Category Archives: Books

Hey, God..the Whale’s Side of the Story ~ Review and Giveaway

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Screen Shot 2013-05-01 at 1.18.06 PMI recently had to opportunity to review the book Hey God, I’ve Got Some Guy Named Jonah in My Stomach and I Think I’m Gonna Throw Up!  The Whale Tells His Side of the Story. This book is a cutesy take on the story of Jonah told from the perspective of the whale that swallowed him. Thing is, we don’t really do cutesy Bible stories so it didn’t really appeal to us all that much. The kids were like “that character doesn’t look at all like we would expect Jonah to look” and I didn’t like how they use “asleep” to mean dead. We kind of tell it like it is in this house, but I can see how others might appreciate it. It was okay to read once or twice, but it is not likely to be a book that we will come back to time and again. I did appreciate how the compared the whales journey to Jonah’s and it did teach the basics of Jonah’s story, but it was just a wee bit too cutesy for me. If this story interests you, be sure to see below for your chance to win a copy!

I’d love to leave you a bit more from the publisher:
Oh sure, we’ve all heard the story of Jonah and the Whale a hundred times. But have we heard it from the perspective of the whale who experienced that history-making event? Hey God, I’ve Got Some Guy Named Jonah in My Stomach and I Think I’m Gonna Throw Up! imagines how that great sea creature from the incident might tell his
side of the story, helping kids ages 4 to 8 discover a creative way of
learning about that guy who was supposed to go to Ninevah.
The “Parent Connection” feature (inside the book) will help moms and dads
take the story further with scripture references and tips on how to talk
with their children about what really happened.

Brought to you by B&H Kids

This book is just $9.99 and will entertain you and your kids!

About the Author:

Troy Schmidt has writing and video production credits ranging from assignments with Disney (The Mickey Mouse Club) and Nickelodeon to Max Lucado’s Hermie franchise. He is currently the lead writer for The American Bible Challenge hosted by Jeff Foxworthy on the Game Show Network. Troy and his wife have three sons.

The Series:
This is just the first in a series! Other books available include Hey God, Can You Stop the Rain so I Can Get off Noah’s Smelly Ark? and Hey God, I’m having an Awful Vacation in Egypt Thanks to Moses!
For a chance to win, just let me know that you’d love a copy!

Addition entries (please leave a comment for each).

1) Like Mama Manuscripts on facebook and tell me about it.
2) Follow @mamamanuscripts on twitter and tell me your twitter ID so I can follow you.
3) Tweet/retweet about this giveaway and let me know.
4) Blog about this contest and give me your link (3 entries) – Don’t forget to comment 3 times for this one!

Comments will close Wednesday, May 8th, 2013  and a winner will be selected at random.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Roma Downey’s Little Angels ~ Review and Giveaway

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Screen Shot 2013-03-26 at 12.16.08 PMAs a teenager, I always looked forward to watching Touched by Angel. It premiered the year that my mother died and the story lines touched me and made me feel all kinds of emotions that I locked away deep inside. It was a great comfort to me, so I jumped on the oportunity to review a book written by series’ star Roma Downey. Roma Downey collaborated with Illustrator Lisa Reed to publish a book of prayers for the youngest child that focuses on the common occurrences and emotions that appear in a typical child’s day. This beautifully illustrated board is a welcomed addition to our collection, and my 3 year old strongly approves of it. It has quickly become a favorite of ours. I’m giving away a copy of this book so that one of my readers will be able to enjoy it as well. This little board book will be able to be passed on from child to child to enjoy as it is very nicely made. For more information check out the following links and be sure to follow the guidelines below for your chance to win!

For a chance to win, please leave a comment below just letting me know (how easy is that?).
Addition entries (please leave a comment for each).
1) Like Mama Manuscripts on facebook and tell me about it.
2) Follow @mamamanuscripts on twitter and tell me your twitter ID so I can follow you.
3) Tweet/retweet about this giveaway and let me know.
4) Blog about this contest and give me your link (3 entries) – Don’t forget to comment 3 times for this one!
Comments will close Monday, April 8th, 2013 and a winner will be selected at random.
“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Seed Starting by Gary Emmett ~ A Review

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Screen Shot 2012-12-31 at 2.50.33 PMI’ve been gardening for a few years, but my attempts at starting my garden from seeds has only been moderately successful. We did not have rooms with a lot of light. The house was a bit drafty. We had cats that liked to nibble on the young greens. Yes, not perfect growing conditions by far. We recently moved into a new house with a lot more room. I actually have a whole granny suite that is empty, bright, warm and can be closed off from the rest of the house, keeping cats and “helpful” toddlers away. I was so thrilled that I went out and bought all my seed growing supplies early so I would be all set.

