This Big Fat Notebook makes it all “sink in” with key concepts, mnemonic devices, definitions, diagrams, and doodles to help you understand computer science. Perfect for Junior High; grades 7, 8 and 9.

 
Including:

• Computing systems
• Binary code
• Algorithms
• Computational thinking
• Loops, events, and procedures
• Programming in Scratch and Python
• Boolean Expressions
• Web development
• Cybersecurity
• HTML
• CSS
• …and more!

 
The Big Fat Notebook series is built on a simple and irresistible conceit―borrowing the notes from the smartest kid in class. Each book in the series meets Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and state history standards, and are vetted by National and State Teacher of the Year Award–winning teachers. They make learning fun and are the perfect next step for every kid who grew up on Brain Quest.

My Thoughts

Similar to the other Big Fat Books on Math, Science, English, World History and American History, this book is well made and very colorful.  It explains all you need to know about computer science and coding. 

Each chapter is written in easy language and contains clear illustrations and explanations.  Chapters end with a Check your Knowledge section which you can answer and a Check your Answers to confirm if you were right or wrong.

I really love the style in these books as they are perfect to help understand complex information linked to computer science.

This book and the other ones in the One Big Fat Notebook series are available at your favorite bookstore.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

How to Instant Pot

How to Instant Pot
Written by Daniel Shumski
Published at Workman

About the book

Master the revolutionary appliance that is changing the way we cook!

The only Instant Pot cookbook that is organized by function, How to Instant Pot is both a guide to understanding the Instant Pot basics and a foodie’s creative collection of over 100 recipes specially crafted to take advantage of the Instant Pot’s many virtues, from cooking perfect risotto in six minutes, no stirring required, to five kinds of yogurt, to creating one-hour killer chili and soups from scratch, using dried beans.

Here’s how to make incredible hands-off meals like Ziti and Italian Sausage, Maple-Mustard Pork Shoulder, and Korean-Style Short Ribs, plus plenty of sides, breakfasts, and desserts. In addition to a set of recipes for each function and master recipes with three variations each, there are surprising shortcuts—basics like quick pickles, perfect hard-boiled eggs, and a 30-minute “baked” potato. It’s the essential purchase for every instant pot owner.

My Thoughts

The world has been wild about the new kitchen appliance known as the Instant Pot – websites, reviews, social media and much more are talking constantly about this “must have” item in a kitchen.  It is particularly popular during the Christmas season when sales pops out everywhere for the various models offered on the market.  

But when you open the box and take your Instant Pot out the first thing that comes to your mind is often “how the heck am I suppose to use this now?”.   So you google and read about using the Instant Pot.  You try your first meal and it is a disaster (let’s face it dear reader getting use to the Instant Pot is a learning curve!).   Do not worry anymore because the book How to Instant Pot will provide all the help you need to successfully make dinner to your family.

The book contains six chapters that will guide you in using the Instant Pot to almost its full capacity.

Chapter 1 will cover all the basics about using the Instant Pot.  It will allow you to discover the equipment and how to set it up, explains the functionality of the buttons, decorticate the LCD readout so you can understand it, explain to you how to convert your favorite recipes into an Instant Pot recipe, as well as show you how to clean your machine.

The following chapters will present you with tips and tricks as well as recipes for the following functionality of the Instant Pot: pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice maker, yogurt maker and steamer.  

What I particularly like about this recipe book is that a huge majority of the recipes are accompanied by a stunning photograph of what the meal look like.   I really like seeing the end result before making a recipe.   What can I say I am a visual person!  The recipes will give you the total time to make it, the active time of the Instant Pot, the yield of the recipe as well as ingredients and directions.  You will also see icons near the title of the recipes.  These icons indicated if the meal is vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, if the recipe can be doubled, as well as if the recipe can be done in 30 minutes or 60 minutes (or less).   You can also find some quick fix recipes as well as  1,2,3 recipes which allow you to swap some ingredients.   As you can see there is a lot of potential for this recipe book and the kitchen appliance known as the Instant Pot.

If you plan to purchase an Instant Pot in a near future, consider getting this cookbook to guide you in the usage of your new kitchen appliance.

How to Instant Pot is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned book for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Awesome Minds series

Awesome Minds – The Inventors of Lego Toys

Everyone has played with LEGO® toys, but not many people know who is behind this awesome invention. This fun and engaging book tells the story of how a Danish carpenter and his family turned a desperate situation into the most popular toy in history. With full-color illustrations and lively text, and chock-full of interesting facts, Awesome Minds: The Inventors of LEGO® Toys is the perfect read for those with creative spirits and curious minds.

This book is an independently authored and published biography of the family that created the LEGO® construction toy and is not sponsored or endorsed by or affiliated in any way with the LEGO Group of companies, owner of the LEGO® trademarks.

