Book Review and Giveaway! ~ Treasury of Bible Stories : Rhythmical Rhymes of Biblical Times

We have been very blessed to review this sweet Bible story book called Treasury of Bible Stories : Rhythmical Rhymes of Biblical Times by Kelly Pulley. This hardback book was written for ages 4-8  with 352 pages is in full color. The illustrations are adorable, they were drawn by Kelly Pulley also. He has illustrated several other books including many from the Beginner Bible series.

What makes this book different from other Bible story books? Every story is written in rhyme, so my poetry loving little girls really enjoyed hearing the stories over and over again. It has found a permanent place on my bedside table with their other favorite bedtime books.

Each story can be read in just a few minutes, so if its an especially sleepy night you can get through a story quickly and then send them off to bed. Some nights we enjoyed more than one.


Some of the rhymes are so catchy I have heard the girls singing them. They like to make songs out of everything they hear. I have caught them just looking through the pictures on their own, they love all the cute little details, especially the animals. My 8 year old can read most of the words on her own, but she gets frustrated easily reading aloud and still prefers me to read it to her. She will read to my 5 year old though, she doesnt correct her because she doesnt know the difference yet.

You can purchase Treasury of Bible Stories : Rhythmical Rhymes of Biblical Times at Christianbook.com on sale for $14.99, it is regularly $19.99. I get to give away one of these cute books to one of my readers, scroll down to enter below!

Watch this little preview to get a better look at the book!





Enter to win a copy of Treasury of Bible Stories : Rhythmical Rhymes of Biblical Times by filling out the Rafflecopter form below. If you are reading this post via email you will need to click here to go to the actual blog to enter. Thank you for entering!!


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Review ~ Wizzy Gizmo Fast Track Bible Pack - New Testamant

I love starting out our school days with Bible time, whether that be in the form of reading from the Bible, working on a study, or praying together and discussing I try to always have God be our focus first thing. Our family was blessed with the Fast Track Bible Pack - New Testament set of cards from Wizzy Gizmo.

Never heard of a Wizzy Gizmo? Just what is that anyhow? Well a Wizzy Gizmo is a "what", and it is a "Who." Wizzy Gizmo is a fictional character who loves God and exploring the Bible. Since he has become a Wiz (not to be confused with a wizard, because he is not), naturally he has made Bible books, audio dramas, and Bible flashcards to help kids (and adults) learn more about the Bible too.


 The Fast Track Bible Pack includes 27 cards, one for each book in the New Testament, and they are packed full of information!  They were written for ages 2 and up, and make a wonderful supplemental tool to go along with any bible study or curriculum. The cards are a nice and big 5x9 inches with a good readable size font. This was important for one of my kids who has problems with small print. The set costs $14.99 and I feel like they are well worth it.




Here is  a sample card from the book of Matthew.

Just from the front of the card we can quickly see that there are 28 chapters, that the author was indeed Matthew and it tells about who he was. The date of writing is also there, we were able to visually see this on our timeline we have for history in our classroom.

So basically the front is an overview of each book. The way these cards are written make you want to get out your bible and read some more.

I like how we can start with a card and then expand on what we read on it by going to the Bible and reading for ourselves.













 The back of the card gives you an outline, key chapters, passages, doctrines, and people.

I challenged the kids to pick a card daily and read a little about it. Just as I had hoped, the kids began sharing with each other little things they had read on the card.

This has turned into a trivia game of sorts. They love trying to stump other adults (especially me) with their bible knowledge. This thrills my heart!

I am blessed every time they teach me something new, and it makes them feel good too.

One of the kids asked if she could take them to church with her to help her answer questions about her lessons. I plan on letting her after I have them hole punched and put on a ring. I dont want them getting lost!

There isn't a lot of room on the cards for a hole punch, but there is one little space I can do it and not punch through any words, at the very bottom where the leaves are.

We think the Fast Track Bible Pack is a very useful tool and we have had fun exploring them and the bible together! I hope in the future they have an Old Testament Bible Pack as well. I plan on getting the audio drama for Christmas. My kids love audio books and the sample sounded really awesome!

 I can think of many ways these products can be used, and I have been enjoying reading others' ideas in the reviews by other members of the Schoolhouse Crew. You can read their reviews by clicking the banner below.....

Connect with Wizzy Gizmo via.....

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wizzygizmo

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wizzygizmo

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/wizzygizmo/

Google+: http://www.plus.google.com/+wizzygizmo

Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/wizzygizmo

Review ~ Apologia Educational Ministries ~ What On Earth Can I Do?