Screen Shot 2013-03-07 at 8.43.20 AMI also jumped on the opportunity to review Seed Starting – The First Step to Gardening, a Kindle e-book by Gary Emmett. I started it knowing that I had a fair bit of knowledge about starting seeds – just horrible conditions to do so. I loved that this book was written in easy to understand language and broken down into appropriate sections that bring you right from the beginning of the process to transplanting your seedling outside. Topics include planning your garden, providing the right soil and amount of light and so much more. Because of the organization and easy to comprehend language, I am planning to have my 10 year old read this book and take charge of some of the seeds on his own. I think it will be a good spring homeschooling project for him.

While most of the information was not new to me, I did learn some very important information that will be sure to benefit my seedlings. I was sure that my bright and sunlit granny suite would provide adequate light for my plants, but I had no idea how much light young plants really needed. My poor little seedling – despite my best effort – probably would have been weak and straggly without having read this book. I cannot wait to see the difference between this years results and previous years. The garden is what I’ve been looking forward to most in our country home so I cannot wait for the snow to melt to get at it! With the knowledge provided in this book, I know that by early April I’ll be able to plant my tomato and pepper seeds with the squashes to follow about a month later. I’m sooooooo excited!

If you are new to starting a garden from scratch then I highly suggest that you check out this e-book which is currently selling on Amazon.com for 2.95$US. I love it’s step by step instructions and think that anyone would be able to use this book to start growing a successful garden from seeds.  Please check back to see what other Mosaic Review team members thought of this book. as well.

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Finding Grace

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I’ve been living in fear.

Fear that my body is falling apart and we’ll never find out why.

Fear that I’ve failed my children.

Fear that my children will never be able to function in society because I’ve somehow managed to mess them up.

Fear that neither my partner nor I are getting what we need from our marriage.

Fear that I’ve done nothing in my life.

Fear that no matter how hard I try – and wish – nothing will ever change.

Fear that this is all there is, and then, one day, I’ll just die and that will be all.

Fear that there is no purpose at all to this thing called life.

