THE SAME BACKWARD AS FORWARD by Jennifer Lynn Barnes YELLOW LIGHT WITH HEAVY CAUTION The Same Backward as Forward is a prequel to the popular Inheritance Games Series. There is a bit of cleverness to this book, there is a bit of "been there, seen that" to the book with regards to the series, and there is content to be aware of. Let's start with the cleverness. This book is two stories in one. Actually, it's the same story told from two different perspectives. It's the story of Toby Hawthorne and Hannah Rooney (better known as Sarah Grambs, mother to Avery Kylie Grambs). So what's clever about that? You start by reading Hannah Rooney's story which takes up half the book. Then, you flip the book over and read Toby's story. The story is the same backward as forward. Clever. So what's the "been there, done that" part? This series is starting to feel like it's set on repeat. Dysfunctional family overload, kids try to figure things out, and intense puzzles to solve.. Toby has arrived in Rockaway Watch with his two, rich friends. Running away from his billionaire parents is about as impossible as it gets, but he's here to do just that and maybe some damage in the meantime. In a chance encounter, he meets Hannah Rooney and her sister, Kaylie. Hannah, a nursing student, is the stoic one of the two while everything Kaylie touches is pure light. That night a terrible accident occurs because of Toby that takes Kaylie's life and the lives of his friends. Toby, badly burned and unable to remember who he is, is put into hiding due to the fact that Hannah and Kaylie's mom controls the town with her illegal drug activities and will kill him if she finds him. He needs immediate care, and there's no one to do it and keep him secret except Hannah. To say she hates him for taking the life of her sister would be an understatement, but her nursing training forces her to focus on saving the life of her patient. Up against a clock to get him recovered enough to get out of town before anyone realizes he didn't die in the accident is a monumental task. Forced to help each other overcome intense hardship, hatred starts to give way to love. HEADS UP - There are some things to be aware of. -There is a fair amount of language. Pretty much on par with the rest of The Inheritance Games series. No f-bombs -Sex - This book definitely has the most sex in it so far. Toby and Hannah have sex 3 times. Since the story is told twice, readers experience it a total of 6 times. Everything is closed door, but there is a lot of emotion/passion buildup to the acts. -Sex - there is one line that tells you that Hannah had sex with another man. Reading this, you may ask why I don't red light this book. I am definitely wavering that direction, but there is a level past where this one goes.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES by Charles Dickens How's everyone doing out there in literature land? Are you able to keep up? Are you understanding the story alright? Hopefully, these recaps help! CHAPTER 15 - KNITTING We find ourselves back in France in the Defarge's wine shop. Don't you just love the beautiful comparisons in the first few paragraphs to help us set the mood of the morning? Thin, sour wine matches the sour mood. Battered, defaced coins comparable to the peasants that produced them from their pockets. One of the neat things about Dickens' writing is we can see everything he describes. We've all held coins in our hands that we know will be pulled from circulation due to their shape. They are pockmarked and dented. They've been used and abused just like the peasants. Defarge walks into the wine shop with Jacques (the mender of the roads), and tells Madame Defarge to pour him a stiff drink. Do you remember this guy? He's the one who spoke to the Marquis about the man attached to the Marquis" carriage the day the Marquis ran the child over. Now, he has come to tell the Defarges what he has recently seen. The man as arrested. As the man passes the mender of the roads their eyes meet, and they recognize each other. He is Gaspard, the father of the child killed under the wheels of the Marquis' carriage. Gaspard is marched into the prison where we get this beautiful imagery again. The prison gate swallows him, and he is gone. He is held in there for days. A petition is made to the king and queen. Defarge himself delivered it by jumping out in front of their carriage. He is hit repeatedly for doing this by the soldiers. Gaspard is not released. Instead, a gallows is built by the village fountain, the place where everyone gathers. On the day of his execution, he is made to look like a buffoon. His mouth is tied by a gag into a hideous smile, and he is marched to the gallows and hung over the fountain water where he poisons it. I can't imagine the horror of this scene for the villagers. Beside this, there are two