What on Earth Can I Do? ($39.00) is the 4th book in the What We Believe Series from Apologia Educational Ministries.  We were also sent the What On Earth Can I Do? Notebooking Journal, the What On Earth Can I Do? Junior Notebooking Journal, and a What On Earth Can I Do? Coloring Book to use along with the main book. We have been so blessed to review the other 3 books in the past including...

Book 1 ~ Who Is God? And Can I Really Know Him?
Book 2 ~ Who Am I? And What Am I Doing Here?
Book 3 ~ Who Is My Neighbor? And Why Does He Need Me?

This volume is a non-denominational in depth family devotional with a Christian worldview that addresses the issue of stewardship. Now before you roll your eyes and say you already know about giving 10% of your income to the church, let me assure you that is not the focus of this book. In fact, I was more convicted of how I am a steward of my time while reading through this volume. The lessons include...

1. Your Story or God's Story?
2. Who Put You In Charge?
3. Will You Be Found Faithful?
4. Where Is Your Treasure?
5. Where Does Your Time Go?
6. Whose Life Is It Anyway?
7. Why Isn't It Easy Being Green?
8. What Will Happen When The Master Returns?

This series was written for ages 6-14, but unless your child is reading at a 5th to 6th grade level you will need to do the reading for them. It is great for family bible time, I enjoyed the stories as much as they did. I couldn't help but read ahead once the kids were in bed at night. Bible verses are mostly from the NIV, but other translations are used as well. Apologia recommends you use the translation of your choice for bible memorization.

There is an ongoing story throughout the book about a family living in the time of World War 2. While this can be a difficult subject to discuss with younger kids, I think Apologia has done a fine job of giving just enough detail to be historically accurate, but not so much that a child cannot handle it. This is another reason I read ahead, to be sure if something would be particularly upsetting for one of my children I would know in advance and could decide if I needed to skip a particular part.

Apologia provides a lesson plan to work through the book, but you are free to move at your own pace.  At some points we really wanted to read more, and some days not so much. You can complete a book in a semester or use it over the entire school year.


The Notebooking Journal and Junior Notebooking Journal ($24.00 each) are an optional resource you can use to give the kids a place to write about what they have learned, make mini books, practice handwriting and memorization with scripture copywork, and complete vocabulary activities. The Junior Journal is designed for ages 6-9 and is preferred by my kids ages 7, 9 and 10 because there are coloring pages (there are no coloring pages in the Notebooking Journal), easier puzzles, and less writing is required to complete the pages.

My 5 year old is too young to do the journal activities but she loved coloring along with the stories in the What On Earth Can I Do? Coloring Book. ($8.00) There are many more pictures to color than what are in the notebooking journals, 65 pages worth! If you have a younger child listening in or one who just loves to color this is perfect for them.

What did we think of What On Earth Can I Do?

I like that Apologia makes it easy to use. There is nothing to plan in advance, we simply open the book and start reading. Some of the notebooking activities require me to help out some, but it is minimal. Only basic school supplies are needed like crayons or colored pencils, scissors, stapler, glue, and brad fasteners.

I love the biblically sound teaching in Apologia books, every one we have used has been right on with what the bible tells us. My kids and I both learn, and the discussions we have are quite amazing because they know what they are talking about after the lessons. The word stays in their mind. The stories stay with them, and are a reminder when they face a situation in life that is similar.

The kids do not balk at listening to this book. They do not always want to write in the journal but that's OK as the real "meat" is the book itself. The coloring pages are always a hit with my little artists though. I love how it is written in a way the kids can understand and relate to the characters.

I'm so thankful to have this book to use over the summer while our church isn't having AWANA. There is plenty of scripture to memorize and use for copywork in the journals. Thank you Apologia for once again writing such a great book!

You can find a sample chapter of the book here to see if this may be right for your family.  There are also samples of the Notebooking Journal. Read more reviews by clicking the banner below, or connect with Apologia via.....

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/apologiaworld
 Twitter – https://twitter.com/apologiaworld
 Google+ - https://plus.google.com/105053356034237782125/posts
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Review ~ Egglo Entertainment

It happens every year. Easter was meant to be a holiday to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. A time to remember how He sacrificed His life so that we could live. A chance to share this good news with others who may have heard Jesus' name but don't know the real story. Yet all the talk about bunnies and candy and spring often take precedence in the minds of our children. Egglo Entertainment has put a little twist on the traditional egg hunt to focus that attention back to Jesus and have fun at the same time.


What makes this product so special? Ever had an egg hunt in the dark with eggs that glow?




For this review we received.....

