In the middle of a phone conversation with my oldest son the other day, he said, “Oh, Mom, I've been wanting to remember to tell you something. I want to thank you for teaching us how to learn.” What? Huh? I'm choking up already. “Young people these days (he's 33 and already complaining about the … Continue reading Teach Them to Learn
Eagle of the Ninth
Eagle of the Ninth (first of the Roman Britain Trilogy) Rosemary Sutcliff, 1954 When Marcus Flavius Aquila was ten years old, he and his mother had been preparing to join his father in Britain when word came that his father's Legion, the Ninth Hispana, had marched north of Hadrian's Wall to put down a rebellion. … Continue reading Eagle of the Ninth
A Walk in Wolf Wood
A Walk in Wolf Wood by Mary Stewart I noticed this book in the window of our local used bookstore one day as I was walking past. I must admit, I didn't walk past, I walked in. Mary Stewart was well-known a couple of decades ago for her Gothic-type romances and, perhaps more so, for … Continue reading A Walk in Wolf Wood
Wingfeather Saga #2: North! Or Be Eaten!
-SPOILER FREE- When CS Lewis wrote Narnia, he wasn't really writing fantasy - he was playing with "dressed rabbits" - a style of anthropomorphizing pastoral animals and mythic creatures (like centaurs) so as to give the story a magical setting. Basically, however, the creatures all followed rules that were fairly basic to regular humans and … Continue reading Wingfeather Saga #2: North! Or Be Eaten!
Wingfeather Saga #3 & #4: Monster in the Hollows & Warden and the Wolf King
-SPOILER FREE- I could not review the third book in the series, Monster in the Hollows, simply because I wasted few minutes between reading it and reading this one. While I have the big picture items clear between the two, the story just flows so much together that I have a hard time separating them … Continue reading Wingfeather Saga #3 & #4: Monster in the Hollows & Warden and the Wolf King
Dinotopia Books & Movies
"'You are in your middle years, Mr. Denison,' she observed gently, 'so your eyes are the test of all things. When one is very young or very old, one sees more with the heart then with the eyes.' When I asked to sketch her portrait, she would always say, 'Perhaps later. Come back when … Continue reading Dinotopia Books & Movies
James Gurney Art Videos
I cannot teach art. I cannot do art. I can barely appreciate art. I was raised in a family that traveled extensively, visited museums regularly and had a wide variety of excellent art on the walls of our home. I absolutely understand the importance of art as a medium to express the true, the good … Continue reading James Gurney Art Videos
Great Courses Company: How Colors Affect You
A Resource Review by Sara Masarik This Great Courses Company course, How Colors Affect You: What Science Reveals, was absolutely fascinating. Parts of it are very family friendly and parts of it require parental discretion. Depending on the ages of your children and how much exposure you want them to have to the primal instincts … Continue reading Great Courses Company: How Colors Affect You
Great Courses Company: How To Draw
This course, How To Draw, broke my heart. A phenomenal instructor with excellent technique and compelling style, he truly helped my children (aged 4, 6 and 8 at time of viewing) to understand a considerable amount of drawing technique and appreciation for materials and tools. My kids are not particularly artistic and so their "art" … Continue reading Great Courses Company: How To Draw
The Great Courses are… Great!
A Resource Review Post by Sara Masarik Over 25 years ago, Tom Rollins, a Harvard Law student was unprepared for an exam. He found a videotape series that would help him acquire the material efficiently. When he began to watch the video lecture series, he was surprised, impressed and inspired. The video lectures by Professor … Continue reading The Great Courses are… Great!