Fear is exhausting. It is overwhelming. It is consuming. It is eating me from the inside out and leave big voids, empty spaces, nothingness.

~~~~~~

A dear friend of mine sensed this – she knew.

She sent me a gift.

A gift – for me. For healing.

One that I’ve longed for, that I’ve felt drawn towards, that I’ve wanted to hold on my lap, but could never justify buying for myself.

A book. A simple book. But a profound, and life changing book. I haven’t read it all. I’m going slow, and taking it in, but I can feel the promise of something more.

I’ve done it all before. Oprah’s gratitude lists. Friday Fave Fives. Journaling the highights of my day. I’ve even tried to blog my 1000 gifts, a la Ann Voskamp But it has fallen flat. No real meaning behind it. I was doing it just because. Sure, I was thankful, but it didn’t go deeper than that. However, Monday afternoon, I found the book One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp sitting on my lap.

There it was – real, emotional, honest.

That word, grace. The state that alludes me. I’ve spend time lately talking with women about grace. Women that are going through experiences that I can only imagine. They are doing so with grace and strength and purpose. Yet, I struggle and scream and cry for them – and for myself. How do I find grace?

I do not have the eloquent language to describe what I’ve been taught by this book so far but needless to say, I was going about my lists all wrong. Being thankful goes so much deeper than writing a few things from time to time when your feeling good about things. It’s about being thankful in spite of the challenges – because of the challenges. It’s about living thankfulness. Not being thankful, and then forgetting about it and going on about the day feeling resentful and tired and angry and defeated. In the hardest moments, we are given moments of light – blessings – if we are open to seeing them.

I will be open to seeing them. I will keep learning. I will be okay to be, right where I am, happy and complete. It won’t happen today, but with practice and prayer and time, I’ll be able to live more and more of the life that I want to live, being thankful for the moments I am given and accepting whatever comes my way. This is how I, too, will find grace.

 

Where She Went ~ A Blogher Book Club Review

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I’ll admit that I wasn’t particularly interested in reading Where She Went by Gayle Forman. The book is a sequel to her bestseller, If I Stay, and seeing as I hadn’t read that book I didn’t feel that I’d know the characters as well as I should going into Where She Went. I’ll admit that for the first few chapters I felt like I was reading a book geared towards young adults/teens and I had a hard time feeling it. However, when the main character, Adam, meets his lost love, Mia, by chance and they go on a whirlwind tour of New York in one night I was hooked. I’m a sucker for life changing in a moment stories and there was certainly enough flashbacks and memories to make this book a suitable stand alone novel for those that haven’t read the first (though, I intend to look for If I Stay at my local library). I really felt for Adam as he struggles though the novel and I desperately wanted things to work out for him, for him to get what he needed. He’s messed up and I wanted it better for him. I won’t tell you how it ends but will say that once I started I HAD to read this book in it’s entirety. I highly recomend it and would love for you to check it out for yourself and for you to check out this month discussions on the Blogher Book Club as well.

A Perfect Pet for Peyton – Review and Giveaway

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Last year I had the chance to read Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Got Married by Gary Chapman, author of the bestselling The 5 Love Languages books. As I loved the book, I was eager to review the newest addition to The 5 Love Languages series, a book especially for your kids, A Perfect Pet for Peyton.

From the publishers:

This wonderfully imaginative children’s hardcover book by bestselling authors Gary Chapman and Rick Osborne, featuring four-color illustrations (with hidden details!) by Wilson Williams, Jr., will help children learn the importance of love. Based on Gary’s highly successful The 5 Love Languages®, A Perfect Pet for Peyton tells an entertaining and playful story of five children who each, with the help of Mr. Chapman and the unique pets at his special emporium, discover their own personal love language. Children and parents alike will experience firsthand the power of the love languages as they cuddle up and spend precious time together reading this book over and over again.

The children (ages 8, 6, and 2) cuddled up with this book as soon as it arrived. The kids were happy to sit quietly to look for the hidden details on each page (which was a relief, as we were getting antsy after weeks of illness but weren’t really well enough to get out there in the real world, yet. Anything to occupy their time was a plus). However, the special part was that the kids really did get the 5 Love Languages after reading this book and we had a lovely discussion on how different people feel love differently. Liam (8) was quick to tell me that his Love Language was quality time and Morgaine (6) said that her love language was probably gifts. These are absolutely the languages that I would have chosen for them so the really did get it!

To find out more about A Perfect Pet for Peyton, The 5 Love Languages for Children, and Gary Chapman, be sure to visit the following links:

The 5 Love Languages: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/

We really enjoyed this story and I look for to telling you more about The 5 Love Languages for Children next week so I hope that you will be back to find out more.

Until then, I am THRILLED to be able to offer a copy of A Perfect Pet for Peyton to one lucky reader. For your chance to win leave a comment and let me know what you think your perfect pet would be!

Addition entries (please leave a comment for each).

1) Follow me on Google Friend Connect and/or Networked Blogs.
2) Like Mama Manuscripts on facebook and tell me about it.
3) Follow @mamamanuscripts on twitter and tell me your twitter ID so I can follow you.
5) Tweet/retweet about this giveaway and let me know.
6) Blog about this contest and give me your link (3 entries) – Don’t forget to comment 3 times for this one!

Good luck! Comments close Friday, April 6th, 2012 and 1pm eastern time. Winner will be chosen at random.

 “Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it 
on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Underside of Joy ~ A Blogher Book Club Review