Set of 12 Glow in the Dark Egglo Eggs (11.99)
The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure Paperback Book ($12.99)
The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure Book Audio Download ($2.99)
Egglo Treasures Scripture Scrolls ($4.29)
The Egg-cellent Easter Adventure Program Guide ($14.99)

The glowing eggs represent Jesus being the light of the world that shines in the darkness. Inside each egg is a scripture scroll with a verse from the Bible about light.



There are many different ways to use these eggs in an egg hunt. We used them at home and hid the eggs indoors because the weather here has been so cold and snowy we haven't had a chance to try them outside yet. I'm glad Easter is still a month away, I really hope to do an outdoor hunt with our Keepers of the Faith Club by then.

The Program Guide gives many ideas for using Egglo eggs with a large group like a Sunday school or AWANA club. If you have a lot of kids participating you will want more than just one set of the glowing eggs, and you can also add in regular eggs too. You can also use them with just your own family if you prefer.

The Egg-Cellent Easter Adventure Storybook is a must have to read to the kids before you begin. The story is sort of long but there is an audio book you can download and play while you turn the pages of the book. Some kids have short attention spans, so by having the book read for you it frees you to pay more attention to what is going on in the room.

My girls like listening to stories over and over, so I was glad to have the audiobook! They can read along anytime they like.

I wondered if they would be disappointed to find the scripture scrolls inside instead of candy. (By the way, it was my choice to not use candy, you can do so if you wish.) They loved the little scrolls! Each girl picked out their favorite verse and insisted I take their picture with it to share with you.

They told me they know these verses from AWANA at our church. Each of them want me to ask about using this program with our club instead of the regular candy filled egg hunt we usually have. I'm going to ask! The program was designed for ages 4-13 so would work well for the Cubbies, Sparks, and T and T group.

I like that these eggs open from the sides and not the middle like most plastic eggs. The scrolls are the perfect size to fit inside yet large enough to read the verses easily. The eggs must be charged under a light before the hunt, they glow for about an hour after that.


The Egglo Eggs, scripture scrolls, and the Egg-Cellent Easter Adventure Book were all a big hit here at Stairsteps Academy!



Connect with Egglo.....

 Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/eggloeggs/egglo-easter-egg-hunts-about-jesus/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EggloEggs
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/EggloEggs
Instagram: http://instagram.com/eggloeggs
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/EggloEggs
Google +:  plus.google.com/113761975581466698158

Review ~ Homeschool Mom's Bible NIV

Our sixth year of homeschooling has begun, and some days I still feel like we are so new at this, and I dont know what Im doing. I rely on God to get me through each day, but some days are just so busy, with so many things going on, that I forget to seek His guidance. I often fall into bed at night exhausted and realize I never took the time to pray or read my bible that day. I wonder if the day could have been easier to bear if I had taken that time?

When the opportunity came up for reviewing the NIV Homeschool Mom's Bible from Zondervan I prayed that I would be picked. God blessed my request with the NIV version because I personally have a hard time understanding the KJV, but both versions are available.

My goal for using this bible was to get up early each morning and spend quiet time with God while reading the daily devotion and the scripture in between that days devotion and the next. Has it happened every day? Honestly no. Some days I have just a few minutes and some days I have a bit more time than others. Some mornings I just want to keep reading, so I do. Some mornings I barely have time to pray alone. By the end of the week I am usually close to where I should have been in my daily reading anyhow. Funny how that works out!

It has always been a personal goal of mine to read the entire Bible. I end up reading my favorite books over and over again such as Psalms and Proverbs, but other books get skimmed over or partially read. The format of the Homeschool Mom's Bible makes it easier for me to stay on track with my daily reading. There are a few pages of scripture divided by 365 dated Daily Devotions written especially for homeschooling mothers by Janet Tatman.

She has been homeschooling for 25 years! She has lived through the same struggles, experienced the same joys, and found strength in God's word to get her through. I really appreciate her encouragement and the way she shares her heart each day. Often it has been JUST what I needed to hear that day! When I want to read about a certain topic, such as forgiveness or love, the topical index in the back of the book guides me to just the passages I need right away.

The only thing I want to add to this bible are tabs so I can look up the different books more quickly. Its just something that I personally prefer and is easily added, if I can ever make it to the Bible bookstore. Although there is a table of contents in the beginning that lists each book with a page number. There is also a page listing the books in alphabetical order. This is especially helpful on Monday mornings!

