Library Loot/ Dragon Rider, Inkheart, The Familiars, The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates, The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail

One my third grader got some meaty books under her belt, I couldn't wait to introduce her to Cornelia Funke! Of all the loot, Dragon Rider was the first book she began reading.

Dragon Rider is a glorious 544 pages. Now that's a whopper! If it wasn't quite so long, it would definitely be a selection for homeschool book club. Prepping activities for this book is going to be a blast...

Does Paolini's Eragon draw inspiration from Funke? These books are just begging for compare and contrast activity.

Also new this week: Inkheart, The Familiars, The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates: Magic Magic Marks the Spot, and The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail.

Happy reading!

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Linda from Silly Little Mischief that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week from Claire's blog. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

Book Review/ Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee

A powerful read about perseverance in the face of loss... 

SYNOPSIS
While exploring a London museum, Ophelia stumbles onto the imprisoned Marvelous Boy. Can Ophelia brave danger to free him? Will she find the One Other, the only person who can defeat the Snow Queen? With three days until the Snow Queen's evil plans are unleashed, there's no time to lose.

REVIEW
Billed as a modern twist on the Snow Queen fairy tale, Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy is so much more. It's in the vein of a traditional fairy tale. Enter spooky/creepy elements and expected morals. Prepare for ghosts, dangerous mythical animals, and a conniving villain.

The point of view alternates between the Marvelous Boy and Ophelia. The Marvelous Boy recounts his quest and adventures from the time he was chosen by wizards to seek the One Other (the only one who can defeat the Snow Queen). Ophelia narrates the present day story as it occurs in London.

Ophelia, the Marvelous Boy, and the King are all bound by the fact they have lost or are separated from people they love. Ophelia's mother has died, the Marvelous Boy left his mother to go on a quest, and a boy King is orphaned. Each deals with their loss in a very different way.

Though Ophelia's family doesn't discuss her mother (Susan), Ophelia is still hears her mother's voice. Is Susan really talking to her, guiding her to bravery? Or is it all in Ophelia's mind? It's up to you to decide.

The ending left me wanting more...perhaps the Marvelous Boy has more stories to tell. I would love to see a book from his viewpoint. What does he encounter on his travels home? What does he find when he gets there?

RATING

4 of 5 Stars/ Recommended for girls who love realistic fiction as well as fairy tales. A strong first children's novel for Karen Foxlee! As a writer of adult literature, some of her concepts will be lost on younger readers. This book begs for rich discussions - morals, feelings, positive coping skills, courage, and conscience.

M's top adjectives for Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy -- surprising, interesting, amazing.

ONLINE FREEBIES
Study Guide via Random House

Book Review/ Spirit Animals Book 1: Wild Born by Brandon Mull {Study Guide, Discussion Question Links}

Fast paced adventure for even the most reluctant readers! 

Spirit Animals: Wild Born is an adventure packed ride. Even the most reluctant readers will be drawn into the story. My third grader flew through this book!

The author has an amazing knack for incorporating story elements from here and there -- and yet somehow it all works together. 

Recognize any of these story elements? A reluctant, street savvy hero (Han Solo), powerful animals/creatures who can emerge at their companion's directive (Pokemon), the Fallen who sacrificed their lives for another world/species (Transformers), a villain in exile plotting his return (Sauron), the Greencoats whose only allegiance is to protect their world (Jedi)...you get idea. Lots of archetypal characters.

Geography buffs will enjoy the word play between Erdas and Earth: Artica (Artic), Eura (Europe), Amaya (South American Maya), and Nilo (Nile).

Despite the vocabulary not being as challenging as other books in this age range, there were still new words to learn. Expect a quick, popular fiction read. At 202 pages, Spirit Animals: Wild Born is a bit short side. Have the sequels ready!

As the series continues, the authors change. Probably to keep a certain publishing schedule. As a result, we've happily discovered several new authors (Tui T. Sutherland is our favorite so far).

Wild Born is our first book from by Brandon Mull. He has also written two other series, Fablehaven and Five Kingdoms. Both seem really popular!

