Get Your FREE Printable Prayer to St. Michael Copywork in Printing and Cursive!

Happy Feast of the Archangels. 

I was hoping to find time earlier today to share the FREE printable Prayer to St. Michael Copywork Set I created for my children this morning so you could use it with yours today, too, but life did not work that way.  Still, I thought I would share the printable in case you would like to use it on the Feast of the Guardian Angels coming up on October 2 or, really, at any time you like.

In the printable set, I have included:

a printed example of the prayer,

 a cursive one,

two lined sheets with St. Michael's image on them,

 and two blank lined sheets.

That way, your children can choose to practice printing, cursive, or both, plus have room for overflow copywork in case they write with especially large or spaced out words.

Hope your children benefit from this copywork as mine have, writing the words of the prayer in their hearts as they copy.

More Ideas and Printables

You might also like some of the previous St. Michael and Angel printables and ideas I have shared:

• St. Michael’s Symbols 3-Part Cards Free Printable 

• An Easy, Active Game for St. Michael's Day (with a Free Printable)

• Enjoy Celebrating an Angels Feast Day with Faith through Food and Fun

• Planning St. Michael’s Feast Day Tea: A Resource Round-Up

Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, pray for us!

Go Back in Time to Creation and Noah's Ark with The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls Book Series {A Review}

I am always curious to see how author's weave Bible stories into fiction, and I also have children who like to read and listen to stories, so I was delighted by an opportunity to review the first two books in The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series by MJ Thomas from WorthyKids/Ideals:

{This post may include affiliate links.}

• The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: The Beginning (Book #1)
• The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: Race to the Ark (Book #2)

These two books - intended to be independent reads for ages 6-9 or enjoyed by the entire family as read togethers - are filled with adventure, time travels, and Bible stories, which capture children's attention while building on their faith and knowledge.  Each paperback book is about 100 pages long with illustrations sprinkled throughout.

In the vein of other back-in-time book series, The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls is meant for elementary school-aged readers who enjoy short chapters filled with mystery, imagination, and fun.  Unlike many other similar books, though, books in The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series focus on teaching kids about the Bible.  In fact, when author M.J. Thomas went looking for engaging books that would teach kids about the Bible, he had no luck finding any, so he decided to write such books himself.  He then named the main characters after his son Peter, niece Mary, and dog, Hank. I think this was a fun fact - and I just love when authors take initiative to write engaging fiction to fill a niche that is lacking.

Book 1

When these books came into our home, I read the first chapters of the first book to all three of my children together and - then-surprise for me! - my reluctant reader middle child asked if she could try reading the story to me.  So, we've been doing that together, taking the story quite slowly as she flusters easily when decoding. 

She has also been attempting to read ahead during her read to self time.  To me, this is a BIG WIN!  She says:

I like how they ended up back in time when they dropped the scroll and it broke open.  They went back in time to when there was nothing - the beginning.

The book follows the Bible story pretty well, but there are some parts that are different.  I think it is fun to take the things from the story and o compare them to the real Bible.

I also like the poem in the book.  It was cool how they changed the font. 

I want to finish all of them!

Meanwhile, my oldest, a voracious reader and sometimes impatient child opted to take the first and second books to read on his on.  Doing so took him only a few nights of bedtime reading.  He said:

They are pretty good. I like reading.  These books were in the house.  I was curious about them and read them.

I asked him to tell me more, and he decided we should have a short interview:

What is the premise of the books?   

These two kids go to visit their Great Uncle while their parents are away.  He is an archeologist who found cool scrolls, and the scrolls can transport you back in time to times in the Bible, so they go back in time.

Where do they go in Book One and what happens?  

They go back to Creation and the Garden of Eden. They meet the Archangel Michael and run into an evil snake.  It follows the Bible story well, but adds things, like, there were not boats during that time,so that's kind of not real.

What was your favorite part of that story?  

The part where they were fighting the snake.  They go tricked by the snake, and, then fought him, but I don't want to spoil the story... 

Book Two

Where do they go in Book Two and what happens?  

They heard a lion's roar, went in the library, grabbed the scroll, and were transported back in time to the Great Flood.  They got into fights with bad kids from that time period and there was an evil guy called the Dark Ruler who they got in trouble with.

What was your favorite part of that story?  

I liked when they fight the Dark Ruler.

Do you think the books were put together?  

I think they were easy to understand and I liked the quick chapters, but I would have liked the books to be a bit longer because I like long books.  The illustrations helped me imagine what the characters looked like.  I liked Peter better than Mary, because I didn't like how Mary seemed to know everything. That was kind of weird.  I also liked Hank the Dog, because he as important.  He did all kinds of things to help Peter and Mary.