As a stay at home homeschool mom we have a limited budget. If one of my children needs a certain book or tool for school I find creative ways to get whet they need. I often neglect my own needs, and sometimes this is OK. I dont NEED that new pair of shoes or that fancy new gadget. But I do NEED time with my Creator, I NEED to spend time with the One who knows my heart and has called me to homeschool in the first place.
 This bible is an expense that I feel would have been well worth its cost. 

The Homeschool Mom's Bible is available in either NIV or KJV in hardback with a dust jacket for $34.99. An ebook version is available to download for $14.99. There are also leather bound editions for $49.99.

Review ~ Notgrass Draw To Learn

Art and Drawing sometimes gets pushed to the wayside when our school days get busy. The Notgrass Company has created a unique way to combine art along with Bible study called the Draw To Learn series. It was designed to be used with children in K-8th grade can be used with all ages, including adults. I have come to enjoy using it right along with them.

The Draw To Learn series includes 5 different books with 150 lessons each. Each lesson includes READING a Bible passage, THINKING about what you have learned, and DRAWING what you have read. They are available as physical books for $14.95 each or as ebooks to download for $9.95 each. If you use the ebooks you have permission to make as many copies as needed for your own family's use. You may not make copies from the physical book. I prefer the ebooks because I have 4 homeschooling children at home and I can print as needed for them.

Our package included ebook versions of....
Draw To Learn Acts
Draw To Learn Psalms
Draw To Learn The Letters of Paul
Draw To Learn The Life of Jesus
Draw To Learn Proverbs
We also received Learn To Draw Proverbs as a physical book.

You can view samples of each book from it's respective page linked above.

Downloading the ebooks was quick and easy. Printing is all black and white so not much ink is used. The physical book is spiral bound for easy use and its well made and sturdy. This book makes a treasure of a keepsake!

How did we use Draw To Learn?
We used these pages a few times a week, sometimes more than one per day because it is summertime and our workload is much less. The kids and I enjoyed it so much, we found it very soothing and relaxing to just slow down and draw together. I let the kids take turns picking a page they thought would be interesting to draw or had a verse that they love. I would print one for each person and read them the verses and the instructions for what to draw at the bottom of the page.

I found it so interesting to see how different each child's drawing could be, how each interpreted what they would draw differently than another. I was also impressed by how much detail and color they used when not rushed to finish. I let them take their time and really put thought into their artwork. My little ones would finish much faster as their attention span is much shorter, but my 10 year old especially loves Draw To Learn and he really gets creative. He is always ready to start the day with one of these pages.

Using Draw To Learn is a great way to have a non stressful start to the school day. It also makes a great calming activity just before bedtime. Just be prepared for your child to delay bedtime by drawing longer than usual if you use it this way.

I have noticed that the kids remember many of the biblical concepts they are drawing  much better because the meaning is cemented in their minds as they draw. For instance,  from The Book Of Psalms we read Psalm 91 and then drew a protective wing to illustrate God's protection over us. One night during a thunderstorm my 4 year old was afraid. I told her it was OK because God is protecting us from harm, her eyes lit up as she remembered that God's protection is like a wing over us. She remembered drawing it and we read the passage again. She watched that thunderstorm from the window after that with a big smile on her face. It opened the door for a discussion about God's amazing power and strength with all the kids as we watched the lightning and heard the thunder. Here is my 4 year old daughter, Star's picture....

My other children insisted I share one of their pictures too....

7 year old Skye....

8 year old River....

10 year old Braeden....

Ill share one I drew as well....

I cant say enough good things about these books! I highly recommend them for anyone who wants to get more art in their day!

The Notgrass Company has many other wonderful resources on their website, including the America The Beautiful history curriculum, which was also reviewed by members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew. Click the banner below to read more reviews!

Review ~ Bible Study For All Ages ~ Beginner and Intermediate

When we have Bible time in our homeschool we like to do it together at the same time. It can be challenging to do this sometimes with different ages. Either the lesson was over my younger ones heads or seemed babyish to my older kids. I was excited to try out Bible Study Guide For All Ages because although they have different age levels all the lessons correspond and can be used together. I chose two levels, Beginner (age 3 to Kindergarten) for my 4 and 7 year olds, and Intermediate (3rd and 4th grade) for my 8 and 10 year olds.

Our package included.....
Beginner Level Student Pages lessons 1-26 $5.95
Beginner Timeline $24.95
Children's Songs CD Set $19.95
Intermediate Level Student Pages lessons 1-26 $5.95
Bible Book Summary Cards in color $24.95
You can see a sample by clicking on each item listed above.