more things to note in this chapter before we move on. The first, a list of names is being recorded in a most unusual way. Did you catch it? Madame's making a list of names in her knitting. The second, later, after watching the aristocracy parade around like a flock of birds, Madame asks the mender of the roads if he would be able to "strip them of their feathers for his own advantage?" He affirms that he would. CHAPTER 16 - Still Knitting Small town rumors - you have to love them.. The sound of tongues wagging is prevalent as the people spread tales about the stone faces on the chateau. How they changed when the Marquis died, and how they changed again when Gaspard was executed. Meanwhile, the Defarges have returned to their wine shop and a spy, John Barsard, walks in. The Defarges knew he might be coming and here he is. Madame Defarge is back in all her glory. Instead of clearing her throat at the entrance of an unknown visitor, she takes a rose and puts it into her hair. Everyone stops talking and one by one they drift out the door. You have to chuckle a bit as this guy tries to pump Madame Defarge for information, and she knits his name right into her register. He tries to get her to talk about Gaspard and give up her true feelings about his execution. She doesn't bite. Defarge comes in, and Barsard calls him "Jacques." Defarge tells him that's not his name. Poor spy can't get a word out of these two, but then he drops a bomb. He tells them Lucie Manette is to be married to Charles Darnay who is the current Marquis de Evremonde. Steady Madame Defarge keeps right on knitting, but Monsieur Defarge? It's all he can do to keep his hands from trembling and giving him away. The spy leaves. Note the conversation at the end of the chapter. We have this continuing thread of fate/destiny that shows up again. Defarge hopes that Darnay stays out of France, but Madame Defarge says it will "lead him to the end that is to end him" as she knits his name into her list. CHAPTER 17 - One Night England This chapter is an endearing scene between Lucie and her father sitting together under a tree talking. Lucie is about to be married to Charles Darnay. The main thing that happens is that for the first time, Dr. Manette makes mention of the dark times in his life. He mentions how he would look at the moon and think about how it was shining on "what he had lost." He thought of his unborn child. Did the child live or die? He would imagine the child, but now he sees the real one. CHAPTER 18 - Nine Days England It's wedding day. Remember the Two Promises chapter? Remember what's supposed to happen on this morning? Darnay will tell Dr. Manette who he really is, and he does. Only Lorry notices the subtle change that happens in the Dr. He's pale, but Lorry detects an air of "avoidance and dread." The wedding ends. Darnay and Lucie are off on their honeymoon. Miss Pross and Lorry are in charge of Dr. Manette while they are gone. Lorry has some business to attend to at the bank, and when he returns he finds Pross in a state. Dr. Manette is back at his workbench making shoes. They try with no success to get him to talk to them. He just continues making shoes. Two decisions are made: 1.) this must be kept from Lucie, and 2) this must be kept from everyone who knows Dr. Manette. For the first time, Lorry takes time off from the bank. This continues for 9 days, and with each day that passes, Dr. Manette's shoemaking skills increase.

THE HIDDEN LIVES OF OWLS by Leigh Calvez Green Light I love owls. Known for their mystery and regality, observing owls is a special occurrence. Living on our wooded acreage, we sometimes hear and see them. Desiring to further my owl knowledge, I periodically pick up books about them to read. The Hidden Lives of Owls is definitely one of my favorites that I've read so far! The book consists of 9 chapters that focus on 11 different owl species. Covering everything from the little Flammulated Owl to the Great Gray Owl, information abounds! In each chapter, Leigh hikes out into the habitat of the owl to observe and experience them in real life, and we, as readers, get to go along with her! The moments waiting for the appearance of a sought after owl sets readers on edge hoping that the night will end with a spotting of at least one of these elusive birds. There's no getting around admiring authors like Leigh Calvez. A naturalist, Leigh is all in when it comes to whatever she studies and writes about! In the case of owls, lots of travel miles, hiking miles, inclement weather, and late nights spent with authorities in the owl field are the soil that produced this fantastic book. If you have a love of owls or find yourself desiring to grow in your knowledge of them, The Hidden Lives of Owls is a perfect fit! HEADS UP - There are references to evolution and climate change in the book.