Would you recommend these books and, if so,  to whom?  

Yes!  I recommend them to those who want to have exciting stories about the Bible.  I also think they would be good for beginning readers.  I would read other books in this series.  I hope the author writes ones about David and Goliath, Saint Paul, and the Judges.

My youngest child said this about the books:

I like how they go back in time, and I like Hank.  I like when Mom reads them to me. 

He has also begun to read the books alone.  (Another win!)

So, I think it is clear: MJ Thomas met his mission of weaving Bible stories into engaging fiction for children to read.  All three of my children have been enjoying The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series, and we hope to read more as new books come out.

Learn More

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 Seventy-five Homeschool Review Crew families had a chance to read and review these books.  Click through the banner to find links to what everyone thought.

 

Go Back in Time to the American West and the CA Gold Rush {An Heirloom Audio Productions Review}

When Captain Bayley's Heir by Heirloom Audio Productions came in the mail, I let my youngest open the envelope. He was excited to see what was in it...

...and spent a minute puzzling out the words on the front of the CD set case...

Upon hearing him say, "G.A. Henty," my daughter realized what he had opened, and came into the kitchen.

Cheers rang out!  For, without question, my kiddoes LOVE Heirloom Audio Productions, and I love surprising them with new reviews of these awesome Christian audio dramas!

Of course, as soon as my younger two broke out cheering, my oldest came into the room. 

Then, all hands were on the CD, begging to listen to it right away.  Mean Mama said, "Not yet," though.  "We'll listen to it the next time we're in the car."

I kept my word, and we all remained totally engaged in the story of Captain Bayley's Heir on our next long ride, and on a number of rides since. For, true to what happens with all of our Heirloom Audio Productions CD's, our Captain Bayley's Heir became a fast favorite. 




The Story

Captain Bayley's Heir begins in England, where the main character, Frank - a student who is in the care of his wealthy uncle who also has charge over Frank's cousin - saves the drowning dog of a boy who cannot walk.  This boy and Frank become friends, and Frank finds the boy's mother a job in his uncle's household.  

Meanwhile, we learn that the uncle had an estranged, yet beloved daughter that he lost touch with due to a disagreement, and, has since, suffered not knowing what happened to her.  He tries to live happily with Frank and his cousin, but, of course, longs to find his daughter.

Frank, mind you, is a bit boisterous.  He ends up going beyond the boundaries of his school, getting in a fight, and breaking someone's nose.  The man whose nose threatens to let Frank's school know what happened, but says he won't for 10 ounds.  Of course, Frank does not have 10 pounds, but, mysteriously, is sent that very amount with a handwritten anonymous note.

The problem is, a professor has 10 pounds stolen, and, in tracing where it went with the bank, finds out about the fight and accuses Frank of stealing the money.  Frank finds himself at the brink of being expelled from school and disgraced as well.  He sends a note to his Uncle to ask his if his Uncle believes in him, recover no reply, assumes his Uncle has no faith in him, and, at that point, is encouraged by his cousin to run away to America, using 20 pounds his cousin gives him after selling his book collection.

Frank, indeed, escapes to America, in hopes of making a fortune, proving himself, and, somehow, clearing his name of any disgrace.  

In America, adventures and trials await.  Frank makes his way up the Mississippi and westward to goldfields.  Along the way, Frank's courage, integrity, and faith are all tested.  Fortunately, he  meets men along whose experiences and faith bolster him, encourage him, and, at times, keep him safe.

Throughout Frank's journey, he learns to accept God's loving grace and to extend love and grace to others.  In doing so, he ends up working in partnership to meet with success!

Meanwhile, back in England, Frank's uncle discovers that his daughter is dead, but that he has a living heir.  This heir (whose name I will keep a secret so as not to spoil the entire story!), Frank's cousin, and Frank's uncle go off on their own journey, but also decide to put word out to look for Frank.

In the end, Frank is reunited with his family, his name is cleared of the theft, and all who listen to his story - I think - are moved by thoughts about grace and how it might change our own lives. 

We cannot earn grace.  We can only accept it. God bestows it upon us, and, by it, we can be changed.



Extras!  Extras!

No doubt about it.  We LOVE Heirloom Audio Productions CD's in our home.  We also love their extras!


