Tag: moms of master books

The Electrifying Nervous System: A Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer

New Year…New Books! Yay for the first Moms of Master Books Review of the year!

Our selection for this first interview is absolutely delightful. It is truly a new treasure on our shelf. I always enjoy everything I use from Master Books because not only am I assured that the writing will be high quality and the graphics will be beautiful, I know I can trust the information presented to be God-honoring and edifying for my girls. I couldn’t wait to crack open The Electrifying Nervous System from Master Books (A division of New Leaf Publishing).

Dr. Lainna Callentine has created a fabulous resource for kids. She should know what she’s doing! Not only is she a medical doctor, she’s also a fellow homeschool mamma to her three children. I could tell as I read through the chapters that Dr. Callentine knows how to capture the interest of kids.

We don’t have formal science scheduled into our homeschool day because my daughter’s are blessed to be part of a learning center where they gather with other kids their age to study science each week. It is a wonderful experience for them and we intend to keep this path. At the same time, I want to keep as many science resources as possible on hand for my girls. They are always wanting to know how the world works and this is just one more excellent resource to add to our shelves.

One of the things I love about this book is the readability for kids. Many of the books I have keep my girls attention because of the fabulous graphics, but I often have to explain the information to them in terms they can understand because it was written for more advanced learners. This is definitely one title they can pull out themselves and glean so much information.

One of my favorite illustrations shows the different functions of the different sides of the brain. I teach piano and have been explaining to my students more about how their minds work as they play and why they have a hard time talking to me or even listening while playing their warm ups. The reason is simply that it is the right side of the brain which processes both language and music.

There is just so much packed into this wonderful book! I loved reading about this history of the study of the nervous system as well as visually seeing how the brain develops from conception through childhood. Ever wonder why you get a brain freeze? What about sleep and how it is connected to our nervous system? How are fevers connected to the nervous system? What about brain surgery? These questions and so many more are clearly and completely answered.

A curriculum guide is available and there are many more books planned for this series. I can’t wait to collect them all!

Disclaimer: I received The Electrifying Nervous System as part of the Moms of Master Books Team. I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

TOP 5 Moms of Master Book Reviews!

Grace-Filled Writer
Top-5-300x200

Each year the Moms of Masterbooks team gets to pick their top five picks from all the wonderful resources we are given to review in the year. This is a tough thing to do. They are all so amazing and useful. However, since I have to narrow it down to five , here they are…

I don’t have kids old enough to use these yet, but when I do I can’t wait! This is solid, but concise, meaty and brief. It is perfect for the middle school crowd! 
Nothing short of absolutely stunning and biblically deep.
Funny, engaging, and accurate! 
Perfect for the layperson or student looking to increase their understanding of biblical languages.
And my number one pick is…..
This one kept me engaged personally more than any other. The many flood legends intrigue me so much and I loved how this book brought them all together in such a tactile way. 
Looking forward to being a part of this team again next year!
Merry Christmas everyone!

44 Animals of the Bible: A Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Do you have any animal fanatics in your house? We have three and they can’t get enough of animal stories, toys, pretend play, and visits to zoos or aquariums. The opportunity to review a book about animals in the Bible came at just the right time.

44 Animals of the Bible from Master Books (a division of New Leaf Publishing) is a fabulous resource to add to both your Bible and science collection. Every time I turned the page I was delighted with the beautiful illustrations created by Lloyd R. Hight. Nancy Johnson writes in a way which is interesting for kids to read and just delightful to study. I like how much I’m learning but also that my daughters are able to read it on their own.

There are many, many ways in which this could be used in your home. My girls love to pull books like this off the shelves and read for fun. We have quite a collection of Master Books on a low shelf (just for this reason) which is where you will find this one!

During the summer I started doing a “circle” time of sorts and each week looked at a different animal. This book is exactly what I have been looking for to incorporate into this time! It is concise enough to read in one sitting, and biblically accountable so I don’t have to re-explain why we disagree with certain facts in typical animal books. With 44 animals and our less than regular schedule this could last us for two years and then start all over again!

We recently had a chance to visit the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. Without a doubt the beluga whales were our favorites. Grace especially loved these majestic creatures. While the beluga whale in particular is not mentioned, whales are. Don’t freak out, but you know how we were taught about “Jonah and the Whale” as kids, and then we were told this was wrong and the Bible says fish in the original language? Well guess what! The author assured me it very well indeed could have been a whale! Doesn’t this make you feel better? It certainly did me!