FROG'S RAINY-DAY STORY and OTHER FABLES by Michael James Dowling. Illustrated by Sarah Buell Dowling. I have always been a lover of fable stories. You know - those simple little stories typically centered around animals that pack a common sense/moral punch at the end. A dose of depth for kids in a 3 - 5 minute read! I own a few fable books that I've used over the years with my kids, but this is one that I picked up at a homeschool convention with a Christian worldview that is worth the time reading! Frog's Rainy-Day Story and Other Fables follows the typical fable format that puts animals at the heart of the story. Animals such as frogs, ducks, pigs, turtles, owls and more take center stage while teaching lessons about the pitfalls of selfishness, foolishness, pride, etc. The stories are simple but well written with an understandable moral at the end. That's not where Dowling stops with his stories, though. The frosting on the cake of this book is the extra page that comes at the end of each story comparing two quotes from the Wisdom of the World (or lack there of) to two quotes from the Wisdom of the Word (the Bible). The genius of this additional page is that it takes this picture book and makes it applicable to older kids up through adults. Good, deep conversation can happen from talking about what each of the quotes mean and deciding what type of character the reader wants to cultivate within their own life. In a world that produces a lot of chaos, these lessons are timely! Highly recommend!

FABLEHAVEN by Brandon Mull It's easy to see why kids gravitate to a story like this. It's fantasy in all its glory punctuated with high points of adventure and battle. Seth and Kendra are dreading spending time with their Grandpa and Grandma Sorensen at their remote home. After all, their grandparents have hardly been involved in their lives, and when they are, the visits are very odd. Traveling the lengthy drive up to the large house, it's clear, as they pass through the gates, they've crossed into another world. The place abounds with gorgeous gardens and beautiful landscaping. Butterflies, hummingbirds, and other wildlife flutter happily along. But Fablehaven, as the estate is called, is even more than meets the eye. It's actually a sanctuary for all types of mythical creatures, both good and evil, designed to preserve them in the modern world. Boundaries are in place to promote order, but when laws are broken or certain holidays come around, serious, sometimes dangerous, chaos ensues. It is at this point that Fablehaven picks up the pace and gets rolling. On the night of Midsummer's Eve, Seth breaks the rules, and the order that typically reigns at Fablehaven is thrown out of balance allowing evil to take over. The only way to right the wrong is for the one human left in human form to preform the bravest act known at Fablehaven risking their very life in the process. There are some great elements to this book. Seth is what we would consider a "stereotypical boy" constantly pushing the boundaries There is always a swift, natural consequence that comes about because of these decisions. The boundaries have been put in place for very clear reasons. Another is the "stepping up" when dire situations happen. The willingness to possibly sacrifice oneself for another shows up multiple times. There is also the beauty of a relationship formed between grandparents and grandchildren. However, there are several elements to be aware of before reading Fablehaven. HEADS UP - -This book is full of magic. -The book mentions spells and the usage of the "black arts." -There is a witch named Muriel that Seth and Kendra go to more than once for help even though she is clearly evil. -There is a quote at one point that I find troubling. "No mythology or religion that I know of holds all the answers. Most religions are based on truths, but they are also polluted by the philosophies and imaginations of men." -There is a main demon named Bahumet that has to be defeated. -The fairies at one point are referred to as seraphim.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES by Charles Dickens Chapter 11 - A Companion Picture We're in England. This is one of those chapters you just have to snort laugh at. Let's just lay it all out like it is. Stryver thinks he is God's gift to women. Have you ever known anyone like that? Can you recall the loud explosions of laughter you had to try and hold in every time that person opened his mouth and spoke? Picture that in your mind as you think about this chapter. Stryver is so full of himself he should be physically unable to fit through doorways due to his big head and expanded chest! Where do we find Stryver in this chapter? He and Carton are drinking together and going over papers when he announces he's going to marry Lucie Manette. (Honestly, does the girl even get a say in this?!) Can you imagine Carton's surprise? He does a great job of keeping his composure. Carton's got a secret, and we know it, don't we? Lucie is the first thing he has ever cared about, and now, this pompous walrus is pursuing her. (Not sure where walrus came from, but it will do!) Carton has to sit and endure listening to how lucky Lucie is. Then the kicker hits. The bit of irony to wrap the chapter up. Stryver leans over, looks at Carton, and tells