Big Book of History {Master Books review and a special giveaway}

Disclaimer: I was sponsored by Master Books to review their homeschool curriculum and am excited to share my experience as well as an awesome giveaway!  All opinions are mine alone.

I recently had an opportunity to review The Big Book of History: A 15 Foot Fold-Out Time-Line From Creation to Modern Computers and Big Book of History Teacher's Guide from Master Books. I received the panel version, although there is a hard-cover version, as well. You can see the hard cover here. This is a fantastic resource for homeschools, Christian schools or even a children's class in a church setting. This 15 foot time-line is an incredible way to see so many historical facts in relationship to one another. It is recommended for ages 7-12, although that is a general guideline. I can really see it being used by any age, starting at 4 or 5.

Here are a few shots I took to give you a better idea at the colours and photos and size . . .

I didn't actually have a 15-foot wall space available, but this product is versatile and can be used one panel at a time or spread out a few feet at a time. Or it can be spread out in its entirety on a table or on the floor to get the big perspective. This is the most colourful and fact-filled time-line I have ever seen. And since this is a Master Books product, you can guarantee it is from a Creationist perspective.

The Big Book of History is colour-coded in order to help students follow the four main categories of history, which include, Biblical/Christianity, World Events, Inventions/Technology and Civilizations/Empires. This is the way the key looks . . .

I recommend this time-line for any homeschool or Christian school. It is so handy to have for when you are working through a history curriculum or simply reading through a novel with your children that contains dates or facts or discoveries. Pull out the time-line to take a look at what else was going on in the world during that time frame. I have a feeling I won't only be using it during our studies this fall, I can also see my children pulling it out on their own to study and research times and dates and facts for themselves. You can use The Big Book of History along with the homeschool curriculum from Master Books (it is specifically recommended for grade 5) or purchase it alone to use with any curriculum you already use or even just on its own.

You can view a short video here . . .


View a full-colour preview HERE.

Check out all the Master Books Homeschool Curriculum HERE!

Right now Master Books is having a special 26% sale on curriculum sets and FREE SHIPPING on any order over $75. No Code Needed. Offer ends August 31st.

Giveaway:

We’re giving away 2 Master Books Gift Cards worth $75 each so you can get whatever curriculum fits your children’s level and interests. Open to USA residents only.  

To enter, simply fill in the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blessings and love. xo

Exploring The World of Astronomy {Review}

I am honoured to be included on the Moms of Master Books review team, and today I have the opportunity to share another exceptional product from Master Books (a division of the New Leaf Publishing Group) with you. This time I received Exploring the World of Astronomy: From the Center of the Sun to the Edge of the Universe by John Hudson Tiner. Because I am new to this group, this was the first of the Exploring series that I have received, but if you are interested, the other great titles are listed HERE. 

From the publisher:
Think you know all there is to know about our solar system? You might be surprised at some of the amazing details that you find when you begin Exploring the World of Astronomy! From the rugged surface of the moon to the distant and mysterious constellations, this book provides an exciting educational tour for students of different ages and skill levels. Learn about a blue moon, the 400-year storm on Jupiter, and what is meant by "the zone of life." Discussion ideas, questions, and research opportunities help expand this great resource on observational astronomy into an unforgettable educational course for middle school to high school students!

Chapter titles include:
  1 - Exploring the Moon
  2 - Mars
  3 - Terrestrial Planets
  4 - Jupiter
  5 - Saturn
  6 - Jovian Planets
  7 - Plutoids and Denizens of Space
  8 - Telescopes
  9 - Breakthroughs in Astronomy
10 - Deep Sky Wonders
11 - Stars
12 - Extrasolar Planets
13 - Starlighted Nights

My thoughts:

This 176-page book is great for ages 10-18 (and older). I am going to use it as a reference book in our homeschool, although I will say that I am already learning some interesting facts as I have looked through it. It is well-written and an important aspect to me is that it is written from a Christian world view. I do wish the pictures were in colour, but that is not a deal-breaker for me, just a personal preference. This is a great resource for a science curriculum for middle school through high school ages (it includes quizzes after each chapter and parent/teacher lesson plans in the back), a reference book to be perused as needed, or a book to keep out on the coffee table for a child who doesn't have a current book to read to pick up and engage on their own. Since we live in an area that is great for star-gazing, we are ready to identify more constellations, with the help of the charts in this book. This is a wonderful resource to have on our science shelf. 

