Funny Face
FUNNY FACE will have everyone in giggles. Lots of funny pantomime. This is an active game that plays very quickly. It’s a favorite because it’s never the same twice. 3 to 18 players (great for the family or a party), ages 3 to 8. $14.
Beautiful Place
BEAUTIFUL PLACE: An ecology game for children! Environmental concepts are presented in a simple way. The object is to restore the planet before the pollution clouds take over. You can do it if you work together. 2 to 4 players (more if you play with partners), ages 4 to 7. $14.
Harvest Time
HARVEST TIME: The object is to plant and harvest your garden before winter. It’s possible if you work with everyone else. Bilingual rules (English/French). 2 to 4 players (more if you play with partners), ages 3 to 7. $14.
Introduction to Genes & DNA
Usborne Internet-Linked Introduction to Genes & DNA, by Anna Claybourne. I like some Usborne books, but this one is outstanding. Without talking down to readers or sounding like a textbook, this book gives an excellent introduction to this subject. The illustrations will fascinate you and your kids. I like the combined use of the book and the computer. After introducing the basic information, the book goes on to consider the implications of what we know and where all this science may take us in the future. Some people have found this book too explicit about sex, so if you haven’t had a good discussion about sex with your children, you may not want to start with this book.
The Internet links are good and updated regularly by Usborne. The glossary, timeline, and one-page sheet of basic facts offer easy reference. Ages 9 to 14. $11.95.
My Brothers’ Keeper
My Brothers’ Keeper, by Nancy Johnson, is a Civil War story based partly on letters written by her great-great uncle, partly on historical fact, and partly on her own fiction to marry the strands of the story together. The plot revolves around three children — a girl and two boys who join the Union Army — and the war’s effects on their daily lives.
I am a pacifist, and the beginning of the book didn’t seem to present a reasonable portrayal of the war. The only reason I’m offering this book is that in the last few chapters the portrayal becomes more realistic, although not gory; this is, after all, a children’s book. I especially liked the way Johnson gives the reader a chance to participate in thinking about the effects of the war by having one of the boys ask questions of himself and others in the book. Ages 9 to 12. $9.95.
Useful Catalogs and Magazines
Teacher Created Resources is a catalog mostly of useful workbooks. Think twice before you order as some items are junk but there are some really useful items that are worth ordering. Get a catalog by calling: 800-662-4321; look at their web site: www.teachercreated.com.
Nature’s Workshop Plus!, PO Box 435, Danville, IN 46122-0425; 8880-393-5663/ mail@workshopplus.com; workshopplus.com. You will find an a abundance of useful books, kits, and good reading material. This is a Christian-based catalog but you should look through it because there are many items that have nothing to do with religion. If you are Christian-based in your homeschooling you’ll love this catalog.
Resources for illness and dying
AFTER YOU LOSE SOMEONE YOU LOVE, told by Amy, Allie, and David Dennison with a foreword by Harold S. Kushner. Twins Amy and Allie were eight and their brother David was four when their dad died unexpectedly. Their mother helped them keep a journal of their thoughts and feelings for the following two years.
They wrote about their immediate reactions and how they found their own way through the grief into growth. They wrote about their emotions and what helped each of them cope with their loss and the difficult changes in their lives. They discussed the changed roles everyone played in the house and their fears. It’s a forthright and sensitive expression of how these children found their way forward that other children will easily relate to. Your children will relate to this book because it was written by children and from their perspective.
Originally titled Our Dad Died, this revised edition has added thoughts and reflections. Ages 10 to 13.$9.95.
MY LIFE CHANGED: A Journal for Coping with Loss & Grief. Most, but not all, pages have questions, statements, or quotes to think about, with space for writing thoughts and feelings or for drawing. Using this book is a good way to explore difficult and painful inner thoughts that begin the long process of healing. A companion to After You Lose Someone You Love, but useful all by itself. $8.95.
New York Public Library’s “Books for the Teen Age” Selection
Amy, Allie, and David Dennison, won the Daily Point of Light Award, Points of Light Foundation
Usborne Children’s Encyclopedia
USBORNE CHILDREN’S ENCYCLOPEDIA. This book has pages filled with well-illustrated information, although I wish they had photos and more realistic drawings for many of the items. Great for a first reference, and has many practical hands-on experiments. Ages 7 to 11.
Music Essay
Enjoyment of music is common to the human experience. It strikes a common chord in all of us, and we respond to it in conscious and subconscious ways. Music is a poetic expression of our innermost feelings painted in sound. It can express our anger, love, frustrations, dreams, loss, and joy, and reflects our soul. It is a gift to be enjoyed in every way possible. Some of us can create it, some can play it, and some of us can barely hum a tune, but we can all enjoy it.
I was lucky to enjoy music in many forms while I was growing up. I studied dance for years; sang in several choruses; played piano moderately well, but without great talent; played clarinet, not as well; played the violin with promise (I was told); and found playing the drums in the orchestra absolutely boring because there were long pauses between the times they were played. It wasn’t until I reached my mid-teens that I found the right instrument for me (the guitar), one I felt could help me express what I couldn’t put into words, one that vibrated with my inner being and gave it expression. I think every child should have the opportunity to learn at least one instrument. Speaking from my own experience I would not, as a parent, be discouraged if a child starts and stops music lessons or changes instruments over a period of years. Many people try various instruments before they find the one that’s right for them, and many adults who had music lessons as children and stopped playing start again later in life.