him he needs to find someone to marry. There's only one person that Carton has his eye on. Chapter 12 - Fellow of Delicacy England I love the title of this chapter and the next one. Who is the "Fellow of Delicacy?" Well. there's basically two characters in this chapter - Lorry and Stryver. Which one strikes you as more of a delicate man in how he handles business affairs? That would be Lorry. Stryver we could rightfully compare to a bull in a china shop! There isn't much that's delicate about him! Stryver is on his way to see Dr. Manette and Lucie to let them know the good news! He has chosen Lucie! (Are you laughing? I am!) He passes by Tellson's Bank, and he knows Lorry has an "in" with the Manette family, so he decides to stop and talk with him. Lorry delicately tries to tell him that he won't succeed and convinces Stryver to let him go and check things out for him. Stryver is absolutely dumbfounded by this. Why wouldn't she want to marry him? He agrees to allow Lorry to go and agrees to meet up with him later. However, Stryver decides to act as though none of this really matters to him. When Lorry shows up later and delivers the news, Stryver acts surprised to see him as if they hadn't arranged the meeting. This response really makes me think back to my jr high and high school days when a boy would admit he liked a girl and send someone off to tell her at the chance they might start "going together." Remember those days? Remember what the typical response of the boy would be if he found out there was zero chance that was happening? He immediately denied liking the girl. The response was a desperate attempt to "save face." That's exactly what we have going on here, and Stryver executes it perfectly. Chapter 13 - The Fellow of No Delicacy England Okay, so who, then, is our "Fellow of No Delicacy?" Cue Sydney Carton. I find myself really liking Sydney as a character, and this chapter is where that really starts to happen. Sydney can't hide from Lucie his true feelings even though he knows he doesn't have a chance. He asks her to hear him out, and she agrees to. He loves her, but he knows that she doesn't return the feeling. He almost celebrates that she doesn't, because he knows he would pull her down to his level. He unloads it all to her. She tells him that she believes he is capable of good and great things, but he denies it. He asks her not to share this conversation with anyone, and she agrees to respect his wishes. What are your thoughts about that? Lucie is the type of person that can see the true heart of a person. She knows the reason for keeping the secret is only out of protection for Sydney's self respect. There is no harm that will happen for doing so. He tells her he will never talk to her again about it. The end of this chapter is super important to tuck away in the back of your mind. Sydney tells Lucie that he would willingly sacrifice himself for her or for those she cares for. He knows she will soon be married, and he is not interested in doing anything to come between that. We have this beautiful quote that I have to end this chapter with. "...think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you!" I don't know about you, but that absolutely makes me melt like butter. Chapter 14 - The Honest Tradesman England I'm back to laughing at this chapter title. Who is our "Honest Tradesman?' Jerry Cruncher! Just how honest is our tradesman? You decide! Jerry and his son are at their place waiting for jobs when a funeral procession comes through. It's the funeral of a spy, one Roger Cly. Remember him? He was one of the witnesses that testified against Charles Darnay. The crowd following the carriage carrying the coffin is whipped into a frenzy with the idea of a spy. They overtake the carriage and start to pull the coffin out, but then decide to take it the cemetery for burial. While this is going on, Cruncher talks to the undertaker. (He's gathering info.) Returning home, he tells Mrs. Cruncher and little Jerry that he's going out "fishing" tonight. What is his fishing tackle? A sack, a crowbar, a rope, a chain, and other such tools. After little Jerry is in bed, Jerry leaves. But little Jerry isn't asleep. He gets up and follows his dad and two other men to the cemetery. Can't you picture Little Jerry peering through the wrought iron fence? I seriously get a Tom Sawyer vibe with this scene. Watching his father, he discovers that the fishing going on is for dead bodies that can be sold for science research. Then the church clock strikes and Little Jerry freaks out. He takes off running, imagining that the coffin is chasing him down the street. He runs as fast as he can home and jumps into bed. In the morning, he is woken up to his father yelling at his mother. He has a hold of her ears and is hitting her head off the headboard. Something has gone wrong with the night's "fishing expedition, and Mrs. Cruncher is taking the brunt of the blame. I just love that Dicken's notes to us that there was "no fish for breakfast." Later, as Jerry and Little Jerry are walking to the bank for their morning work, Little Jerry asks his father what a "Resurrection-Man" is. Don't you just love how the young call out the old? Jerry explains and is feeling pretty good about himself when his son tells him that's what he wants to be someday.

