Dog and Cat

Alyssa has been writing short stories since she's been old enough to write. There are partially filled notebooks throughout our house with her works--full stories, portions of chapters, ideas jotted down. Sometimes she shares her tales with me, and every time I'm impressed. The girl has a knack for storytelling.

A few days ago, she said, "I think it would be cool to have a book published. Do you think I could do that one day?"

It reminded me of a story she wrote a couple years ago. She was 9 at the time and casually handed me a sparkly purple notebook. She was composing a collection of short stories called Crazy Tails that featured cats and dogs. Cute, right? I finished reading a story and couldn't help but notice the air of an Aesop's fable. Just like those timeless stories, hers too has a moral woven into its words.  

"Dog and Cat"

Once upon a time, there was a dog and a cat. The dog and the cat were best friends. The cat shared his milk and the dog shared his bone. But the meow of the cat bothered the dog and the bow wow of the dog bothered the cat. So when a witch came to town, the cat and the dog had her make them sound the same. They argued about whose sound they would do. So the witch cast a spell that made the cat and the dog both bow wow for a day then both meow for a day.

When the cat woke up to meow and bow wowed instead, boy, was that cat startled! So all day he didn't speak. When the next day came, the dog woke first and went to bow wow, but meowed instead, he didn't speak all that day. 

When the next day came, the dog didn't mind the meow and the cat didn't mind the bow wow.

What a lesson in friendship! We don't have to like every habit or personality trait of our friends, in fact, we probably won't. I don't even like everything that I do, so how could I possibly expect to like everything in others? 

The dog and the cat learned to overlook the irritating quirks of their friend. It's a good reminder to us not to allow little things annoy us, but to show grace, patience, and acceptance. The lesson was taught by my 9-year-old.

Do I think she could publish a book one day?

Absolutely.

Peter Rabbit

Have I mentioned that our family loves to read together? Oh, only about 100 times? Well, it's true, and you often talk about things that you're passionate about. I want to instill in my children a love of reading and a love of learning, and there's no better way than to do it with them. Involve them. Because of that, we were pleased to receive 2 books--How Peter Rabbit Went to Sea and Peter Rabbit's Birthday--to review from Kinder Cottage Publishing. 

Kinder Cottage Publishing was created in 2012 by a couple, Howard and Ann, who desire that their children grow up with a love of literature, history, culture, and Christian faith. They offer products that help other parents educate and give their children that same love. Books like the Peter Rabbit series, the Wizard of Oz series, an original series about the 10 mist influential people in the history of England, and even books written by Howard's mother are some of the rich products they offer. 

As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I was able to choose 2 books from the Peter Rabbit collection:

1.    The Tale of Peter Rabbit 
2.    Peter Rabbit at the Farm  
3.    Peter Rabbit's Christmas 

4.    How Peter Rabbit Went to Sea 

5.    Peter Rabbit Goes A-Vising
6.    Peter Rabbit's Easter
7.    Peter Rabbit's Birthday
8.    When Peter Rabbit Went to School
9.    Peter Rabbit and the Little Boy
10.  Peter Rabbit and Jack the Jumper

While we do own the entire series for our Kindle, we've read only a couple of them, as of yet, with the kids. They are a bit familiar with the character of Peter Rabbit, but without beig familiar with all the stories, they don't have favorites. I chose books that I assumed they would choose: number 4 (Went to Sea) and 7 (Birthday). 

I think most people are familiar with Peter Rabbit, or at least have heard the name. He's a little bunny who lives with his mother and 3 sisters in a sand bank under the roots of a fir tree at the edge of a big wood near Mr. McGregor's garden. His sisters, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail, are good little bunnies, but Peter is mischievous and always getting into trouble. As we read these stories, there were multiple references made to our own little "Peter Rabbit", a.k.a. our 2-year-old Tyler. He, too, is mischievous and always getting into trouble! That connection made silly Peter even more endearing to my little ones.  