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I am quite happy that I was given the opportunity to read Sere Prince Halverson’s debut novel, The Underside of Joy. This book takes the reader on a journey through Ella’s raw emotions after the sudden and tragic death of her husband, Joe, as she uncovers that maybe things weren’t quite as they seemed and all families have secrets. It was hard to put down this book as I needed to know what happened to Ella and the children she had raised like her own since the time they were young and their mother seemingly walked out on them. I knew from the beginning that there was more to the story than what this woman always believed. There was certain instances where this book was predictable, however, because it was so well written that wasn’t a big issue. With it’s descriptive nature, I was drawn into the setting of this book and ended up caring just as much about the fate of Joe’s family business as that of his children.

Easy to read with characters that are easy to relate to, I’d say this is a wonderful debut novel and I look forward to reading more from this author. To find out more visit the Blogher Book Club page for this book and join in on the discussions!

Book Collector – A Review

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Product: Book Collector Pro
Company: Collectorz.com
Price: 49.95$ US

If you’ve been homeschooling for any amount of time, you may feel like you house is being overrun with books. Perhaps you have shelves filled with them lining your walls or maybe, like me, have bins upon bins of books stored in your attic for that day when you finally have room to display them. Maybe you buy books in advance, thinking that such and such book would be great for Baby Johnny in just a few years. Sometimes it can be hard to keep track of what you have. Not anymore with Book Collector from Collectorz.com which I received to review as part of the TOS Homeschool Crew.

This down-loadable software makes it easy to catalogue your collection of books. All you need to do is search for you books either using title and author or ISBN#. Once this information found, you can add the title to your listing of books. With the wonders of the internet, you’ll be given a lot of information about the book including the cover picture, a short synopsis and a link where you can get additional information from Amazon. By adding additional information about your book you can easily organize your books by categories (that you can choose from or even add your own). You’ll be able to list your books by category, author, type (text, paperback, hard cover, audiobook etc), purchase price. You could even add your own categories and classify your books by age or school subject!

This software is available on a variety of platforms and can even be mobile on your iPod Touch or other hand held device/telephone. You’d be able to check out your list on the go while at the book store or used curriculum fair!

Another nifty little option is that you can either mark books as loaned or for sale so that you can keep track of the books that might not be on your main book shelves. No more wonder who has your books or if you sell lots of your used curriculum what ones you already have listed for sale.

I’ll admit that I wasn’t too excited about this program when I first received it. I have a pretty good idea of what books I have and when I need to find something I just walk over to my selves and take a look. The thought of taking time to enter likely a couple THOUSAND books to a computer program was NOT appealing. However, using the ISBN # adding books went much quicker than I expected and Collectorz.com also sells a bar-code scanner if you wish to make the process quicker still. I’m looking forward to adding all my homeschooling materials to this program since I have packed much of it away in bins to be used at a later date. It will be nice to have everything sorted by subject.

For 49.95$US I think this software is a worthwhile investment if you are looking for an easy way to keep track of your books. Collectorz.com also sells a cheaper version for 29.95$US that would be adequate for those with less extensive collections. If books aren’t you thing then you can also get Collectorz.com for movies, music, comics, games and more. Be sure to check out their website for more information on this great organizational tool.

**Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how we used the product within our family. I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

Those Poor Horses

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So, we were reading The Paper Bag Princess. You know, the classic from Robert Munsch where Elizabeth is going to marry Prince Ronald but he gets carried off by a dragon who leaves a trail of burnt treed and horses’ bones behind him. Well, we got to the part about the horses’ bones and Morgaine cocked her head to one side and said in a matter of fact tone of voice, “Mum, that’s really not good for the horses.”

No child, that’s really not good for the horses.

Friday Fave Five-September 10th

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It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted my Friday Fave Five and that’s a shame because it really is my favorite post to write. Please join Suzanne at Living to Tell the Story and share your favorite moments of the past week.

1. This little boy. It’s unbelievable how much he is changing everyday. He most certainly isn’t a little baby any more. He seems to learn something new and exciting each and everyday. I feel beyond incredibly blessed to have him in my life.

2. Starting off the new “school” year. While it go off to a bit of a rocky start on Tuesday we seem to sort of found our stride and are getting back into the swing of things. Morgaine is starting to spell even though she “can’t read” and I’m loving that.

3. Harvest time. It’s really been a decent gardening year for us and that makes me really happy.

4. Cereal. I’ve been a bit unmotivated to cook this past week or so but I have to say that I’ve enjoyed a nice bowl of cereal in the evening a couple times this week. Cereal is something I NEVER eat so it’s been nice to rediscover it.

5. Story of the World. This is really MY type of learning program and I am thrilled that both kids love it as well. I’ve happily been able to incorporate science, math, English and cooking into this program to make it feel like we aren’t jumping so much from one disjointed subject to another. Morgaine sits for hours with my History of Art textbook and Liam is anxiously waiting to see if any of our Bible stories will be mentioned. It makes me so happy to see them interested in learning (something that has been lacking the last 5 or 6 months). Thank you Susan Wise Bauer!