SEAL OF GOD by Chad Williams SEAL of God is the moving autobiography of U.S. Navy SEAL, Chad Williams. As a high school student, Chad struggled to keep his focus on anything. He constantly pushed the limits and lived the high life until he made the decision to become a SEAL, one of the highest goals he could set for himself to achieve. When he shared his decision with his parents, they were both very concerned. His dad put him in touch with retired SEAL member and instructor, Scott Helvenston. Scott put Chad through intense training rigors to either flush him out or see if he had a chance at making it. After training together for seven months, Scott accepted a position with Blackwater USA as a highly-trained, private security guard working with the US military in Iraq. Without going into the details, a week and a half after Scott's deployment, Chad turned on the TV at home to see his mentor captured and executed gruesomely for the entire world to see. These actions solidified the path Chad was already on and sealed them with an anger that fueled the journey helping him push through every obstacle. Despite all of this, there remained a lingering, restless emptiness. Something was missing. That something was a relationship with Jesus Christ, and He had the perfect moment to touch Chad's life in a way that would forever change him. SEAL of God is a great read for high schoolers and adults alike. Full of great wisdom from a guy who "appeared to have everything," this book will challenge readers no matter where they are in life. HEADS UP - This is a military book. There are a few gruesome, but not gory, parts. -The book discusses drinking at times and going to strip clubs, but no details are given about these events.

BOTHERED BY BUGS by Emily Gravett If you have the opportunity to get your hands on this wonderful picture book, I highly recommend you do so! This one is landing on my SARAH'S FAVORITES BOOKLIST. Read on and you'll quickly find out why! Just in time for the warmer weather, Bothered by Bugs celebrates the joy of berries and all the wonderful things you can make with them, but it adds in all the bugs that a person (or in this case, animal) will deal with while trying to pick and use the berries. Fed up with flies and all the other creepy crawlies, Pete the Badger decides that it's times for all bugs to disappear, so the forest animals gather up every one they can find and lock them away in jars. (Isn't the picture below absolutely fabulous?!) Later, when it's time for the animals to go and pick the berries to make all their yummy desserts, they are shocked to find that there are no berries anywhere. Why? Because all of the bugs were locked away in the jars and couldn't pollinate the flowers. Told in rhyming verse, this book is one delight after another whether it's in the story itself or the illustrations. Chuckles and learning will abound which is a perfect combo that isn't easily achieved in a book. I'm going to give one more peek at the overwhelming loveliness of this book. Open up the dust jacket and on the underside there are rows of illustrations of bugs along with a witty and delightful cover to the book itself made to look like the cookbook Pete uses in the story. Oh, and inside the covers are multiple fruit recipes. This book is a spot on treasure in so many ways! Highly, highly recommend!!