How Peter Rabbit Went to Sea starts off with Peter eating too much, forgetting his mother's request, and getting punished. All within the first few pages! He was a naughty little rabbit, indeed. Then, Peter does the one thing his mother told him not to do: play near the brook. His good sisters tried to stop him, but he had made up his mind. The adventures takes him on a wild ride where he meets interesting creatures--Grandaddy whale, Old Man Shark, Johnny Crab, Gruff Old Sword-Fish. It was his experience with Sammie Sea Gull that had him worried though. Peter tricks him and makes it home to his family again.    

Peter may have learned his lesson about being a pirate at sea, but that experience did not stop him from being a mischievous boy. Peter Rabbit's Birthday is a day of celebration, but he just can't seem to stay out of trouble. He finds himself covered in flour, soaking wet, and almost missing his own party. He meets many friends throughout the book and even makes a couple new ones. By the end of the day, he was "such a polite and beautifully behaved little rabbit." But don't worry, in the morning, I'm sure, he rose with mischief in his eyes once again. 

Though Peter is a naughty boy and constantly disobeying, he is a loveable rabbit. My kids laughed at his antics and groaned when he made another poor decision. The stories opened up discussions about how it's so important to obey your parents. Kids don't always understand the dangers in life or why parents make certain rules. It's our responsibility to protect these little lives we've been entrusted with. They're not going to understand it all now, but they do need to understand the importance of obedience. No, they're not going to get caught by Mr. McGregor and turned into a stew, nor are they going to get their fluffy, white tails bitten by a crab, but they will experience other struggles through life. Peter Rabbit is a good example of what not to do.

These hardcover books are 5x7 and are perfect for little hands. They are strong, well-made, and the prefect size. There are illustrations throughout the book: text on the left-hand side of the page, pictures on the right. Kids love being able to visually see the story, so I appreciated that aspect. These are the 1917 versions of Henry Altemus Company editions, except for a few revised out-dated words (like velocipede). Each book costs $4.00 or you can purchase the entire collection for $30.00. The books are ideal for ages 3-9.

If you want to pass on the love of Peter Rabbit, these books are for you.



You can read more reviews of all the Peter Rabbit books from the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

WriteShop Primary

We've had the opportunity to review WriteShop Primary, a teacher-guided writing curriculum for kindergarten-third grade. (WriteShop also offers curriculum through the high school level.) We received WriteShop Primary level B (geared toward first and second grade) teacher's guide and activity pack. Level B introduces the steps of the writing process through activities, crafts, and picture books. The program accommodates pre-writers as well as beginning and developing writers.

The curriculum is easy to follow, giving you step-by-step instructions. It is very teacher involved both during the lessons and preparing some work beforehand. The lessons last about 15 minutes, so the student does not feel overwhelmed. If an activity page seems too simple for your child, the curriculum  suggests just letting him have fun with it because "the more ways your child can feel successful in the writing environment, the more confidence he will gain as a writer." Also, the backs of many of the worksheets are blank, allowing the student to write freely as he wishes.

By the end of Book B, your child will have learned to plan, create, and publish simple stories with parent help. He will be able to do the following:

• Use graphic organizers to plan a story.
• Include a beginning, a middle, and an end.
• Identify the main character in a story.
• Learn to add story details.
• Organize a story to include a problem and its solution.
• Write a friendly letter.
• Write a personal narrative.
• Retell nursery rhymes and fairy tales in their own words.
• “Publish” stories through projects or crafts.

Jake (6 yrs) really liked this. He loves making up stories with me and his sister. Using the provided activity sheets, I encouraged him to create stories all on his own. He especially like the one-on-one attention he got as I asked questions to keep his creative juices flowing. During one lesson, he said, "This is kinda hard, but fun!" I love that it was challenging, yet enjoyable. That's exactly what learning should be!

Level B is sold as a spiral-bound print version for $29.95 and as a PDF for $26.95. The activity worksheet pack costs $4.95 for the print version and $4.50 for the PDF.  Currently, you can save 15% off any WriteShop Primary and Junior products in the WriteShop store (including e-books) using coupon code CREW15 at checkout. Hurry, this offer is only valid through June 15, 2012.

Also, on their website, you can find help choosing a starting level and view sample lessons. 

Make sure to read more reviews of WriteShop Primary on the Crew blog here.


* Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of this product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.