You can purchase this title for $14.99 (and add the digital download for only $4.50 more).

Mark your calendars!!! There will be a Books and a Treat Facebook Party on Tuesday, October 22 at 9PM EST! Come and chat with the review team, learn fascinating facts about astronomy and enter to WIN some great prizes, including a copy of Exploring the World of Astronomy!

Disclaimer: I received one copy of this book from Master Books. All opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.

I Am Ruth: A Story of Loss, Love and Redemption {Review}

I am delighted to share this review of I Am Ruth: A Story of Loss, Love and Redemption from New Leaf Publishing Group with you today! This 88 page, hard cover book is a photographic journey through the Old Testament book of Ruth. It was written by Brenda Duff, with photography by Kenneth Berg. I almost felt as if I were watching a movie as I read through the pages. The photography is simply breath-taking and transported me back 3000 years ago to ancient Israel and the land where Ruth was originally from, called Moab.

The book contains the entire text of the book of Ruth, in the New King James Version, as well as a great amount information on the history behind the story, other background passages from the Bible which include Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, the genealogy of Jesus Christ, and a map showing the locations.

The most familiar passage from the book of Ruth is probably Ruth's urgent appeal to Naomi, her mother-in-law, to let her remain with her as she returns to Bethlehem, after the death of Naomi's husband and two sons, one of whom Ruth had married, from Ruth chapter 1. In case you are not familiar with the story, this verse is the epitome of unselfishness and devotion. 

Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.

This is a story of family, of famine and of fear. It is a story of death, desperation and dashed hopes. But ultimately, it is the beautiful story of love, life, faithfulness, loyalty, hope restored, and redemption. Take a look at some of the photography depicting this amazing story.

This book would make a lovely birthday or Christmas gift for anyone who loves Scripture or ancient history.

Purchase this book: $17.99 at New Leaf Publishing

Would you like an opportunity to win a copy of this beautiful book?

Don't miss the Book and a Treat Party hosted by Master Books on Tuesday, September 24, 2013 from 8:00-9:00pm CDT. I Am Ruth will be featured and a copy given away, plus there will be an opportunity to win a gift basket from the sponsor company, Every Good Gift, and possible other gifts, as well!


Disclaimer: I received one copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.

Children's Atlas of God's World {Review}

I am excited to share this new resource with you! I received one copy of the Children's Atlas of God's World from Master Books, a division New Leaf Publishing Group, Inc. for review. Master Books is the world’s largest publisher of creation-based resources including apologetics, home school resources, reference titles, and quality children’s literature. This is my first review with the Moms of Master Books team, and I am happy to be a part of this group of biblically-minded moms. The Master Book's motto is "where creation inspires eduction"!

As a lover of books, and especially books that have an educational aspect to them, I am thrilled to be associated with this publisher who wants to bring quality, biblically-based books to the table. This oversized book explores all seven continents and focuses on 22 specific countries. There are pages on each continent and a list of which countries are on each continent, as well as maps and interesting facts. It is full of colourful photos and illustrations on each of its 96 pages. Also included in the factual information are biomes, historical sites, flags, cultural information, animals, types of government, holidays around the world and a glossary. 

Here are several of the pages we have enjoyed reading:

We love learning about other countries and cultures in our family and this is a beautiful addition to our resource shelf. I especially appreciate that it is from a creationist perspective, so we did not have to wade through any of the usual evolutionary-skewed beliefs that you find in many books these days. What a breath of fresh air! We highly recommend this book.

You can view sample pages HERE.

Buy the hardcover book HERE ($18.95) or the digital version for iPad HERE ($9.99).

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Disclaimer:   I received this books for free from New Leaf Publishing Group as part of the Moms of Master Books program.  No other compensation was received.  The fact that I received complimentary products does not guarantee a favorable review.