Bible Study for All Ages takes you through the entire Bible in 4 years. Each set of student pages covers about 26 lessons, it is not the entire 4 year set. You will need to order the next set of student pages (for $5.95 each) once you complete the set you have unless you order more than one set at a time. The only extra materials you will need are a Bible (any version can be used) pencils, and crayons or colored pencils. If you use the songs CD you will also need a CD player.

The first thing I loved about this program is that the whole family can use it together.  Directions are given for combining different age levels together so Bible time is smooth and enjoyable for everyone. I did find this to be true!

How we used Bible Study for all Ages....

We start our day with Circle Time now, and Bible is the first subject we do together. Prayer is the best start of any day so we discuss any praises and needs we know of and pray about those first. For these two levels no teacher guide is needed because the instructions are right there on the student pages.

Someone finds the day's passages in the Bible and I read the story from there. We then listen to songs from the Children's Song CD that help us remember things such as the names of Jacob's sons, books of the bible, and what happened on each day of creation.

My older kids can then begin working on their student page while I help my younger ones with their student page.  I re-read the bible passage to the little ones from their student page as they do activities to go along with each part of the story. Simple things like coloring and circling or crossing out pictures helps them get more out of each lesson. The older kids have to go back to the Bible and re-read in order to answer a question sometimes. They have become much better at taking a second look to be sure before guessing at answers since beginning this study.

The Beginner Timeline and Bible Book summary cards have been a really helpful tool for us! I especially love the summary cards. There is so much information on the back of each card, and colorful pictures on the other side to remind them of what things are happening in each book of the Bible as we go through them. I learn from these as well! I put our cards in sheet protectors and into a binder to keep them organized and in good shape. I know we will be using them for years to come.

What I love about Bible Study for All Ages....
It is easy to use, virtually no prep is needed before each lesson as long as you have all of the materials together.
The student sheets are affordable and I can order them as I need them. Shipping is very quick!
I have found each lesson so far to be age appropriate.
I am learning right along with the kids.

Overall I give this program a big thumbs up! The kids like this special part of our day. I look forward to continuing to use it until we get through the entire program.

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Growing Up Wild

This year our curriculum is all about geography and learning about the different countries and the people who live there. Every morning during our bible time we learn about different people groups, what they believe, and how missionaries are working with them to lead them to Christ. We pray for these people and the missionaries who serve them. We read missionary biographies as read alouds.

The kids enjoy me reading books to them, but what has really got their minds thinking about missions are these DVD's about the Wild family, who are real life modern day missionaries in Papua, Indonesia.

 The purpose in creating this series includes educating children about missionary life, in the hopes they will inspire a new generation of missionaries.

Growing Up Wild is a series of 5 DVD's that show and tell all about what being a missionary today is really like. Seeing this through the eyes of  the 4 Wild brothers really catches their interest and gives them a glimpse of missionary life they wont get from a book.  We reviewed volume 1 and 4, each contain 3 episodes that are about 15 minutes long each. These DVD's are very high quality and look like they were professionally filmed, but they were actually made by the Wild family themselves! 

These DVD's are geared toward children 5 to 12, but is enjoyable by all ages. These can be used to compliment a homeschool curriculum, a Sunday school class, vacation bible school, and youth groups.

Volume 1 includes the episodes...

Home Sweet Hut- See their home and how it was built. See what everyday life looks like, and some of the creatures too.
Supply Trip- Learn about how they get their supplies for everyday living out in the jungle..
Sun and Water- Learn how they get their electricity and water to their hut. Yes they have a modernized little hut!









Volume 4 includes the episodes.....

 Amazing World Around Us- Meet some of the amazing creatures God created in the jungles of Papua.
Adventures in Culture- Learn about traditions unique to the tribal people of Papua.
Tribal Calling- This episode tells of how the Wild family knew they were called to be missionaries to this tribe of people. Very inspiring!

What an amazing family to be a part of!







 Watching the Growing Up Wild series has been fascinating for the kids! They have asked for the the other 3 volumes for Christmas. I have loved watching with them, I enjoy seeing how they do things without the modern world all around them. I am thankful there are families out there spreading the Gospel in other countries where life isn't as easy as it is here in the USA.

These have made an excellent addition to our study of countries and missionaries around the world. The activity guides add things I had not thought of to our studies as well. I highly recommend them!

Each DVD also has an extra activity guide on CD  full of  additional activities to enhance the DVD content. See a sample of the activity guide for Volume 1 here.

 The price per volume is $18.99, or get all 5 volumes for $80.99 ( a 15% discount)


 Disclaimer ~ We received this product at no cost in exchange for an honest review after using it in our homeschool. No other compensation was given. All opinions expressed here are my own.  Other opinions may vary. Click the banner above to read what others thought of this product.