Awesome Minds – The Creators of the iPhone 

The iPod, iPhone, and iPad changed the way we communicate, play, learn, and work. This wouldn't have been possible without the amazing minds of Steve Jobs and his inventive team. With full-color illustrations and lively text, and chock-full of interesting facts, Awesome Minds: The Creators of the iPhone® tells the true story of these life-changing devices. It is the perfect read for those with creative spirits and curious minds.
Lexile Level 850L

This book is an independently authored and published biography of the inventors of the iPhone® mobile device and is not sponsored or endorsed by or affiliated in any way with these individuals, their families, and/or Apple Inc.

My Thoughts on the books

These two books did not take long to be read by my kids – with two subjects that interests them it was easy to make them read these books.   The books introduce the children of the history on how Lego and iPhone came to be and how the creators invented a toy and a device that is beloved by millions of people through the years.

Let’s face it – Lego blocks and iPhone are part of the lives of many people on this planet.   Lego allows kids everywhere to develop their creativity in many ways.  My own kids make small movies using their Lego and enjoy creating new things with them.  As for iPhones well…..  is there anything else to say about them?   Without them we would not be as connected with work and loved ones, we would be bored while waiting at the doctor’s office and so on….. Yes some would say that life would be more entertaining and less individualized if iPhones were not existing but for the matter of this review, let’s not point out the negative of iPhones.  I appreciate having mine for emergencies.   And self-control is something to work on every single day of the year. 

The book in the inventors of Lego will present the whole history behind the famous bricks – including the humble starts of wooden toys.  Through the reading of this book, you will also learn fun facts as well.  For example, did you know that the word Lego in Latin means “I build” or “I assemble”?     Apparently the inventor did not know that when he came up with the name.   Pretty cool eh?  Today you will find Lego in many households, watch Lego movies as well as visit Legoland!  

The book about the creators of the iPhone is a bit different as it will allows the kids to read about the history and evolution of the iPhone.  Yes you will have a few pages on Steve Jobs and how is started the company but the goal of this book is to show how the simple idea of a portable phone was developed to become the most used portable phone throughout the world.

Both books are packed with interesting information and colorful illustrations.   Both books are considered juvenile non-fiction and geared for ages 7-10 years old.  Still I find that some information is interesting even as an adult.

Both books are available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned book for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Oh, Yikes! History’s Grossest, Wackiest Moments

Oh, Yikes! History Grossest, Wackiest Moments
By Joy Masoff
Published at Workman

About the book

Gross is back and viler than ever! From the author of Oh, Yuck! the perennial bestseller about science with over 610,000 copies in print, comes OH, YIKES!, an illustrated encyclopedia of history’s messiest, dumbest, grossest, wackiest, and weirdest moments.

If kids think pus and gas are fun, wait until they hear the lowdown on the real Dracula, samurai, gladiators, guillotines and vomitoriums, pirates, Vikings, witch trials, and the world’s poxiest plagues. Impeccably researched, deliciously wry, and subversively educational (check out the toilet-paper timeline), OH, YIKES! covers people, events, institutions, and really bad ideas, alphabetically from April Fool’s Day to zany Zoos. Here are the Aztecs, sacrificing 250,000 people a year for the gods—and for food. Fearsome Attila the Hun, scourge of the steppes whose spinning eyes terrified his friends and whose mastery of horses terrorized his enemies (how does someone so evil die? Nosebleed!). Saur, the 11th-century dog-king of Norway (and not too bad as kings go). Henry VIII and his marital problems, the story of the Abominable Snowman and the Loch Ness Monster, why sailors in the old days preferred eating in the dark (hint: you can’t see what’s crawling in your food), and the answer to the question, “How did knights in armor go to the bathroom?”

Topped off with hundreds of illustrations and photographs along with hands-on activities that bring the past to life, OH, YIKES! puts the juice in history in a way that makes it irresistible.

My Thoughts

We have reviewed OH, Ick! in the past and I was highly interested when I realized that this new title was all about history.

This book is different than other history book because it will highlight the worst inventions and events that has happened through the ages.  So as the title suggest it, it will be gross at times but so informative as well.

The various chapters or themes covered in the book are: Attila and the Huns, Aztec Antics, Beastly Babyhood, Burial Customs, Cave Dudes, Circus Clowning, Crafty Cats, Crazy Calendars, Creepy Columbus, Cruel Constructions, Cussin’ Cowboys, Dastardly Dentistry, Dog-Gone Dogs, Dreadful Dracula, Dumb Duels, Electric Shocks, Everyday Executions, Farfetched Fashions, Freaky Flyers, Ghastly Games, Gladiators, Guillotines, Heinous Hair, Horrible Henry the 8th, Humongous Hoaxes, Idiotic Inventions, Junky Jobs, Killer Kings, Knight Time, Lewis and Clark, Miserable Medicines, Moldy Money, Musty Mummies, Nutty Napoleon, Oozy Olympics, Outrageous Outlaws, Pirates, Plagues and Poxes, Prickly Presidents, Prisons and Punishments, Quirky Queens, Rip-Roarin’ Railroads, Salt Assault, Samurai and Shoguns, School Dazed, Sinking Ships, Smelly Shoes, Strange Sports, Stupid Superstitions, Tickin’ Time, Toilet Paper, Ugh! Underwear, Vicious Vikings, Wacky Warfare, Whales Tales, Wicked Witches, X-Files, Zany Zoos.

