Lead your Child on 

An Adventure of Faith and Literature!

Find Trust, Hope, and the Power of Prayer in Callie's Contest of Courage!

"I'm always on the lookout for positive, adventurous books for my kids - especially ones with characters who possess a strong and growing faith.  Unfortunately, those are not very easy to find.

But recently I hit the jackpot. Callie is the kind of character whom your daughter will want to befriend and you'll be happy to have her imitate.  She's strong, smart, and kind, and she obviously is a kid with a strong faith of her own.  She reads scripture, knows scripture, and thinks about scripture - which is not to say that she's perfect.  She has her typical dramatic episodes and selfish moments, but she deals with the aftermath of her emotions in a wise, mature way."

 ~Amy Bradsher, homeschool parent and educator

Eleven-year-old Callie Fleming is a passionate animal lover! She’s been waiting all year to enter photos in the I Love Nature Photo Contest. Her dad, who is the coolest dad in the world, is an award winning photographer and Marine Corp Reserves Sergeant. She is leaning on his help to win. But when her father is untimely deployed overseas and becomes strangely silent to her emails, she finds her whole world crashing down on her. Can she muster up the faith and courage to step out on a journey that whisks her away from all the things she loves?

"Callie is a great role model for mid-grade girls. Her character qualities paint a picture of a realistic character that makes mistakes and learns from them. It is a wonderful book about family, friendship, adventure, joy, faith, hope, love, and honesty. Children’s literature book clubs, co-op groups, and Christian school literature circle classes can safely add this book to their reading lists. ~Tracey Masters, Educator

http://www.newmillenniumgirlbooks.com/Bookstore.html

This 74 page literature study guide is filled with fun activities from the mid-grade novel Callie’s Contest of Courage, vocabulary building skills, discussion questions and a literature awareness section. Build a butterfly box, map out Callie's travels , play a car game, bake a special treat and so much more! Perfect for the single student or as a book club. Girls won’t be able to put it down! Callie’s Contest of Courage is young girl’s journey of faith

 http://www.newmillenniumgirlbooks.com/Bookstore.html

These are my favorite Non-Gluten

Paleo Modified Sweet Treat!

Heavenly Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

 

1 ¼ cup almond meal flour and a teaspoon

 

1/4 teaspoon salt

 

1/3 to 2/3 cup Stevia (I like somewhere in the middle!)

 

½ teaspoon baking soda

 

Mix altogether

 

Add in one egg

 

3 tablespoons melted butter      

 

3 teaspoons vanilla Or 3 capfuls

 

Mix altogether-Add in a little more Almond flour if the dough is sticky-1

teaspoon at a time

 

And in 4 tablespoons Hershey Sugar Free Chocolate Chips

 

½ cup chopped walnuts

 

Bake 350 for 11-13 minutes

 

Cookies are done when they feel firm to the tough. When you take them out-Let them sit for a few minutes before taking them off

 

Cultivate your Young Writers

Martin Luther said, “If you want to change the world, pick up your pen!”He was spot on.  Harriet Beecher Stowe was hailed as the little woman who started this great Civil War by President Abraham Lincoln through the influence of her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin. If the written word is paramount in influencing the world around us, howcan we as educators develop it in our homeschools?

 

Creative Writing is far more than leading your children to make up fanciful stories. It offers a multitude of educational opportunities building skills your children will use throughout their lifetimes.

 

·        It teaches strategic thought and problem solving through learning how to write a plot

 

·        It teaches close observation through learning to develop sensory writing which will overflow into science class!

 

·        It teaches characterization, producing self expression and empathy 

 

·        It teaches sentence structure and format in a fun way

 

·        It teaches how to unleash creativity, how to think outside the box, invent and practice imagination

 

·        It helps children succeed and grow in confidence. They may not feel brave enough to tackle a new skill, or process a current life experience but through speaking through the eyes of the characters they can write about it.

Teaching Kids Spiritual Themes through Nature

Exploring Nature teaches children about who God is and how He provides for all the earth. There is a reason why people feel close to the Creator when they walk in a forest or enjoy the song of a bird. In this hectic fast paced world we live in teach your children to slow down and enjoy nature. It will serve them as a peaceful haven for the rest of their lives!

 

Catch frogs or toads and make a special habitat for them. Read books from the library to find out how. Talk about how creating a natural environment is important in keeping them alive and healthy. Talk about how God wants us to live in a healthy spiritual environment so we will be healthy and alive, too. 

Write down the things that create a healthy spiritual environment with colorful markers together, decorate the page and post it on the refrigerator. (2 Corinthians 6:17-18) These might include:

• Bible reading 
• Bible memory
• Good attitudes of love and kindness
•  Forgiveness 
• Wholesome music and movies 

 

Catch fireflies and put them in recycled plastic containers. Let them light up your patio like little lanterns. Talk about how you can be Christ’s light to a dark world.  (Matthew 5:16)

Make a weather watch calendar with a piece of white poster board. Each day draw what kind of weather is outside. Talk about how even though it may be cloudy sometimes, the sun is still shining above them. Talk about how we can always count on God’s goodness even when we can’t feel it. 

Visit the Zoo and talk about how each animal’s difference is pleasing to God and how each one demonstrates a truth about who He is. Talk about how each one of us, no matter how different we may feel or look, is pleasing to God and He loves us.