MY OWN LIGHTNING (SEQUEL TO WOLF HOLLOW) by Lauren Wolk My Own Lightning by Lauren Wolk, sequel to Wolf Hollow is a book that takes a little different twist than its predecessor, but still evokes elements that get under your skin. Picking up soon after the ending of Wolf Hollow, Annabelle McBride is still trying to heal from the traumatic events that happened. Staying after school one afternoon to assist her teacher, an unexpected, vicious storm pops up, and Annabelle hurries home as fast as she can. As she reaches the crest of the hill, almost home, the air around her is suddenly charged. (Wolk's description is amazing!) Unexpectedly she is struck by a bolt of lightning so strong it stops her heart. She awakes to someone pounding on her chest, but the darkness keeps the person's identity from being revealed. In the meantime dogs are disappearing around Wolf Hollow. Gone without a trace. A strange man is in the area hunting for one, and somehow, a strange, reclusive father and daughter seem to be tied into the mix somehow. As she hunts for the missing dogs, Annabelle realizes that she has been gifted from the lightning strike with the ability to know what dogs are feeling. This new ability makes her aware that some dogs in the area are being used for some very terrible reasons. In the middle of all of this is Andy Woodberry. Annabelle struggles with how to interact with him after everything that happened in the past. There is no forgetting or pretending about the part he played. Then one day she gets a peek into Andy's home life and the ongoing abuse he deals with. Annabelle realizes that dogs aren't the only things that need rescuing in Wolf Hollow. HEADS UP- SPOILER ALERT This book is squeaky clean but deals with dog fighting, physical abuse, and the death of a person in a train accident. Details are not gory, and while the book does deal with traumatic situations, overall the emotional tone is a step down from Wolf Hollow.

LEWIS AND CLARK STUDY Yesterday I posted on my personal Facebook page that my daughter was making ink and writing with a quill pen because she is studying Lewis and Clark in history. I had 2 people respond with books they love or are currently using in their study of Lewis and Clark. ( Low and behold I had one of them on my shelf, the Heroes of History: Meriwether Lewis, so I pulled it. (Thanks C!) Another friend, recommended a book they really enjoyed, My Name is America: The Journal of Augustus Pelletier . (Thanks V!) I thought I'd show some other great books to add in! I will put peeks in for some of them. We are loving Seaman: The Dog Who Explored the West With Lewis and Clark. This book tells the story of Lewis and Clark's journey, but includes a lot of information about Lewis' dog that traveled with them. This is my third time through it, and it is well done! Included on the picture below are a Historical Map Atlas that shows the Louisiana Purchase boundaries, a book on Nature Journaling (which Lewis and Clark did a lot of), a book on American Wildlife (I showed that with my state study, but it definitely fits right in here as well!), and some fabulous tree identification cards. These cards show so much info about the tree they are handy for any season! So pack up your knapsacks and head off for an exploration whether you live by woods, mountains, plains, ocean, or a park! It's time to explore!

SOME BUGS by Angela Diterlizzi. Illustrated by Brendan Wenzel. Picture Books can be used for all ages, and this fun book, Some Bugs by Angela Diterlizzi, is a perfect example! First thought when you pick this book up is to scoop up a little one to read it to! Since I no longer have little littles in my home, I read it out loud to my husband in the car on the way home from the bookstore. (He had errands to run in town and asked me if I wanted him to drop me off at the bookstore. I think he has been replaced by an alien, but I'm still collecting evidence. He knows what the bill looks like when I leave that store!) Anyway, he loved it! He's a very efficient, orderly type of guy, so if the text rhymes, it's a win in his book! This book is nonstop action words. If you are looking for strong verbs (anybody say IEW), this dandy has you covered! It is a book purely about what bugs DO! Are you about to start an insect unit with your kids NO MATTER THEIR AGE? Grab this book and put a smile on their face before you dig into the nitty gritty. The illustrations are fantastic! Movement abounds on all the pages. Even though the pictures are in a cartoon style, the bugs resemble their true form. In the back of the book is a two page spread showing the bugs with their names in real life. You know you are dealing with someone very creative when asked about what the illustrations are done in and their response is "almost everything imaginable!" Isn't that great? ALONGSIDE ACTIVITIES- Staples at our home are collecting jars, magnifying glasses, butterfly nets, netted butterfly cages, etc. I have very vivid memories of my 5 carrying their equipment and heading off into the field to collect and examine insects. One of my daughters could collect butterflies like you would not believe! We would examine and look them up and then let them go. God's creation is beautiful and the artwork on even the insects is breathtaking! So grab your gear and head out!