Children love music. They feel it and move to it; they love lullabies and story songs. (They even respond to music in utero.) There’s lots of great children’s music available to listen to, and there are thousands of good songs to sing and learn. Don’t let the language of music — the notes, the musical alphabet — discourage you. It’s very simple in its basic form, much simpler than learning English or French. It is a gift you can give your children that will last long after the lessons are forgotten.
If you’ve never played an instrument, I suggest you start with a recorder. It’s inexpensive and not complicated to play. A piano is also a good beginning instrument, because the keyboard is very logical and it is easy to relate to the written notes. If a piano is beyond your means, don’t give up! Get an electronic keyboard, which is much cheaper. They usually come with instructions for beginners.
Warning: Your dog may howl. Gus had definite musical preferences. He groaned and muttered when I played in the key of D minor on the guitar, but only with some pieces. It always puzzled me. He was completely intolerant (as in howling mad) of the recorder and the flute when I played them, but not at all bothered by a recording of these instruments. I tried not to take this personally. If you love classical music and/or the recorder, listen to Souvenir, an RCA CD recording of Michala Petri on recorder with Lars Hannibal on lute and guitar, and if I had only one CD to listen to for the rest of my life it would be Paul Galbraith playing Bach on his eight-string guitar.
Globes by Replogle
After comparing the globes from several different manufacturers, we have chosen those made by Replogle, the world’s largest manufacturer of globes, as being the best in quality, attractiveness, durability, accuracy, and price. They all have sturdy bases. All but the Moon globe and illuminated globes have raised relief.
If you’re on a tight budget you can get a globe at Wal-Mart. Check to be sure it is up-to-date and not old stock. The only problem with their globes is you have to buy a new one to keep up with all the changes.
All political globes listed below come with a half-price update certificate. Whenever there is a major political change, such as the breakup of the Soviet Union, you can send your globe to Replogle and get an updated globe for half-price.
Keep in mind that globes make very nice gifts. The fastest way to order is to use your credit card and call our toll-free number: 1-877-375-4680.
 | THE GEOGRAPHER: Reinvent the world! This sturdy write-on, wipe-off 12-inch globe is a great educational tool — not to mention a lot of fun. Designed for classroom or home use, this globe creates an environment for interactive learning. Dry erase marker included. The only drawback I see in this globe is that it does not have raised relief. $56.99 plus $6 shipping. |
| The ATLANTIS: This is our favorite. Both raised and indented geographical relief enhance the globe’s geographical features — and children love to feel the ups and downs. The political boundaries and names are clear and easy to read. We particularly like the coloring, which is light and has a subtle blending in with the realistic coloration of land and water areas, including deserts, mountain ranges, forests, and undersea physical features. The Atlantis most resembles the earth as it appears from space. 12-inch globe, 17 inches high, double-meridian gyrosphere mounting (which means you can turn the globe a full 360 degrees in any direction for easy viewing of any region). $66.99 plus $6 shipping. |  |
 | THE EXPLORER: A 12-inch globe with bold colors and more than 4,000 political markings, with raised relief. Clear place names. Single-meridian mount that turns on the earth’s axis. Sturdy gold-colored metal mounting. 16 inches high. This globe is also available with French or Spanish text. $39.99 plus $6 shipping. |
| THE FRANKLIN: Identical to The Explorer (above), except that the oceans are “antique” (light tan parchment) instead of blue and the base has an antique finish. $39.99 plus $6 shipping. |  |
 | THE LIVINGSTON: A 12-inch single-meridian illuminated globe on a hardwood base. Two-way, raised-relief map of the physical world, or turn on its light and see political boundaries. Two globes in one! $74.99 plus $6 shipping. |
| THE CARLYLE: All the most sought-after features are here in this 12" globe: illumination, antique-ocean design, and 12-inch diameter. Walnut-finish base; die-cast semi-meridian. $74.99 plus $6 shipping. |  |
 | THE MOON: Accurately depicts the geographical features of the moon, including craters, “seas,” and mountain ranges. NASA approved. 12-inch globe, 15 inches high on stand. $52.99 plus $6 shipping. |
| THE CONSTELLATION: 12-inch diameter and 16 inches high. Provoke the imagination in new ways. This illuminated globe shows stars, constellations, and nebulae when not lit. Turn the light on and witness the luminous beauty of approximately 70 celestial images. Features molded black base and smoke semi-meridian. $66.99 plus $6 shipping. |  |
 | THE PIONEER: Get a closer look at the world with this 12-inch globe. Thanks to the gyro-matic mounting that swings up or down you can bring any area into closer view. Vivid map to help easily distinguish political boundaries. Numbered full-meridian and gyro assembly. $55.99 plus $6 shipping. |
| THE TALLINN: A sleek finish lends an air of modern opulence to the crisp metallic blue and gold of the Tallinn 12-inch globe ball, while the textured pewter-finish base and full brass meridian offer classical contrast. $150 plus $6 shipping. |  |
 | THE CHARLESTON: This distinctive 12-inch globe blends function with an exotic feel. The elegant, clean-lined base forms the perfect foundation for the graceful rattan yoke. The yoke and mahogany base share a rich walnut finish that complements the traditional antique-ocean globe ball. $169 plus $8 shipping. |
If you are looking for a larger floor model globe or something more ornate, please call our toll-free number (1-877-375-4680) or email customerservice@brookfarmbooks.com and ask us about our selection.
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