AT THE EDGE OF LOST by Martha Brockenbrough I am on the search for new books with boy protagonists which is how I ended up with this book. At The Edge of Lost is an overcoming story (post-COVID ) based on surviving another viral outbreak in a community, but this time it's an avian flu strain that has the potential to run rampant. Told from the alternating views of a boy named Caleb and his dog, Ronan, this book hinges on the age old story of a boy and his dog beating the odds in an attempt to be reunited. Initially, Caleb and Ronan stay with Caleb's grandfather, Poppy, in a retirement village while Caleb's parents are working for the government out of the country. Caleb loves spending time with his grandfather and things are going great until one morning they notice several dead crows around town.. They're dying from a variant of H5N1 which is spreadable to humans. Poppy contracts the disease and is hospitalized immediately leaving Caleb with no where to live. Only one relative lives close, an estranged great-aunt. Willing to take Caleb in but not Ronan, Ronan is left behind in Poppy's empty house. That's not going to work for a dog as dedicated to his master as Ronan is. Thus, the action of the book is set in motion when Ronan escapes and plunges into the woods where unknown wild animals abound. Despite the action in the story, I struggled to keep myself going in this book. Still pretty burnt out on anything that resembles COVID, a pandemic, spreadable virus, World Health Organization, masks, etc, I don't think I am a minority in this thought process. Unfortunately, the book covers all of that, and it overshadows everything else going on in the story. HEADS UP - -One of Caleb's friends has two dads mentioned in passing. -There are several references to evolutionary ideas. -There are remarks about the pandemic when people were drinking bleach and taking horse medicine.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES by Charles Dickens Chapter 7 - Monseigneur in Town Did you find yourself confused by Chapter 7? If so, let's try and clear up a couple things. First, there are two men that we focus on in this chapter - the Monseigneur and Monsieur the Marquis. The first one, Monseigneur, gives us a picture of the overly lavish lifestyle of the French aristocracy during this time. Every two weeks this guy takes himself to the grand hotel in Paris and has a little "look at me" party. Dickens equates this to a spiritual encounter. The Monseigneur has set himself up as a god. He resides in his Holy of Holies. His followers flock to see him. What can you compare this to in our modern age? Maybe the way people flock to movie stars, athletes, etc? Swifties maybe? Did you catch that it takes a total of 5 men to help this guy with his hot chocolate. Seriously, the opulence is enough to make a sane person puke. He's more concerned about his pleasures than he is about anything having to do with the state of France. He's burned through his wealth supporting his lifestyle, so much so, that he has to take his sister out of the convent and in so many words, sells her off to a rich Farmer-General. In the crowd of Monseigneur "worshippers," Dickens lays out just what type of people they are: naval officers that have never looked at a ship before, worldly church officials, doctors who fleece their patients. I think you get the drift. I love the quote, "the leprosy of unreality disfigured every human creature in attendance..." Meanwhile, not too far away from where this is going on, reside the metaphorical "scarecrows" - the starving peasants in raggedy clothing. Dickens juxtaposes the two groups, and you can clearly see the enormous gulf that separates them. The Monseigneur walks through his worshippers and nods and notices a few of them. Then, he returns to his inner room, and the show is over. The people leave except for one. In the corner, stands a lone figure that curses the Monseigneur. He has been ignored by him and it infuriating. He leaves the room, exits the hotel, and jumps into his carriage. This is Monsieur the Marquis. The Marquis has a passion for going fast. He loves to watch the peasants scatter like birds as he clatters through. Today though, I think he presses forward faster than normal. After all, he has just been snubbed. He is angry and his pride is stung. Then, the sound of a sickening crunch occurs. He has just run over a child. Do you note his manner? He could not care less. What does he care about? His horses. He tries to pacify/ buy off the grieving father with the toss of a gold coin in his direction. (Doesn't your Momma heart burn at this action? How dare he!) Who else is present in the crowd that we've met? DeFarge. Remember him? The wineshop owner. DeFarge tries to soothe the grieving father with the horrible words of truth that the child