Along with the 2 1/2 hour adventure on CD this time, we were also given access to the Live the Adventure website (an online club that you can purchase access to.  There, you can find a host of bonus materials, including:

• a full-length e-book of Henty's book designed specifically for this release
• an MP# soundtrack
• online listening access
• an online script to read along with the CD
• online comprehension questions and more
• a cast poster
• an inspirational poster
• desktop wallpaper to download
• a study guide

The club also has a significant amount of content unrelated to the CD, including:

• old-time radio broadcasts across various history topics
• old history texbooks
• parent resources such as podcasts, recipes, movie reviews, and more
• Kids Activities like coloring pages and word searches

Among all this, one of the best resources for families that like to extend learning is the Study Guide. 

This study guide, similar to other ones by Heirloom Audio Productions is split into three main sections per track of the CD set: Listening Well, Thinking Further, and Defining Words.  

Listening Well is useful for children who can use direct listening comprehension questions.  Thinking Further offers prompts for deeper discussion.  And, of course, Defining Words makes expanding vocabulary easy.  

There are also other bits of information, including some information and links about British money, which was helpful when talking about then pound notes.  

In other words, the Study Guide can be used for traditional Q&A or guided study learning, or it can be used more casually as a catalyst for conversation and hopping down bunny trails.  (We tend to do the latter with it.)

Our Thoughts

As I said, all of my children enjoyed Captain Bayley's Heir.  When writing this review, I asked each for specific thoughts. My seven-year-old said:

"It was good.  I liked the beginning - how it started with a cripple and the student helped him save his dog and, later gave him books.  I also liked the end.  It had a battle between bandits and Frank that was exciting.  People that like saving others will like this book!"

His response made me smile: he got the virtues right off, but also enjoyed - as he usually does - the excitement of intense scenes.

My oldest, at eleven, prefers stories filled with more battles like some of the other Heirloom Audio Productions, but still found himself listening more than once to this CD-set with laughter and suspense, in turn.  He said:

"This audiodrama is not the same as the others.  There is not as much fighting, but the fight scenes that there are, I like.  

I also like how it starts in England and, then, goes to America.  The main character, Frank, goes to America to try to clear his name of something he never did.  He meets new friends and has many adventures, including fighting natives and digging gold.  It's interesting and made me laugh sometimes."

My middle child, at 10, is my most sensitive.  She was delighted to find that Captain Bayley's Heir was a more peaceful story than the last Heirloom Audio Productions we listened to, yet was still filled with engaging drama.  She said:

"This story is called Captain Bayley's Heir.  It starts in England in the house of a crippled boy who is playing the fiddle.  Then, it brings you to a different boy - Frank, the main character - when the crippled boy's dog falls through ice and Frank saves him.  From there, a friendship develops.  

The friendship is interrupted when Frank gets in trouble for something at his school that he didn't do, and flees to America.  In America, Frank begins as a ship hand, and, then, his new friend suggests he go to California to get gold.  Frank meets new friends, goes to CA, and meets a young man who pretends to be the companion to someone who is really his father.  The young man, at first, doesn't want any help from Frank and his friends, but, then, accepts it, because his daddy is very sick. 

Frank helps the daddy get better.  The daddy is English, goes back to England, and tells Frank's uncle and friend Alice that rank is innocent. 

It's a good story!  There's a lot of excitement - when they were attacked by natives, when the struck gold, and when we learned who the crippled boy really is.  It also has values - like patience, forgiveness, and trust in God.  I also liked that it isn't gruesome like some other stories.  It's just filled with adventure!"

As for me, I will conclude by saying that Captain Bayley's Heir is another high-quality production by Heirloom Audio Productions!  Easy to follow, fabulous voice actors, sound effects, excitement, humor, virtues and values, faith - it's all in there.  History, conversation starters, and entertainment are, too.  As always, we are grateful for the fun and learning that Heirloom Audio Productions has brought us and would recommend Captain Bayley's Heir to others seeking adventure-filled listening that includes faith against the backdrop of the historical period of the American West and the gold rush.   

Learn More

One-hundred Homeschool Review Crew families took a listen to Captain Bayley's Heir.  Find links to all our reviews on the Homeschool Review Crew website.


Connect with Heirloom Audio Productions on social media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeirloomAudio
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeirloomStories
• Google+: https://plus.google.com/b/114534826166314080647/114534826166314080647 
• Instagram: @HeirloomAudioOfficial

You may also enjoy our prior reviews of Heirloom Audio Productions which can be found by clicking through each image below.

 

 

We cannot recommend these CD's enough!  We listen to them over and over and talk about them often.

A Fast and Faith-Filled Catholic Novel

 {Disclosure:  Some links which follow are affiliate ones.}

I was delighted recently to be gifted with a copy of Nicholas Gilroy by Father Stephen and Deacon George, a new Catholic novel about a former homeschooler turned high school seminarian who ends up facing some life-changing challenges when he decides to tutor in the inner city.

