into Tolkien's tale of fantasy, hobbits, adventure, danger, loyalty, and courage, they can explore so many concepts, themes, and skills.

Literary techniques included in the study explore alliteration, anthropomorphism, assonance, comic relief, foreshadowing, homonyms, exposition, paradox, point of view, rhythm, rhyme, setting, and tone.  

As the guide discusses such issues as how to treat prisoners, ethnocentrism, fleeing from sin, praying, seeking counsel, self-awareness, and true friendship, it also shines a light on how God is in control, the Word of God guides us, and God provides strength. Character and moral issues are central to the guide.

Writing assignments and activities include art, a character journal, a crossword puzzle, debate, essays, mapwork,  a mini poetry element study, a travel account and more.

Of course, there are more traditional vocabulary and comprehension exercises, too.

One of the prompts my son dug into had him relating Gandalf to the Good Shepherd and had my son asking a strong question in the conclusion of his response's initial draft: 

Just like the good shepherd protecting his flock, Gandalf was willing to die for his sheep, the fellowship. This willingness to lay down one's life for one's friends or followers is a key part of a virtuous leader and a virtuous person. Will we, like Gandalf, or the good shepherd, be willing to lay down our life if it will save others?

Middle School Students and Older Can Focus on the Last Battle

Meant for grades 5-8, The Last Battle Study Guide can also benefit older students. It comes in a downloadable interactive pdf format and can be used in conjunction with any online or bound copy of the book.

Within the study, literary techniques dealt with include allusion, anthropomorphism, asides foreshadowing, idioms, metaphors, motifs, onomatopoeia, parallelism, and more.

Moral lessons, character values, and  themes include commitment, courage, discouragement, distraction, friendship, hypocrisy, loyalty, racism, respect, teasing, truth vs. lies, wisdom vs. foolishness, and more.

After a helpful synopsis of the book, activities, exercises, and writing assignment topics include art, comprehension questions, discussion, essays, letter writing, poetry, research papers, vocabulary exercises, and more.

One prompt that got my son thinking referred to Plato's Allegory of the Cave. As my son was drafting his thoughts about the prompt, he wrote:

While this allegory has been used to explain many things, such as education or the lack thereof and its effects on our nature, or the preference of comfortable falsehoods to a strange truth, in Lewis’ book, Lord Digory seems to be referring to a different idea. This idea is that of the items with which we interact vs. the perfect ideals of those items in the eye of the divine. Such as a rose which one could hold, smell and see, but which is missing a petal. That is the shadow. The true essence of a rose is that held in the mind of the divine, a perfect rose, more vibrant than any which exists on this earth, more perfect. 

In The Last Battle, Narnia as it was is destroyed, and a ‘new’ Narnia is found. But this ‘new’ Narnia isn’t new. It is Narnia as it should be, a perfect Narnia in the eyes of the divine. The ‘new’ Narnia are the real items, the old are the shadows on the wall.

I love that this guide had my son digging into thoughts like this and look forward to reading his final draft response.

My Son's  Thoughts on These Guides

When I asked my 16-year-old for his thoughts on these guides, he said:

These guides are useful and educational. I have read both books before for enjoyment. Now, I am revisiting them with these guides. The guides highlight aspects I did not notice before and make parts jump out that seemed less important on my first readings of the books. 

I found the essays had me researching other literature in order to glean more. This is valuable for me because I am thinking of going to a Classical Liberal Arts college.

I would recommend them.

I would recommend them, too. Whether your child has never read C.S. Lewis and Tolkien or is revisiting books, Progeny Press encourages active, engaged learning.

Learn More

Progeny Press study guides for elementary, middle, and high school students are are available for instant download with no shipping costs and work on Windows and MAC with a universally compatible PDF format.

The Interactive Study Guides should be opened with a free Adobe Reader program and, once opened, allow students to enter their answers directly on the computer, saving their work in progress. (You can also print the guides, of course, if you or your students prefer to work offscreen.) 

Multiple children?  Progeny Press has you covered.  Any child in the family may use the guides - just save a copy for each child.

Want to grade your kids?  A complete, separate answer key for parents comes as an included download and can help.

Plus, if you're not tech savvy, free technical support is available if you encounter any difficulties using the digital guide!

Over 30 Homeschool Crew Review families chose from one of four guides recently, so you can read about experiences with guides for every grade level - by clicking through to find links to everyone's reviews.

You can also find Progeny Press on:

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