SYNOPSIS
Long ago, the Spirit Animals and their companions battled to banish evil from Erdas. Four Spirit Animals (wolf, leopard, panda, and falcon) sacrificed their lives to bring peace. Yet now, the animals have fulfilled an ancient prophecy by returning.

Newly bonded to children companions (Conor, Abeke, Meilin, and Rollan), the Four Fallen must once again help banish the dark force from Erdas. Greencoats have pledged to help train, guide, and battle side by side with the children.

But before being reunited with the other three Fallen, Abeke and her leopard are intercepted by the enemy! Will Abeke believe the rebels? Which side will she ultimately fight for?

RATING
Spirit Animals: Wild Born is a must read for boys and girls who love fantasy and animal books. As a mom of girls, I appreciate the strong, capable heroines of Abeke and Meilin. Thank you, Mr. Mull and Scholastic, for writing smart, brave, talented heroines with some pretty awesome skills!

M's top adjectives for Spirit Animals: Wild Born -- adventurous, exciting, amazing.

ONLINE FREEBIES
Study Guide via Scholastic
Lesson Plan/Discussion Questions with Common Core correlations via Scholastic

Library Loot/ Dragon Flight, Dragon Spear, The Menagerie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Right before our epic four inch snow in Dallas, this loot arrived! So thankful ;)

New loot this week:
Dragon Flight by Jessica Day George
Dragon Spear by Jessica Day George
The Menagerie by Tui T. Sutherland
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Not surprisingly, the Dragon Slippers second and third installments are now finished. Likewise with the Menagerie.

Though excited to discover The Menagerie, the premise reminds me a bit of the Imaginary Veterinary series by Suzanne Selfors. It will be interesting to see how they are similar and different. I can't wait to read it!

M has been begging to read the Harry Potter series after seeing glimpses of the movies on television. She was surprised to see it arrive at our library, reserved just for her. I love reserving items for her and keeping them a secret. It makes trips to the library like Christmas morning, never knowing what will be on the shelf...

Happy reading! 

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Linda from Silly Little Mischief that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week from Claire's blog. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

Library Loot/ Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, The Mysterious Benedict Society, Wings of Fire, and Seven Wonders

Such good library loot this week! Madeline is gobbling up the Seven Wonders and Wings of Fire series. In the Seven Wonders, each book involves a globe trotting adventure to one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. To learn more about these places, we are reading Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The highly original and creative Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes quickly caught my attention. A blind orphan thief? Three pairs of stolen magic eyes? On my short list!!!!

Because we Madeline loved The Mysterious Benedict Society, how could we pass up Mr. Benedict's Book of Perplexing Puzzles, Elusive Enigmas, and Curious Conundrums? The name alone is intriguing. 

Happy reading! 

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Linda from Silly Little Mischief that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week from Claire's blog. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

Library Loot/ Goddess Girls, Spirit Animals, Wings of Fire, and The Underland Chronicles

New chapter books

Bittersweet. A roller coaster. That's pretty much sums up Madeline's feelings about finishing a fantastic series.

First piquing her interest.  Slowly starting to care for the characters. Learning to love or despise them. Total engrossment! And finally...the end. Satisfying. Shocking. Triumphant?

Madeline is currently nearing the end of The Underland Chronicles and Spirit Animals. Hopefully, more Spirit Animals books are being written! It's been a while since the last of The Underland Chronicles were published. Probably no new ones on the horizon. But one can always hope.

So we're off to find other great reads. Will Wings of Fire be a winner? Only time will tell.

Someone is squirreling books away in her bunk bed...

I wonder if she is part squirrel?

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Linda from Silly Little Mischief that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week from Claire's blog. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

Book Review/ The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

SYNOPSIS
The One and Only Ivan is an inspiring fiction novel based on a real life gorilla. Though it delves into some pretty heavy subjects, the author does an amazing job of balancing sadness with humor and hope. The story follows Ivan (a male gorilla) as he lives in captivity with a menagerie of other animals in a shopping mall. Yes, in a shopping mall.