I love how the information goes way beyond just the facts, but includes the biblical references and further historical information many times as to why these animals were important in biblical times or what they represented. Because of the Scripture references on each page this could also be used as a really unique family devotional, especially if you want to change things up a little bit.

This is just one more book you can add to your collection which you can trust to be biblically accurate, engaging for your children, and continue to point them back to Scripture as a source. I am never ever disappointed with the publications of Master Books!

Disclaimer: I received 44 Animals of the Bible as part of the Moms of Master Books Team. I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

Bugs: A Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer

My girls like bugs. Honestly, I’m not a bug person at all, but I have  done my best not to project my anti-bug nature onto my girls. When they aren’t around, I run from any creatures I encounter. When the girls are in my presence, I put on my courageous pants, pull out the magnifying glasses, and we have a little moment of science…then I go get my husband to take care of it!

When I received Bugs by William Zinke in the mail, I had barely opened the package when it was snatched out of my hands. My bug-loving ladies couldn’t get enough of this! They were all there huddled around it for several days and that tells me I have a winning resource!

Just like every resource from Master Books this is a book I knew would continually point them back to the Creator all while providing accurate scientific information. I appreciate these resources so very much and am grateful to have the opportunity to learn for myself about creation in a way which honors God.

My favorite part of this book is the photography. The pictures are enormous so that even the tiniest bug is presented in all its glory. Stunning images enhance the intriguing facts. I really like that lesser known creepy crawlies are featured.

My daughters have been so excited to find out these new and interesting facts. Here is what they had to say as they read…

“Oh coooooool! You have to see this!”

“EWWWW! People eat grubs!”


“Guys!!!! You HAVE to come see this bug thing!!!!”


Want to see more of what this is all bout? Check out the video trailer…

Disclaimer: I received Bugs as part of the Moms of Master Books Team. I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

The New Astronomy Book: A Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer


My monthly review for Master Books (A division of New Leaf Publishing) is really awesome this month! I mean, they’re always awesome, but we’re really excited about this one because my girls are all about astronomy. I feel so very blessed to have these resources. I know I say this a lot, but seriously I love re-learning science with my daughters.

The New Astronomy Book by Danny R. Faulkner is just stunning. We had the original Astronomy book, which we loved, but this new, updated version has really upped its game! The pictures are even more vivid and detailed than the original. Even if you have the original, getting this updated version is not merely a replacement. It is just adding more to your science and astronomy library.

Like with all the other Wonders of Creation titles (which I highly recommend!) you can trust this book will point you both to scientifically accurate information as well as biblical accuracy. Every time I open up one of these books I am once again grateful for the opportunity to study science with the foundation of biblical truth.

One of the new features I really like of this book is the inclusion of technology. Kids these days are so consumed with technology that they may be hesitant to open a book before searching the internet. In this culture books need to be dynamic and engaging. Each chapter contains not only stunning photographs but also fun technology graphics that don’t feel cheesy. My oldest daughter especially really likes this feature and has enjoyed perusing the book, cover-to-cover. She hasn’t read the entire thing, but it has once again ignited her interest in the heavens above.

We enjoyed viewing the stars last winter when it started to get dark earlier and my girls have been asking about when we get to do this again. My middle girl has become quite fascinated with the moon as well and takes great pleasure in telling us if we’re viewing a waning or waxing crescent. What fun to have high-quality resources at their finger tips to fuel their curiosities!

I personally enjoy reading the books in this series so I know how to answer their numerous questions. The detail and clearly written information make this user-friendly for science lovers of any age. You won’t be disappointed in adding this title to your library.

Disclaimer: I received The New Astronomy Book as part of the Moms of Master Books Team. I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

Studies in World History: A Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer

One of the great blessings I receive from homeschooling my sweet girls is the opportunity to study history through a biblical worldview. Although I was incredibly blessed to have many vocal Christian teachers throughout my public school education, the text books we used were definitely not in support of Christianity. My father passed along his love of history to me and I’m thoroughly enjoying learning alongside my children.

