reading Archives - My Blessed Mess

Nothing by Natalee Creech – children’s book review

05.15.2019 by myblessedmess // Leave a Comment

We have lots and LOTS of books in our home library. Like many homeschool moms, I am always happy to add high-quality reading material to our bookshelves! We were chosen to receive a copy of Nothing by Natalee Creech from WorthyKids, an imprint of Hachette Book Group for review, and it definitely met our criteria as a "keeper".

Upon opening the package sent from the publisher, I was immediately impressed by the quality of this book. It came with a full color dust jacket which mimicked the design of the hardcover book. The cover is printed with embossed lettering and the images and lettering both are glossy, making them stand out from the matte background image. The pages inside are a nice thickness and have a satin feel, which I love in a printed book. Just flipping the pages FELT good. All you fellow bibliophiles know what I'm talking about! I don't think my kids had the same appreciation as I did for the constuction and feel of the book, but that's ok.

Hamelin Stoop Books 1 & 2 – YA Fantasy Series review

05.03.2019 by myblessedmess // Leave a Comment

Some of my most beloved books from my childhood are fantasy series, I have always been a voracious reader! As an adult, I continue to read a lot of fantasy based fiction. When 12 Gates Publishing sent us the first two books of The Hamelin Stoop Series – The Eagle, The Cave, and the Footbridge & The Lost Princess and the Jewel of Periluna – I couldn’t wait to dig in and read them with my kiddos.

These books are categorized as Young Adult fantasy series fiction, but the content is appropriate for middle grades and up. A middle schooler who is a strong reader would have no problem reading these independently.… READ MORE

Recommended Books for the Homeschool Mom (or the Mom thinking about it)

03.01.2019 by myblessedmess // Leave a Comment

Nine years ago I was faced with a huge life change - my husband was finishing up his Army training and we had received orders for Ft. Lewis in Washington state. My way of coping with changes is to research, research, research and prepare. Upon reading the homeschool laws for our soon-to-be new home, I realized I had some work to do in order to continue to homeschool there. I was required to take a “state approved homeschooling course” since I did not have a college degree.

So I began preparing months ahead of time as I knew this was something that would take some time. An in-person full day course wasn’t possible as there was so much up in the air and I didn’t want to leave anything to chance. I found an online, independent study course that met the criteria and applied.

Little did I know how much I would learn and grow as a result of reading through and studying some of the required materials! I honestly feel like most parents would benefit immensely by reading some of these selections in the beginning of their homeschool journeys. So I’ve decided to share some of my favorite books for the homeschool mom , here we go!

The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls – book 3 & 4 – Crew Review

02.25.2019 by myblessedmess // Leave a Comment

It can be tricky finding engaging, age-appropriate chapter books for emerging readers, looking for historical fiction can be even more challenging! Which is why I was so excited to receive two new books from WorthyKids (an imprint of Hachette book group) - “The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls” series by M.J. Thomas for review. We were not disappointed, both books took familiar Bible events and turned them into fun and easy to read stories my son devoured. We chose to use these two books as our bedtime read aloud.

The series

These books are the newest in the Secret of the Hidden Scrolls series. We have not read the first two books (yet, though we plan to) but we had no problems diving right in to these. They read great as stand-alone books.

The books follow the adventures of Peter, Mary, and their loyal dog Hank as they try to solve the Secret of the Scrolls - magic scrolls that transport them back in time to witness events in Bible history. The brother and sister duo, with the help of their dog and the angel Michael, have 14 days to reveal the hidden message on each scroll by experiencing God’s power and learning more about who He is through witnessing these amazing stories that unfold around them.

In each story they encounter problems to solve and work overcome the forces attempting to thwart God’s plans. They must solve the scroll in time to return home or they will be stuck in another time and place! The “secret” of each scroll reveals something foundational about God’s character.

Favorite educational apps and websites – Reading Eggs – reading program for ages 2-13

10.23.2018 by myblessedmess // Leave a Comment

*NOTE: I have not been compensated in any way to review this product, nor do I receive any compensation if you choose to purchase. This is my unbiased review.

As a homeschool mom, I am always looking for better, more hands-on ways to teach and reinforce new concepts. I consider myself blessed to be living in the technology age, to have computers and tablets readily available to use is a luxury my kids can greatly benefit from! Over the years, we have used too many apps and websites to count, but there are a few we keep going back to time and again.… READ MORE