Despite Ivan's dull and boring existence, he fosters friendships with Stella (an elephant), Bob (a stray dog), and Julia (the mall janitor's daughter). The arrival of a new baby elephant named Ruby brings about anxiety and worry rather than joy. Ivan and his friends are saddened by the type of life she will lead while in captivity at the mall.

It's only when Ruby arrives that Ivan faces his feelings about being taken captive from the wild. And with Stella unable to help Ruby find a better home, Ivan promises to change Ruby's fate.

Katherine Applegate does a phenomenal job imbuing fictional Ivan with human characteristics (anthropomorphism). The book is told from his point of view and you can't help being drawn into his story.

[Enjoy my FREEBIE printable activities for this book!]

THEMES
The One and Only Ivan will leave children thinking about several issues:

-- How we obtain animals in captivity
-- How humans choose to treat and house wild animals
-- Facing your fears in both the present and the past
-- Standing by your principles despite potential consequences

CAUTIONS
The only caution for this book is that it pulls no punches when describing human cruelty. Children will be shocked midway through the book when discovering what happened to Ivan's parents (see **Spoilers/Cautions** below).

However, there are just as many examples of AWESOME human behavior! Proof that every individual can aspire and choose to be the type of person they want to be.

RATINGS
Our family couldn't stop talking about this book! By the last page, you will be inspired by both humans and animals. Because everyone deserves to forge a happy, healthy life -- human and wild animal alike, right?

The One and Only Ivan is definitely a thinking book you won't forget. Neither will your children. 

Madeline's Rating (age 8):  5 stars
Mom's Rating:  5 stars

**SPOILERS/CAUTIONS**
The two main areas that could be disturbing are the description of Stella's training/abuse in the circus ring and the death of Ivan's family. Stella suffers a permanent injury due to being chained. Ivan's mother is shot while he and his sister cling to her. His father is shot next, and then the parents are dismembered. Ivan's sister dies in their shared transport container (to captivity).

Book Review: The Sasquatch Escape by Suzanne Selfors {Vocabulary & Bingo FREEBIES}

Wow, that was a fast read! 

Our homeschool book club {grades 3-6} read The Sasquatch Escape by Suzanne Selfors for our May meeting. It's a fictional mystery with some fantasy thrown in.

At first, Madeline did not embrace the story. Every time we read one or two chapters, she wasn't eager to read more. That changed once events at Dr. Woo's worm hospital really got going ;)

From that point on, Madeline was hooked. Determined to keep reading until the book was finished! Even though the title is The Sasquatch Escape, the Sasquatch doesn't actually make an appearance for quite some time. We both wish he had appeared earlier!

The humor really picks up in the second half of the book. Sasquatch's escapades are HILARIOUS! The things he does will make you giggle and giggle.

Just toss out what you know about scary Bigfoot. Selfor's gentle giant is sweet, enjoys being cooed at like a baby, and loves his chocolate. You'll love him too.

Although the vocabulary wasn't overly challenging, there were many words new to Madeline. Since we purchased this book via Kindle, it was neat to be able to highlight the word and see the definition pop up!

SYNOPSIS
Benjamin {Ben} Silverstein has been sent to spend the summer with his Grandpa Abe while his parents work out some troubles. Since the button factory closed, Buttonville isn't very exciting. Most families have moved away leaving the town deserted. And worse, the senior center is pretty much the only place to hang out and socialize.

Ben meets Pearl Petal, a girl whose family lives above the Dollar Store. Everyone in Buttonville calls her a troublemaker. But when Ben finds a injured baby dragon, he and Pearl see if the town's new worm doctor {Dr. Woo} can help.

During the visit to the worm hospital, Ben leaves the deadbolt open resulting in Sasquatch's escape. It's up to Ben and Pearl to locate the missing Sasquatch and bring him back to Dr. Woo's hospital - a hospital for Imaginary creatures!

FREEBIES
What a bummer, there is no study guide for this book. Being type-A and all, I've been creating my own study guide. Expect another post with more activities once we meet for book club :)  

Enjoy my vocabulary and bingo freebies:

Click here to download ~ Vocabulary Definitions

Click here to download ~ Vocabulary/Character/Setting Bingo Caller List

Click here to download ~ Bingo Cards Set #1

Click here to download ~ Bingo Cards Set #2

Click here to download ~ Bingo Cards Set #3

RATING
We'd rate The Sasquatch Escape 4 of 5 stars! It's a must-read for any child that loves mysteries, adventure, or animals.