SILENT VOICES by Ann Cleeves I love a good murder mystery! I know, it's an oxymoronic statement, but it's true! I tend to get the shakes if I know there's not a good mystery stashed in my TBR pile somewhere. Ann Cleeves' Vera Stanhope is one of my favorite detectives (along with a few others!). Unkept, seemingly scatterbrained, totting a load of childhood baggage, DCI Stanhope has a way of taking a murder in all its puzzle piece glory and piecing it together. Silent Voices is no different. Knowing that it's time to start putting a little effort in getting herself into shape, DCI Stanhope visits a local gym to begin swimming in the mornings. After her swim, she enters the steam room to relax and discovers the body of a woman propped up in the back corner. The woman is Jenny Lister, a social worker who heads up an office in the area that works with parents and their kids in troubled situations. One case in particular still haunts the agency and the caseworker that handled it, Connie Masters. As Vera plunges deep into the heart of the mystery, there are threads both seen and yet to be revealed from the present and the past surrounding these women and that particular case as well as a few other surprises along the way. HEADS UP- There are a handful of swear words. Very minor. Also you know there are some sexual relationships going on, but there are no details.

STATE STUDY I know some of you are morning basket people. This is a state study I began towards the end of the year with the kids last year that we are continuing on this year. We don't do it every day, and our book collection keeps growing that we are using! As the foundation, I am using GeoMatters State Notebook. (I do not receive any compensation. I am only sharing what we are using!) I will include pictures of the extra books that we read alongside with a peek inside BOOKS USING: State Notebook by Geography Matters 50 Adventures in 50 States by Kate Siber. Illustrated by Lydia Hill State Birds by Arthur Singer and Alan Singer State Capitals by Sara Mulvanny Explore America's National Parks by Hannah Bailey. Illustrated by Illustrated by Krista Langlois Explore America's Wildlife by Hannah Bailey, Illustrated by Kitson Jazynka Desk Atlas of the United States by Geography Matters

MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien I am holding my breath as I begin to write this post. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh is probably my all time favorite read. Are you surprised? I can remember reading this book in my elementary years and being so satisfied with the story. I just completed it as a read aloud for my son. Somehow I had missed sharing it with him before this point, so it was time to fix that! There is something so different about reading a book that you loved in your childhood and reading it in your adult years. You have such a completely different point of view. If you have had children that forever changes you and how you look at the world. I will address that in relation to Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh in a moment. The story begins with a sick child. A little mouse named Timothy, son of Mrs. Frisby, is very sick. After consulting with the area "doctor," it is determined that he has pneumonia and needs complete rest for several weeks. The problem is that spring is in the air, and the Frisbys are living in the garden of Mr. Fitzgibbon who will begin plowing soon. Their home is directly in the path of the plow. Fraught with worry about how to solve this dilemma, Mrs. Frisby stops to help a crow who is tangled up and about to be eaten by the Fitzgibbons' cat, Dragon. After freeing him, the crow tells Mrs. Frisby to jump on his back and they fly away to safety. This simple act of kindness is the first step on a journey that requires immense bravery that eventually leads to a special group of rats that live under the rosebush in the Fitzgibbons' yard. These are not ordinary rats. Once upon a time they were caught by NIMH and experimented on. Their capabilities are almost human. If anyone can help Mrs. Frisby, it's them. They tend to be very elusive and secretive, so the question is will they? Initially, when I read this book as a child, I was caught up in the adventure. The book is well crafted, and you really get an understanding of the characters and the storyline. Now, it is still the adventure that speaks to me, but it is one step past that. It's what a mother is willing to do for her child. The book absolutely resonates with the message of a mother's love. It truly is beautiful even though it's told through the eyes of a mouse and rats. How ironic is that for most of us women? ALONGSIDE ACTIVITIES- I finished the book and turned to my son and said, "I already know your next read. It's Tuck Everlasting." Just a hint, but Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH deals with slowing down the aging process. After he closes Tuck Everlasting we're going to discuss Ponce de Leon and the search for the Fountain of Youth. What would it mean to be able to live longer or even forever?