is now in a better place. He no longer has to suffer in this life. The Marquis notices DeFarge and tosses him a gold coin. The Marquis takes his leave. As he drives off a gold coin comes flying into the carriage. The Marquis abruptly stops and demands to know who threw the coin, but he cannot figure it out. It's clear these people cannot be bought no matter if they are starving! He does the only thing he can - threatens them and leaves. Chapter 8 - Monseigneur in the Country Right out of the gate in this chapter, Dickens lets us know what's going to happen to the Marquis. A blush covers him as the sun sets (he's covered in red.). He's going to die. As he comes into the village, the Marquis stops to talk to the mender of roads, a man that he recognizes. The man is staring at something "fixedly." When the Marquis questions him about it, he finds out that a man had attached himself to the Marquis' carriage. No one recognized the parasitic traveler. He wasn't from around there. No longer attached, he dropped off and disappeared over the side of the hill.. The Marquis commands the villagers to keep an eye out for him and then travels on to his chateau. As this chapter closes, I think we have a pretty good guess why a person would attach themselves to the carriage and travel that way for miles. Chapter 9 - The Gorgon's Head What is a Gorgon in Greek Mythology? There are 3 of them, sisters to be exact, with Medusa being the most well known. So who is the Gorgon in this chapter? The Marquis is. Remember, Gorgons can turn anyone they look at into stone. The Marquis can do somewhat the same with his cold, icy personality. Note the hoot from the owl. This typically signifies doom or death in literature. Okay, I'm going focus on a few main points in this chapter. -When the Marquis walks into his chateau, Dickens points out the weap0ns mounted on the wall including the whips used on the peasants. -Note that the Marquis is also called the Monseigneur in this chapter. -He is waiting for a guest, his nephew. Were you shocked to find out who his nephew is? It's Charles Darnay (remember him from the trial?). -The Marquis and his nephew do not see eye to eye on how the wealthy and the peasants live. The Marquis feels as if he has a responsibility to live up to his title.. He says he will "perpetuate the system as long as he is alive." (He quite enjoys his lifestyle.) Darnay, who is next in line, says that when he inherits he will renounce the title. He watns nothing to do with this way of life. -The Marquis knows about England and Dr. Manette and Lucie much to Darnay's shock. Darnay and the Marquis go to bed, and we get this amazing imagery. with the stone faces as they stare out from the chateau. As the sun rises, two things happen. Their eyes are opened, and in the courtyard the fountain's water is turned red signifying blood. A little bird lands on the window of the Marquis' bedroom and sings its song to the closest stone face. What stone face would that be? It's the Marquis - dead in his bed. His face frozen in open mouthed surprise. You just have love Dicken's descriptions. Here he tells us that there is "one face stone face too many." The Marquis has a knife driven through his heart with a note attached. "Drive him fast to his tomb. This from Jacques." Hmmm, any guesses based on the word choice "driving fast" who the killer might be? Chapter 10 - Two Promises This chapter finds us back in England. Darnay is making his own way as a tutor. He didn't expect to "walk on streets of gold" or "lie in a bed of roses." It's pretty clear why we as readers like the character of Darnay. Two promises happen in this chapter between Darnay and Dr. Manette that are important to note. The first has to do with Lucie. Darnay loves her. He goes to Dr. Manette to talk with him about her. First, he tells him that he will never come between them. He recognizes the unique bond between them, Next, he requests that if Lucie comes to Dr. Manette and tells him that she loves Darnay he will tell her that they had this conversation and not speak against Darnay. Dr. Manette promises to do so. The second has to do with Darnay revealing his true identity. He doesn't want there to be secrets between him and Dr. Manette, so he prepares to tell him who he truly is. Dr. Manette stops him and makes him promise to wait to tell him until the morning of the wedding of Lucie and Darnay if it happens. Darnay agrees to this. With this strange exchange, we have to think that Dr. Manette knows something about the person that stands before him and that there is some type of history there. Darnay leaves, and Lucie comes home. The sight that meets her eyes is definitely concerning. Dr. Manette is back at his work bench making shoes. Eventually, Lucie is able to draw him out and walk with him until he is himself again.