I was really excited to have a chance to review Studies in World History Volume 1 from Master Books (an imprint of New Leaf Publishing) with the Moms of Masterbooks. While my girls are not yet in the target age (Junior High) this is a great resource personally for me as my girls are studying early exploration and ancient civilizations during the first part of the year. I also have plans to use this alongside Heart of Dakota’s Creation to Christ with my oldest when we get there later next year.

This volume focuses on Creation through the Age of Discovery. It does have a young-earth perspective which aligns with our family’s view about Scripture. I know we are in the minority and counter-culture, but we choose to believe the Bible is literal and historical, looking at all other information through this lens.

I really liked how the book is laid out and that the daily lessons are concise. The first page of each chapter gives and overview and learning objectives which I find helpful when teaching. I like knowing what purpose my kids should have in studying so I can make sure they actually meet those goals. The discussion questions and activities are very age-appropriate for middle school. Some of the activities include discussion questions, writing prompts, map activities, and more.

Dr. James Stobaugh writes in a fluid manner which will keep your students reading. As I mentioned before the lessons are short, no 4-5 page readings as with other history books I’ve seen! I appreciate that the author recognizes the need to keep daily readings manageable so as not to turn students off before they begin. This is something my girls always want to know, no matter the subject…”How many pages is it?”

Also available with this text book is a teacher’s guide filled with more activities, a schedule for the year, and weekly exams. Each exam offers a fill-in-the-blank test and/or an essay prompt. There is also an excellent answer key provided for the discussion questions as well as the test. While I do study with my girls I am so grateful for answer keys. Grading three different grade-levels can be rather time consuming when I have to figure out the answers myself.

 

The best news is…there are two more volumes in this excellent series! Volume 2 studies the New World to the Modern Age and Volume 3 focuses on the New Word to the Present. These are suggested to be used for 7th-9th grades, but I think they could easily be adapted for a younger student as well as older. I also see it as a great general resource to have in your library for research or further study on topics which interested your student.

You can see more about it in the video below!

Disclaimer: I received Studies in World History Volume 1 and the Teacher’s Guide  as part of the Moms of Master Books Team. I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

The Flood of Noah: A Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer

I know I say this every month, but I’m so excited about this month’s book to review for the Moms of Master Books! I’m so fascinated by the many cultures which have flood stories. The Flood of Noah from Master Books, an imprint of New Leaf Publishing, is an interactive book that makes researching this topic incredibly interesting.

This book is beyond cool. Think of it like a pop up book for grown ups. The illustrations are amazing and the interaction is a fun way to explore the various flood legends from cultures around the world. As with everything from Master Books I love how everything points back to our true Creator. It is so important to learn the history of the world and learning doing so with resources which I can trust will not contradict the Word of God is a great blessing.

Rose has especially liked this book. I can’t give this girl enough stuff to satisfy her itch for knowledge. I can’t tell you how many sentences she begins with, “Mommy, why….?” Books like this encourage her own exploration and fill up her desire to learn more and more. She really likes how each page has something to do to help aid in the learning process.

This is one of my favorite parts. It is at the beginning of the book and includes a list of facts from the historical account of the flood in Genesis and how they correlate with different parts of the flood legends from around the world. There is a rotating circle with images of the flood for a fun visual.

This is a great shot to show the amazing and colorful illustrations. I really like how each pages is sectioned off so kids can read a small portion and not feel overwhelmed. My younger girls have really liked the pictures even though they haven’t been as interested in reading it. That will come!

Bodie Hodge and Laura Welch co-authored this amazingly fun book. It is clear they took careful consideration as they compiled this collection of stories. Another of my favorite features is the list of the names of Noah and his wife from the various legends. I found this to be so interesting, especially the cultures which seemed to borrow so clearly from Scripture. Since the division of languages at the tower of Babel misinformation about the flood appears to have run rampant. Even now there are those who produce their own legends claiming the flood was merely a local even rather than a world-wide catastrophe as Scripture indicates. Even the writer of the movie Noah admitted he took liberties to make the story more interesting from his perspective. As we live in a world full of lies and myths I’m so grateful for the truth of Scripture and resources like this one to help us continually filter out the false.

Check out this awesome book trailer! 