A BOY, A DOG, AND A FROG/FROG GOES TO DINNER by Mercer Mayer I tried to get the frogs to comply and pose for a picture alongside our outdoor goldfish tank. They would have nothing to do with it. It's time for a flashback to some of the best wordless books ever created for kids (in my opinion). If you want a book that will make you laugh, or I suppose it may cause you to feel faint if you have a child like this at home, these books are for you! Mercer Mayer nails idyllic childhood in his book A Boy, A Dog, and a Frog. Watch through a progression of pictures, as a boy sets off with his dog to the local pond to catch a frog. When the frog refuses to be caught, the boy heads home, but that is not the end of the story. In Frog Goes to Dinner, above mentioned frog joins the family at a fancy restaurant for dinner. Yes, what you imagine happens! If you have ever had a memorable restaurant experience with one of your kiddos (I have once - thank goodness it was out of state!), you will completely understand the parents' reaction. Absolutely hilarious for both parents and children even if you are coming at it from different view points!

NINE, TEN: A SEPTEMBER 11 STORY by Nora Raleigh Baskin Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story by Nora Raleigh Baskin is the story of 4 kids that live in different parts of the United States and how the September 11 tragedy affected them. Covering a 3 day span in their lives, the book begins on September 9th. Sergio is African American and lives in Brooklyn, New York with his grandmother. Will lives in Shanksville, Pennsylvania and is trying to emotionally heal from the traffic accident that took his father's life. Naheed lives in Ohio and is a Muslim. Aimee has recently moved to LA because of a job opportunity for her mom. This book does a good job of taking us to the heart of the kids' current lives and what a normal day looks like for each of them. For some that means trying to heal from tragedy or from a father that has walked out. Then, unexpectedly, 9/11 happens and their lives are changed even more. We are given a glimpse of the uncertainty and chaos that ensues. SPOILER ALERT The kids all make it and no one close to them perishes. The author explains that while that may not be realistic, her goal was to focus on how the tragedy brought them together. The book fast forwards to one year later where all four kids cross paths at Ground Zero. A healing has begun in each life. HEADS UP- So why the cautions, because really overall this book is pretty good. Two reasons. The first one is the anti police message we get from Sergio when he decides to skip school one day. The message lasts for one page. The second one is that Will has a crush on a girl that he ends up kissing.

MY TEACHER IS A MONSTER! by Peter Brown A peek into how our first day back to homeschool will start tomorrow. After opening prayer and Bible verse, I'm going to pull this great picture book out and read it to my 3 that are still around the table (including my high schooler!). My Teacher is a Monster by Peter Brown is a hilarious book about a little boy's perception of his teacher. It is set in a public school setting, but I am sure there are times that my kids have thought I was just a tad bit of a monster. SPOILER ALERT When he runs into his teacher outside of school, little by little he realizes that she is a person. Brown does a wonderful job with his illustrations as he transforms the green monster into a sweet lady.