Will we continue with the series? Most certainly!

The Sasquatch Escape {The Imaginary Veterinary, Book 1} by Suzanne Selfors

Everyone loves reading classics for homeschool book club. But why not read something a bit different? Like...Sasquatch :)

And that's precisely our next book ~ The Sasquatch Escape by Suzanne Selfors! The reviews seem to be overwhelmingly positive, so we'll give it a read.

The entire series is based on mythological creatures. Usually kids love animals, so it will be interesting to see just what they think of Bigfoot. I can't wait to see how Sasquatch is portrayed.

Has your child read it yet? If so, what did they think?

If not, read it with us!

Book Review: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren {Activity Links}

It's a beloved classic! Our homschool book club {grades 3-6} read Pippi Longstocking for the April meeting.

Madeline took turns between laughing outrageously and being completely horrified by Pippi's behavior. Mostly, it was laughing outrageously!

SYNOPSIS
Pippi Lonstocking is a very unique little girl living all alone. Without parents, she governs her own behavior. Pippi tries to make sense of the world that thinks very differently than she does.

Each chapter is like it's own short story focusing on a particular event. At first, the town isn't so pleased with Pippi's antics. But she eventually wins them over and saves the day!

ACTIVITIES
Saving time is one of my favorite things, so I bought Characters, Plot, and Setting and Pippi Longstocking worksheets. The book club homeschoolers absolutely LOVED the Characters, Plot, and Setting activities. There were so many things to do that we could only complete just a few. But they were all a hit!

The worksheet link is primarily reading comprehension questions. I printed them cut out the individual questions. Each child took a question from a bag and read it to the group. Then they discussed the questions. It's awesome because they govern themselves and are so excited to share what they've read :)

FREE LINKS AND ACTIVITIES
Pippi Longstocking:  GSCNC Book Club Meeting Guide
Discussion/Comprehension Questions via Teachers.net
Printable Pippi Paper Dolls via fanpop.com
Pippi Longstocking smock via Muffins and More

Pippi Apron Inspiration via http://efraimstochter.de/ {Would be great made of a large paper grocery bag, too!}

I'm dying to make Pippi Lonstocking smocks for the girls! So cute for summer if you sew.

REVIEW
We'd rate Pippi 5 of 5 stars! Lots of humor to show kids just how lucky they really are to have parents who love them :)

Book Review: The Day the Crayons Quit by Oliver Jeffers

What a creative book!

The Day the Crayons Quit was chosen as our k-2 homeschool book club selection. And both my kids {ages 3 and 7} loved it :)

SYNOPSIS

Duncan reaches for his crayons, but they aren't there! Instead, he finds a stack of letters ~ each written by a different crayon. Each expresses feelings about how they are used {or conflicts with other crayons}, and asks assistance either for themselves or their friends.

It's absolutely hilarious and both my girls loved Peach Crayon's letter the most. Poor Peach Crayon has no clothing since Duncan peeled off his paper! Peach Crayon is embarrassed to leave the crayon box. They love to read Peach Crayon's letter OVER and OVER.


ACTIVITIES The kids did this:  Reading Response Activities & Writing Craftivity. Then they played their own improv version of 'Guess Which Crayon I Am!' Each of the homeschoolers described their favorite crayon with clues and everyone tried to guess which one they were.
Because Madeline is older, I had her pretend to the be the teacher. Did the crayons use the correct format for a letter? Is the punctuation correct? She rewrote one letter correcting any format or grammar mistakes. 
Madeline also wrote her own letter from the viewpoint of her favorite crayon. She had to think of what her favorite crayon would write and how it would feel. Then Madeline reminded me that she really doesn't use CRAYONS anymore since she's a big girl. Ha! So her letter was from the point of view of her favorite colored pencil.

