Andrea Carter and Other Tales from the Circle C Ranch (Review)

Andrea Carter and Other Tales from the Circle C Ranch by Susan K. Marlow brings readers back to Circle C Ranch with the beloved Andrea Carter. This time, with a whole new twist! This book includes stories inspired by readers' ideas! In this book, you will find six stories:

Orphan Calf

Andi's Christmas Ball

Race to the Finish Line

Snake in a Pail

Virginia's Riding Lesson

Tarantula Trouble

Just released last month, this book includes stories from my favorite time period—the 1800s. Complete with a handful of illustrations, this book draws readers in. Kids read a telegraph from The Western Union Telegraph company in 1879. What was a normal form of communication during that time period is unheard of to many children of today. Many of them have never even seen a landline or payphone, much less a telegraph! Of course, as homeschoolers, many of us naturally introduce these gems from history through literature or YouTube videos organically in our homeschool—using the Circle C books is an excellent way to share about the ways of the past—teaching our children without them even realizing it!

Plus . . . horses! Horses is the main reason why I introduced this series to my daughter. When younger, she read through the Circle C Beginning Series and then some of the ones for older readers as she got older. Even as a teen, she appreciated these stories about one of her favorite characters. One of my elementary sons is now getting the hang of reading and is working through the Goldtown Beginnings series—perfect for young boys! He loves the adventure.

If your children love horses and adventures, they will love this newly released book. These stories are short—only a few chapters each and come with Did You Know? questions at the end of each story—perfect for homeschoolers. I love it when fiction books add an element of history, and these stories go the extra mile. Not only are they historical fiction in nature, but they also include fun non-fiction facts!

Your horse-loving homeschooler will adore this book, whether she is familiar with the series or not. You can jump right into the series with these rich and engaging stories, or you can surprise your Circle C lover with a new addition to the series. Either way, you will love having this on your homeschool bookshelf!

Disclaimer: Many thanks to Kregel Publications for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own and were not generated by AI.

Original 13 Colonies Fact Cards (Free Printable)

These Thirteen Colonies Fact Cards were created for my kids as we studied early American history. What a pivotal time in our history! Puritans seeking religious freedom, adventurers setting out for a new land, and those in debt hoping for a fresh start—a new life. From the first colony in Virginia, until all thirteen stars on the first American flag were represented, these cards are a perfect review for your homeschoolers. Use them to drill the first thirteen colonies so your child can recite them with ease, and have them dictate the information on the cards to help them remember a small fact about each colony. Feel free to print these out and have your children write facts that they learn about each colony on the back. Go ahead and laminate them, too! Simply right-click, save, and print to use this resource in your homeschool as you study about the original thirteen colonies in America. Use the facts for dictation, copy work, or discussion in your home. Disclaimer: All co...

Truck-Themed Homeschool Chore Chart

Use this truck-themed homeschool chore chart to keep your kids on track throughout the school week. With lessons, field trips, meals, and unexpected errands filling up your week, even the simplest chore chart can help your home run more smoothly. At times, kids are excited for the new opportunity to help out around the house and do it with joy. Other times they stomp toward the trash can with anything but a good attitude. Help keep attitudes in check by using stickers, smiley faces, or positive verbal reinforcement as your child completes each task on the chart. For the child who loves lists (and the mom) this is the perfect free printable to have on hand! (Simply right-click, save, and print)

The Pencil Grip Inc. {Review}

We have found what we have been looking for in The Pencil Grip Inc .'s 24 pack of Magic Stix Washable Markers . These markers are the perfect fit for a homeschooling family such as ours. I am thrilled to tell you about our experience with them! Normally, I do not have a favorable impression of markers for several reasons. For one, as a kid, I remember markers having such a strong smell that it would give me a headache. I know some kids enjoyed the scents but it certainly was not for me. And to be honest, if I had markers like that in my house today, my kids would probably stick them up their nose or something. Another reason I have a distaste for markers is the drying out factor. As a parent of many children this is super frustrating. I finally teach the older ones to put the caps back on when they are done using their markers but then a younger one comes along and just doesn't understand. This then leads to the undue frustration of your child sitting down to...

Thrift Schooling

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