WOLF HOLLOW by Lauren Wolk Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk is not a new read. Published in 2016 it has been around for a few years, but I wasn't familiar with it. Hauntingly sad in a Where the Red Fern Grows sort of style (there are no animals but you become wrapped up in people and situations where tragedy occurs), Wolf Hollow gets under your skin and is difficult to put down. Originally written as an adult read but classified as a middle grade read, Wolk's opening lines are hooking. "The year I turned twelve, I learned to lie. I don't mean the small fibs that children tell. I mean real lies fed by real fears - things I said and did that took me out of the life I'd always known and put me down hard into a new one." She closes the book with a lesson learned. "But Wolf Hollow was also where I learned to tell the truth in that year before I turned twelve: about things from which refuge was impossible. Wrong, even. No matter how tempting." Set in Pennsylvania post World War I, Annabelle lives in a loving, farming family in a close knit community. Days follow a predictable schedule and pace until Betty Glengarry comes to town. Betty is downright cruel, and she desires to take from and hurt others. Her behavior goes far beyond practical jokes, and completely upends loved ones in Annabelle's life. All the blame for the mayhem is being placed on a strange, reclusive WWI veteran who has clearly been through some very rough times. Annabelle knows he isn't to blame and sets out to find the proof she needs to clear his name before anyone else is hurt. Be sure to catch the symbolism of Wolf Hollow and the reclusive Veteran. There is a second book to Wolf Hollow. I will be diving into it soon. HEADS UP- Just a minor one. Betty is always disappearing with a boy. You get the feeling they may be off making out although no details are given. Part of the time they are carrying out Betty's destructive plans.

A KID'S GUIDE TO BACKYARD BIRDS by Eliza Berkowitz. Illustrated by Nicole LaRue. We love to watch the birds around our house. We live in the middle of the woods, so bird interactions are a daily happening. Guides have always been a must have for us for identification. They can be difficult to maneuver for younger hands or a quick flip. I always keep my eyes open for easier, more manageable editions that can be grabbed quickly, thrown into a nature walk bag, etc. A Kid's Guide to Backyard Birds by Eliza Berkowitz is easy to use with a nice, big illustration of each bird. Just shy of 100 pages it is lightweight, and the format is a large picture on the left with lots of facts on the right. The guide covers a nice selection of common birds across the U.S. There is no index, but since it is so easy to flip through with large illustrations, I don't find this to be a huge drawback! ALONGSIDE ACTIVITIES- I typically do a bird unit in the winter with my kids. We put out feeders (included in this book is a simple feeding activity), use either a sketch book or Dover Coloring books on North American Birds or Audubon's Birds, and our bird guides. We pick one bird a day to identify. We draw or color the bird, pay attention to behavior patterns at the feeder, look up facts and record them with our picture, and listen to their song/call. I have a book I use that plays the calls, but you can also Google calls to listen to as well. Fall ACTIVITIES- As the leaves drop, birds become more visible. Nests do as well. Examine birds and nests (leave the nests in place unless they are blown out by wind or storms). Use binoculars to identify building materials, size, etc used in the construction. Make a list of birds that winter in your area and those that migrate. Begin to watch for migration. You can map distances and destinations of bird groups. Distances that birds cover are nothing short of a miracle. There are different ideas as to how birds know where to go (built in by our wonderful Creator!). This can be a fascinating study! Additional reading you can branch into include books about John J. Audubon. There are beautiful picture books about his life. Owls in the Family is a great read. Saving Jemima was an interesting adult read (I wrote a review on WWR. You can put the title in the search bar).

IF A HORSE HAD WORDS by Kelly Cooper and Lucy Eldridge. Do you have a younger child that loves horses? This is a fun read about a boy and a horse who come full circle in life. If a Horse Had Words by Kelly Cooper and Lucy Eldridge begins with the birth of a little foal. Later, the boy has to rescue him out of a patch of trouble he gets into. When it comes time to ride him, things don't go as planned, so he is sold, but that's not the end of the story!