REVIEW
We happily give this book 5 of 5 Stars! It's very creative and unlike any other book we've read.

Use it as a great jumping off point for feelings, colors, and conflict resolution. Or just for fun! The author did a phenomenal job making each crayon express feelings. And Madeline enjoys reading it to her little sister, so that's always a plus.

Almost Done with Pippi Longstocking

Nine chapters down, two more to go!

We will DEFINITELY FINISH this book tonight and be ready for our homeschool book club meeting tomorrow. This book is a fast read for sure.

It's been shocking to me to see just how far Madeline has come in reading since beginning chapter books! A pleasant and proud shock though :)

So far, Madeline alternates between laughing and being horrified by Pippi's behavior. Oh, so many teachable moments to discuss! But then again, Madeline is my little angel. She's always been the sweetest, most gentle child.

Outdoor Classroom: Bees, Bees, Bees

Bees, bees, bees. They just love the salvia. I kid you not, there are always at least five or six bees buzzing around this plant.

Can you spot the bee?

Lately my camera has been a source of frustration. Not because I don't love it. But sometimes it would be nice to splurge on some additional lenses, especially one for close up work. My camera requires shooting objects from a few feet away, so cropping is a must. I just wish for a bit more detail and close focus.

But lenses are soooo expensive. And not in the budget anytime soon.

Guess that means doing the best with what I have! And shooting lots of pictures to try and share some of our life with you.

So back to homeschool. Madeline is constantly curious about the bees. She wonders if she should be scared of them...I tell her only if she bothers them! They have never stung any of us, we just let them gather pollen until their little hearts are content.

To foster her curiosity, I've requested some books on bees from the library. Maybe she'll be less weary of them if she understands them better. So excited for the books to come in:

UnBEElievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings

Busy Buzzers: Bees in Your Backyard (Backyard Bugs)

The Honeybee Man

Do you have any bees that like to visit your yard? How do you feel about them?

Homeschool Book Club: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Almost time for homeschool book club! Our next selection is Pippi Longstocking. The club meets Thursday, so we better get reading. 

Luckily, it's only 11 chapters. Flood Child was 41 chapters, so finishing Pippi by Wednesday seems doable. We are ready for some laughs!

Reading Chasing Vermeer by Blue Baillet

Oops! Madeline and I got so caught up reading Flood and Fire that we need to play catch up on our homeschool book club selection.

Time to remedy that! So we switched gears and are halfway through Chasing Vermeer by Blue Baillet.

I must say, it was really hard putting Flood and Fire to the side. But we'll pick up where we left off once Chasing Vermeer is finished.

Luckily, it's only 21 chapters. Which seems short compared to Flood and Fire's 41 chapters!

At first, Madeline kept telling me that it wasn't as exciting as Flood and Fire. Now she's keeping a notebook to jot down clues to help her solve the mystery. So cute!

But I have noticed she's not dying to read the next chapter like other books. Not sure if we will continue with this series. Guess that is dependent on the ending. Which I've already read...but it really matters what Madeline thinks of the ending.

Homeschool book club is next week, so stay tuned for all our activities and fun!

Flood and Fire: 9 Chapters Down, 32 to Go

Madeline and I are hooked on Flood and Fire. So far, we've not read less than 3 chapters a day. At the close of every chapter Madeline cries, "More! More!"

It's awesome finding exciting new books and authors through homeschool book club! My husband even congratulated me on gifting my daughter with the need to read :)

Starting with the first chapter, the story grips you! Oh, Lilly...out of the pot and into the frying pan. And poor Zeph, having to clean up his father's mess.

Unlike Raiders' Ransom, this second book is fast-paced from page 1.

Reading this book is bittersweet, since the third one {PLEASE let there be a third one} isn't published yet. Write fast, Ms. Diamand ~ we love your books!

Raiders' Ransom: Activities and Discussion Questions

Having a blast with vocabulary bingo ladders at homeschool book club

After searching but not finding a Scholastic study guide for Raiders' Ransom, I made my own! If you find a link to the official study guide, please leave me a comment so I can link to it :)

[Enjoy my book review too.] 