Disclaimer: I received The Flood of Noah  as part of the Moms of Master Books Team. I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

It’s Not Greek to Me!: Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer
I have been so excited about reviewing this new DVD from Master Books! It’s Not Greek to Me by Todd Friel came in the mail when my girls were right in the middle of a horrible summer fever, so we didn’t get to start it right away, but even in her feverish state Rose perked up when she saw it. 

My eight-year-old Roe has been pestering me for a while to learn biblical Greek. I’m not at all opposed to this, but I didn’t want to get into a full curriculum at her age and really didn’t know where to begin. Her interest came when she realized this was one of the classes her grandfather teaches at seminary. In 2nd grade he taught her to write her name in Greek and she does this all the time! This is a great course for beginners. Todd Friel explains that this is perfect for the everyday layman in the church as well as those who will be going on to study biblical Greek in a scholastic setting. While this is geared towards a slightly older age bracket, my daughter has really enjoyed it so far. We’re just taking it slow and repeating lessons before moving on.

So here is Rose, completely natural, I promise! She is wholeheartedly focused and genuinely enjoys these lessons. Friel is quite humorous, but I wasn’t certain she would catch all he said. Her favorite line in the introductory lesson was when he was talking about the benefits of learning biblical Greek and stated, “You’ll learn English gooder!” She really got a kick out of that. You can see she is intent. She was so intent in fact she didn’t even realize I was taking pictures.

We had some other students join our class as well. The dollies were actually already seated here, but Rose asked if they could stay while she watched when she realize I was starting to pick them up. These sweet little girls were also very studious although they didn’t want to take any notes.

Rose uses the note pages from the separately available Intro to Biblical Greek Parent Lesson Planner. This is excellent and well worth the price. Included is not only plans for how often to work through the DVDs, but also note pages and practice sheets to ensure retention. I strongly recommend purchasing this guide along with the DVD in order to get the maximum usefulness and benefit.

I honestly wasn’t sure how well this would go over with Rose. She was so very excited to have the chance to learn Greek, but as I stated before, this is geared for students a little older. However, Friel’s manner is very engaging and he is as clear at teaching as he is entertaining. She begs me to do more lessons, but I’m trying not to go too quickly with her. I’m surprised just how much she is really enjoying this. I appreciate that Friel expresses this is a beginners course, something to precede full-on Greek training. I have no idea if she’ll want to go further with this language, but it is an excellent place to start and to see if it is something that interested your student.

I also think this is excellent for anyone who simply wants to know more about the Greek language for your own personal study. After seeing the first few lessons with Rose I’m planning on joining her in these lessons. I said before that my dad teaches Greek. I remember having the same desire to learn as Rose when I was younger, but just felt too overwhelmed with all. I believe we will both enjoy our toe-dip into this ancient biblical language.




Disclaimer: I received It’s Not Greek to Me as well as the Parent Lesson Planner as part of the Moms of Master Books Team. I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

The Universe: Moms of Master Books Review

Grace-Filled Writer

Another title for you from the Moms of Master Books! This month we’re reviewing the newest title in the series Investigate the Possibilities from Master Books (and imprint of New Leaf Publishing Group). This is a wonderful series. For all you PBS fans you’ll find this has the feeling of Sid the Science Kid. Lots of investigation and exploration for the child and opportunity to record their findings in their own journal. What I’ve seen of this series makes me want to see more!

My girls are infatuated with all things space-related, especially Rose. She has so many questions…How far away are the stars? Why can we only see the moon at night? Can we see the planets? This Universe: From Comets to Constellations will go a long way in answering her many, many inquiries! The 20 investigations cover all areas of the universe from a biblical perspective which merges observation science with the truth of Scripture. Just like every other title from Master Books I know I can trust both the scientific evidence and biblical perspective to point us to truth and understanding of the world around us.

It saddens me to hear to volatile hatred expressed towards anyone who believes in an inerrant Word of God. The anger and disdain shown towards anyone who dares to express the view that there is a divine Creator rather than random chance does not make sense to me. Why can there not be respectful disagreement and discussion in this area? It seems that the current tone of discussion will allow neither, yet I want my girls to be very aware of the views which oppose biblical creation. My reasoning is so they can not only choose for themselves what they will believe, but also be fully equipped with knowledge of why they can stand on the truth of the Word of God. This is just one more tool in my library of resources to not only answer their questions, but fuel their curiosities!