Since I was excited to begin Nicholas Gilroy, but get little alone time to read, I decided to read the book as a bedtime story to my 11, 10, and 7 year olds.  What a refreshing read it was!

Right from its opening pages, Nicholas Gilroy captured the truth, beauty, and goodness of our faith. For example,before entering the seminary on his first day, Nicholas, "was overcome with apprehension, so reached by instinct into his left pocket (and) Taking out his rosary beads, he silently began to pray," whereupon, "His mother's words echoed in his mind: 'Our Lady will always bring you to Jesus, and He will love and guide you to His Sacred Heart.' "

Then, as the plot of the story unfolded, the "smells and bells", prayers, and tenets of our Catholic faith were woven into it, including:

• prayers of grace and thanksgiving
• Eucharistic Adoration
• mention of statues, like Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
• the Divine Praises
• the Works of Mercy in action

 
and more. 

Indeed, it was beautiful to hear mention of so many of the Catholic traditions and practices that we integrate into our lives as we read about Nicholas and his peers at the seminary and on their forays into the city.  It is not every day that we find fiction that integrates so much of our faith into it.  However, in Nicholas Gilroy, there as authentic faith aplenty: Trust in God, virtue overcoming vice, Marian devotion, charitable works, and more played largely into the plot.  Thus, as I read the story aloud to my children, I smiled at how they remained attentive to the clean, engaging - yet, at times, sometimes intense - story and also at how they lit up in recognition of so many familiar Catholic practices.  

We truly enjoyed Nicholas Gilroy, and have very little criticism of it, besides that my children were surprised that a 14 year old would already be in seminary and, therefor, wondered if the character should have been older instead, and that sometimes we found some of the conversations between Nicholas and his peers did not ring true to their age.  These things bothered us little, though, as we got into the storyline and were moved by the integration of faith throughout it.

Without question, beauty, goodness, and truth are measuring sticks in our lives and, Nicholas Gilroy is replete with such qualities.  Whether you want a read aloud, a book for your preteen or teen to read to him or herself, a quick edifying fictional read for yourself, or something to recommend to faith formation and confirmation classes, this book is worth a look. It is a quick and fruitful read!

I have already recommended the book to several local friends and now recommend it here to others looking for wholesome faith fiction.

I am also looking forward to future books in this series.  I have heard that the authors plan to write at least three more books and to have at least one Sacrament taught in each book, perhaps taking readers around the globe to places like Mexico and Our Lady of Guadalupe, Ireland and Our Lady of Knock, and Rome and the Vatican.

Wherever the next Nicholas Gilroy books happen to base their action, one thing is certain: they will continue to be based on strong Catholic values and identity, celebrating our faith with joy and truth.  I look forward to reading them with my children!

Learn About the World {A Let's Go Geography Review with Coupon Code}

When I decided to add a kids homeschool geography course from Let’s Go Geography to our collection of resources here, I was looking forward to using it as a supplement to a monthly geography club I've been running for several years.  Life changed, though, and that club is now on hiatus this year.  Luckily, my children's geography studies are not, in part thanks to Let’s Go Geography.

What Is Let's Go Geography?

Let’s Go Geography is an easy-to-use, hands-on homeschool world geography curriculum for kids in grades K-4 (but, in our experience, can be used right up to the middle school grades for review and fun.)

The program was created by Carol Henderson, a homeschool mama of five turned primary school teacher, so, as you can imagine, it has solid traditional learning activities that meet curriculum standards while also offering the flexibility that many of us homeschoolers desire. 

The program is delivered digitally and comes with printable teacher resources, which include audio and video links, as well as printable student pages.  Thus, the curriculum hits the three main learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.    The following video explains the program more:




For those that prefer a written explanation, let me detail the program for you:

In a single year, the program takes you and your child through all of the continents, virtually stopping in various regions and countries along the way.  (See image below to know which countries are included in which year of the program.) Each lesson is meant to take one week to complete  with the lessons being spread out over 36 weeks, inclusive of break and review weeks.


To use the program, it is recommended that you create a travel journal in a 3-ring binder, and, if you wish, make a passport, too (available on the website.)  For your travel journal, you receive several printable cover options with your Let’s Go Geography curriculum.

Dividers for each continent are also recommended for your journal.

Once you've made your travel journal, you can get started with Week One of he curriculum or pick a locale of your choice further along in the curriculum to study (depending on if you purchased the program as a whole year, a semester, or individual lessons. 