The kids liked all the activities at homeschool book club, but vocabulary bingo was the favorite! It never hurts to have extra activities, but we ran out of time before the character comparison. So Madeline will work that in at home later as one of our writing assignments.


Discussion Questions

Why is Lilly’s boat spared from the raider attack?

Why doesn't the Prime Minister want to give compensation for Lilly's fishing town to rebuild their boats and pay for the raider damage?

Why does Lilly decide to steal the jewel? How does she disguise herself and Cat?

Is the jewel a gem or something else? Why is it so important?

Why does Zeph have to make friends with Lilly in London?

Why does Mr. Saravanan pretend to disown/cast Lilo out of their family?

What is a fill miner? Why are fill miners needed?

Is trial by knife a scientific way to get facts and truth? Why or why not?

If Roba had thrown the knife {instead Zeph} at the trialing wheel, do you think the outcome would have been the same for Lilly? Why or why not?

What secret is Aileen keeping from Angel Isling?

Why does Zeph show kindness to Lexy when she is summoned to the feast? Who does she remind him of?

How does Cat set free Lilly and Lexy from their shackles?

Does the Prime Minister seem happy to see Lexy during the truce? Does he protect her after they are reunited?

Do you think Zeph finds war as wonderful as he imagined it in the beginning of the story? Why?

When Roba is drowning, Zeph helps him by giving Roba a piece of wreckage to use as a float. Is Roba kind to Zeph in return?

During the fleet battle, Lilly has to make a choice to rescue Lexy or Zeph. How does she choose?

Jasper hired Medwin to get the jewel. Did Jasper get what he wanted? Why or why not?


Sail Design Activity

The raider Families used symbols and colors to differentiate themselves from each other. Zeph’s family used the color red and the symbol of the lion.

Design your own raider sail to represent your raider Family!

- Name your raider family
- Choose one or two colors for your sail design
- Choose a symbol for your sail to represent your family

For inspiration and symbol meanings, print/view Common Archetypes and Symbols in Literature and Animals and Their Symbolic Meanings.

Students can draw freehand or use this sailboat template to make a three dimensional boat.


Compare and Contrast Two Characters

Choose from either:
- Roba and Zeph
- Lilly and Lexy
- Medwin the Untamed and Prime Minister Randall

1. List two ways they are the same/similar.

2. List two ways they are different.

3. Which one of the two would you rather be? Why?

Vocabulary Bingo
Provide definition list and have children take turns reading a word and its definition. Fill in blank bingo cards with your vocabulary words and get gaming! Kids can earn extra points by providing synonyms and antonyms for the words.

fury:  extreme anger

sly:  smart in a dishonest way, hiding your true reasons

ruins:  remaining pieces of something that has been destroyed

projection:  creating an image on a surface from somewhere else, an image that can be seen but isn’t a real object {like a movie on a movie screen}

swift:  very fast or quick

lassie: a young girl

malfunction:  to not work properly/correctly or to fail to work

sterile:  without germs or other microorganisms

scabbard:  protective case for a sword, knife,  or blade

kinship:  being related to other people

loyal: complete support for someone or something

arrogant:  believing or acting more important, smarter, or better than other people

activate:  to turn something on or make it active

antiquarian:  a person who collects, studies, or sells valuable old things

rudimentary:  the most basic or simple

artificial intelligence:   the power of a machine/computer to act and think like a person

delinquent:  a young person who regularly breaks the law or misbehaves

plead:  to ask for something in a serious and emotional way

unfurl:  to cause a folded or rolled up item to open

tattered:  old and torn

vital:  extremely important or necessary

traitor:  a person who is not loyal to their friends, family, or country

duress:  when someone is forced or threatened to do something they don’t want to do

kindling:   lightweight and dry objects that burn easily and are used to start a fire {like twigs or paper}

Beginning Raiders' Ransom

Madeline and I are reading Raiders' Ransom by Emily Diamand for our homeschool book club. My expectation based on the reviews and description was Pirates of the Caribbean, kids version. It is so not that!

This book is a bit schizophrenic. It starts out as a real downer, then turns into absolute hilarity. So far we are hooked!