Okay, so enough about why I’m loving this book! Let me get down to the details. Each investigation has an introductory story followed by a simple experiment which uses around the house kinds of items to help better understand properties and concepts about astronomy. Following this is a deeper explanation of the history and observational science used to piece together our understanding of the universe. Included in this area are full explanations of opposing viewpoints on evolution and why they are believed by those who do not follow Scripture, but also why we can trust God’s Word as true. Finally is explanation of how the experiments and activities connect for a full appreciation of the ideas presented. The final portion gives both comprehension and discussion questions as well as opportunity to further explore more deeply into the subject.

The girls really liked looking at the beautiful color pictures in each investigation. I appreciated the inclusion of history as well as observation of science. Our cat was enjoying our time checking this new book out as well.  Zoe loves it any time we hang out on the floor and let her snuggle on our books. This book is going to be a lot of fun to explore this summer!

The investigation we looked at first was observing the movement of the universe in space. Since that isn’t something we can actually do in our homeschool, we did a smaller version of it using a balloon and a sharpie. Cool! We blew balloons up just a little and dotted them with a marker. Then we deflated them to see how closely the “stars” were to each other and blew it up again to watch it expand! I didn’t tell them what to expect, but did tell them what the dots represented. The amazed smiles on their faces as we watched the “stars” expand! It was a great way to visually show them this principle. 
Also included in this series are investigation journals and teacher’s guides for each book. These are really nice additions to the set. You can feel very confident in using this for your curriculum as there are more than enough resources to guide you through. 
Disclaimer: I received The Universe as well as the teacher’s guide and students journal as part of the Moms of Master Books Team. I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way. 

Illustrated Family Bible Stories: Review

Grace-Filled Writer
I get to review the best of the best resources as part of the Moms of Master Books review team! The resources from this company are eye-pleasing and engaging for my daughters as well as myself, but most importantly they are solidly grounded in biblical truth. We got so excited when our newest Master Book publication arrives in the mail!
This month we got to review a new family Bible from Master Books, a division of New Leaf Publishing Group, Illustrated Family Bible Stories! Being in a pastor’s family we have an abundant supply of Bibles from traditional translations to picture Bibles we have it all! One thing we have been lacking is a family Bible which is a bit more grown up for my girls as they are moving beyond the more simplistic Bibles. This is a really cool Bible, according to my oldest daughter who is eight. She cannot get enough learning to satisfy her so this particular book is very interesting. The magnificent illustrations captured her interest and the fact that each retelling has additional historical, cultural, geographical, and scientific information.
From the time my oldest daughter an infant we have had a regular evening Bible time. We started reading toddler Bibles and singing songs and have gradually moved forward to more complex and deep readings. I really like this for transitioning to an older model for my girls. My youngest is 4 and a half so while she very much enjoys the younger versions, she is old enough not to be bored with more complex versions of the stories she’s learned since infancy. 
My husband and I take turns reading our various Bibles in the evenings and this one has become a quick favorite! Do you want to know what one of their favorite parts is? The built in purple bookmark. I didn’t think much of it, but all three insist we make sure to put it in the right place. I evidently forgot this the other night and didn’t put it on the right story and boy were they indignant! I’ve been very impressed with how detailed these retellings of familiar things are. The beautiful illustrations captivate my daughters, but the story keeps them in tune with God’s truth. Last night the girls sat at our feet while my husband read from the book and they didn’t even ask to see the picture when he forgot to show them!
This has long been one of my favorite times of the day and not just because bedtime is around the corner. My girls tend to ask pretty deep questions at this time of the day. Lots of those, “Why did God…” moments come up and this particular story Bible encourages that sort of thing. We have always encouraged our girls to ask questions and they never hesitate. It is pretty cool that this Bible has answered some of their questions before they even asked, like how they made bricks for the Tower of Babel. 
We absolutely love this new addition to our library. I’d like to purchase three more copies of this so I can save it for my daughters when they are grown and have their own children. 
Take a look at this video to see more of what this Bible has to offer!
Now take a minute to see what my Moms of Master Books mommy friends are saying about it by clicking the link below!
Disclaimer: I received Illustrated Family Bible Stories from New Leaf Publishing in exchange for an honest review.  I was not required to give a positive review. I was not compensated in any other way.