To study your chosen locale, you will bring a full-color teaching resource up on your computer (or print it out) and print pages for your child to work on. These pages include maps of the country, a flag of the country, and a coloring page of a landmark in the country.  You will also be able to access links for music for your child to listen to and videos for your child to watch.

In addition, if you want to explore your chosen locale more, you can go to the library and check out recommended books, and you can also enjoy a craft with complete directions included.  Finally, you can wrap up with writing if you wish since notebooking pages are included.

Review weeks, of course, are a bit different.  On these weeks (which fall every 12 weeks if doing the curriculum in order), your child will review prior learning by labeling and coloring locations on maps, matching flags to countries, reading some facts, and coloring some printables.

How We Used It and What We Thought


Let’s Go Geography is designed so that you study one locale a week for about an hour's time - all at once, or in smaller bite-size pieces - and, then, if you wish follow bunny trails from there.  In an ideal world, my children and I would have used the program as such so far.  However, nothing is ever ideal in our reality, so, instead, if I am to be honest, some weeks, we meant to get to the geography lessons and did not and others we were going to do the bite-sized pieces, but needed up doing a more-at-once approach. And, therein lies one of my favorite parts of this homeschool geography curriculum:  flexibility!  You can use it for an hour every week, or for 10-20 minutes several times a week, skip some weeks, do more other weeks, dig deeper as time and interest allow or just do the basics and know you are helping your children become more world geography literate.
 
Another thing I appreciate about Let’s Go Geography is that it is so well-organized.  As I did some lessons with my children and looked around at other lessons, I thought, Now, why is THIS the year Geography Club is on hiatus for us?  So much of my legwork would be done!  For, indeed, between printable maps, links to music and videos, coloring pages, crafts, flags, and more, I would have very little to do to prep for any given club week beyond taking out library books and letting the kids run wild with inspiration as they dug deeper to create their own "expert reports".  Alas, Geography Club is not going to happen this year for us due to conflicts in scheduling, but, with the organization and ease of

Let’s Go Geography even with all the busyness of life, I know that pulling some organized geography into our life and learning without having to do much more than click, print, and grab basic supplies will be a breeze.

Then, when we cover all the material, we can enjoy the year end (or maybe longer for us?) review, which consists of two games ("I Spy" and "Where in the World") and an end of the year project - an easy-to-put-together lapbook "suitcase".

Thus, indeed, I think that Let’s Go Geography is ideal for any homeschooler (or school teacher for that matter) who wants to help children get beyond the surface of geography without requiring everyone to dive full-on into, say, deep unit study studies.  Bite-size pieces, set up as a regular routine which can be adapted to your own routine give the curriculum substance and flexibility. 

As I completed some parts of the curriculum with my children and took in the gist of other parts, I kept thinking, It's all there for us! Carol Henderson has pulled together something similar to what many of us geography-appreciating educators might and has done such a quality job with the legwork of research, organizing, and linking, that we can simply enjoy the learning without the fuss of putting things together ourselves. Maps are there.  Videos and articles are available at the click of a provided button.  "Sightseeing trips" and music  - as well as basic crafts - are included...  Yep, it's a solid, ready-made resource! 
 
Plus, since Let’s Go Geography is accessed online, but has downloadable printable portions, it can be used on and offline (which is a boon in my book!) by families with children of multiple ages.  This makes the program convenient, hands-on, and family-friendly!  Suggested adaptations for varying age groups are even included.

In our family, elementary and middle school aged children used the curriculum. 

Before my kids went to bed and I sat down to write this review, I asked my children to give me a quick thought or two about it.

My seven-year-old said:

I liked coloring the maps, watching the videos, and everything.

My eleven-year-old said:

I liked finding capitals on the map and watching videos.

And, my ten-year-old said:

I liked that it had maps and things you could color in and also videos to watch.  I also like that it teaches about different places around the world.

So, there you have it!  The kids like it.  I appreciate it's organization.  We all would recommend Let’s Go Geography!

Learn More
The Let’s Go Geography will eventually span three years of learning, but currently offers only two semester’s worth of teaching, which covers nearly 30 countries  

The program, as I mentioned before, is available for purchase as a whole year, a semester, or individual lessons. For a taste of the program, there are SAMPLE FREEBIES available for download. There are also frequent special offers, such as the current 25% off sale when you use the COUPON CODE: BackTS25.


   

Eighty-five Homeschool Review Crew families tried out Let’s Go Geography, some going through the lessons in order and others skipping around to specific location studies.  So, be sure to click through the banner to see photos and thoughts about the different learning, crafts, and activities everyone enjoyed.

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