BIBLIOPLAN I do NOT receive any compensation for my review from the company. I am merely sharing about products we are using or have used in our homeschool journey that we enjoy. After homeschooling for 18 years, I have used A LOT of different history curricula. Last year I decided I wanted to change our history. I knew what I had sitting on my shelves wasn't going to be the right fit for the two that are currently in homeschool. I scoured the convention hall at the homeschool convention. I stopped and talked to multiple vendors. Day 2 of the convention, I made it to Biblioplan's booth. A young man approached me and began talking to me about their products. He told me how much he enjoyed history and interjected at some point in the conversation that it was his mom who wrote the curriculum.. I have to tell you that that young man really impressed me. I told him that I needed to do my due diligence before making a decision, but that I was very impressed with him and what he had shown me. As you can see from my picture, their books ended up coming home with us. As we end out our year, I thought I'd share about them. (My high school son used The Modern Years and my jr. high daughter used the Medieval books. I have really enjoyed this history overall. I do not use every part that is offered in the package, but I'll talk about what I do use. There is a guide that lays out the daily reading and the possibilities of additional books that you can add into the study. There are lots of suggestions. (I haven't done a lot with the extra reads, because we have a separate literature program.) I really like how the textbooks are written. I find the content to be engaging, and often I tell my kids how much I enjoy it as we read together. The biggest win that I appreciate about this particular history spine is all of the "extras' built into it. As we read along, we come across bolded words that are defined in a box alongside the text. This simple step is such a huge timesaver of not having to look words up and allows immediate deeper understanding. Several of the paragraphs are color coded due to additional in-depth information on a topic or flashback information to refresh the memory. Every time we encounter one, I am so thankful for the brush-up. Alongside the textbook is a Book of Maps. Every chapter has at least one fill-in map, sometimes two. There is a provided book of review questions for the chapter that I use. From this, I construct my own test for every two chapters (the provided tests for high school cover 5-6 chapters of material). There is a Timeline Book that can be purchased. As I talked about in a previous post, each child in our house has their own Timeline Book that they use over the entire course of their schooling, so I don't use the included Timeline Book. One other book that we use that comes with the jr. high level, is The Hands-On book. This book is full of activities: food, crafts, games, etc that go along with each chapter. My daughter really enjoys this addition. Overall, this has been a great fit for us. My daughter will be continuing on with the program. My son will be ready for American Government and Economics. Unfortunately, Biblioplan does not offer that in their current line up, so we have switched him for that reason only.

TIMELINE RESOURCES I mentioned, after coming home from the homeschool convention, that I would share my favorite curriculum and homeschool finds from our journey of 18 years! Today, I'm kicking this off! I do not receive anything for doing this! These companies have no idea I'm sharing about their products. I am a homeschool mom speaking to you as a homeschool mom! One of my TOP FAVORITES is Amy Pak - Home School in the Woods timeline resource, History Through the Ages. This is an extensive collection of timeline figures that come in two sizes, book size and wall size, that you print off as you need them. I use this every week in our homeschool and have with all of my kids! My antiquated version is on cd-rom which is no longer available. Now, you purchase it as a download. So how do I use this awesome resource? - I am a timelining nut!! Each of my kids have a timeline book. Whatever they study, I print the figures off from this wonderful resource, and they add it into their book. It is so fun to flip back through their pages, and this ends up to be a great keepsake for each of them chronicling their homeschool history journey! - I also use this resource to see what other things were happening in the world at the same time as the event we're studying. This includes famous artists, composers, authors, and more! If I find something of interest, I just add it into the study. I stumbled across Homeschool in the Woods at a homeschool convention, and I am so glad I did. They have been a consistent part of our journey with this product and a few others which I'll share more about on another day!