Since we studied Columbus a bit this year, I decided to select the section about him and his time period to tell you a bit about the kind of information you will find in the book.  The section about Columbus will present information about how the food was stored back in these days compared to our beloved refrigerator nowadays.   You will also read a bit about Christopher Columbus’ past when he was young and discover how he decided to become a navigator and explorer.  In all there are five pages covering the history of Columbus (or Cristobal Colon as we learned this year) and how he tried to find a way to obtain spices…

I find this book fun to read because it will present an aspect that is not often shown in other history books – the gross parts of living in different era of time.  It is a fun book to have in your personal library for all the disgusting information in it.  But it is not for the soft stomach person….   The information at times could be revolting but when you think about it…. it happened in history and people lived like that in the past.

Oh, Yikes! is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned books for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Everything You Need to Ace…

Back in August last year, I had the opportunity to review three titles in the series Everything You Need to Ace.   I had received the English Language Arts, the World History and the Science titles.

My husband was so impressed with these books that he asked if there were other titles in the series.  “Yes – Math and American History.” , I answered.  “Try to get them as well.”

It is pretty rare that my husband will take the time to check out some books I receive to review so for him to suggest that I get the other two titles is pretty meaningful.

The BIG FAT NOTEBOOK™ series is built on a simple and irresistible conceit—borrowing the notes from the smartest kid in class.  Inside each of the title you will find every subject’s key concepts summarize in small chunks of information so that you can digest that your own rhythm.   And to make things a bit easier on everyone the critical ideas are highlighted in neon colors, the definitions are explained, doodles illustrates the tricky concepts and mnemonics helps to memorize.  Finally you will also find some quizzes at the end of each chapters to help you cement the information in your brain.

Math

Everything You Need to Ace Math . . . covers everything to get a student over any math hump: fractions, decimals, and how to multiply and divide them; ratios, proportions, and percentages; geometry; statistics and probability; expressions and equations; and the coordinate plane and functions.

The math book has been a great reference for us – especially in the pre-algebra lessons when my son forgets how to do a calculation like the Pythagorean theorem.

American History

Everything You Need to Ace American History . . . covers Native Americans to the war in Iraq. There are units on Colonial America; the Revolutionary War and the founding of a new nation; Jefferson and the expansion west; the Civil War and Reconstruction; and all of the notable events of the 20th century—World Wars, the Depression, the Civil Rights movement, and much more.

I was hesitating about this specific title because we are Canadians.  But come to think of it, this book is a perfect summary to discover what happened during the history of America.   And since they are our closest neighbors why not learn a bit about them.  

My Thoughts

This series of book is amazing.  Each title is a great addition to your personal library whether you homeschool or not.   Right at the tips of your fingers you can get information about English Language Arts, Math, World History, American History, as well as Science.  

I would like to suggest some other titles to Workman for future publications: Geography and Canadian History.   I am sure that these two subjects would be popular as well.

I give my two thumbs-up for the titles in the Everything You Need to Ace series.  They are great resources to have at hand when you desire to verify some concepts, learn new facts or simply read for the fun.

Everything you Need to Ace books are available on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

   
  
  
  
  

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned books for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Oh, Ick!

Oh, Ick! – 114 Science Experiments Guaranteed to Gross You Out!
Written by: Joy Masoff
Published at Workman

About the book

From the bestselling author of Oh, Yuck! and Oh, Yikes!, with over 1.25 million copies in print, here is an A-Z compendium of hands-on grossness.

Featuring 114 interactive experiments and ick-tivities, Oh, Ick! delves into the science behind everything disgusting.

Stage an Ooze Olympics to demonstrate viscosity and the nature of slime. Observe how fungi grow by making a Mold Zoo. Embark on an Insect Safari to get to know the creepy crawlies around your home. And learn what causes that embarrassing acne on your face by baking a Pimple Cake to pop—and eat. Eww!

My Thoughts

Ok.  Before I even start to talk about this book I do realize that it will not be the kind of book that many homeschoolers would desire to have in their bookshelves.  But It is actually packed with very interesting information even if some of the chapters will cover some things like flatulence, boogers, vomit, poop and urine.  Like it or not these things are part of our lives and we can learn a lot about the words that gross us out.

First let’s look at the table of contents.  There are thirty-seven chapters which covers the following themes: arachnids, acids and bases, bacteria, blood, boogers, burps, crimes, dirt, earwax and ear hair, eyeballs, farts, fossils, fungi, garbage, guts, hair horrors, halitosis, icky ice cream, insects, lava, mummies, noxious noises, odious odors, offal and other awful eats, poop, quakes and sinkholes, scabs and stitches, slime, spit, toilets, urine, vile viruses, vomit, worms, yucky yolks, zaps, and zits.   Each of these chapters is packed with information about the subject as well activities to do in order to better grasp the learning experience.

One thing that I am a bit disappointed with would be the fact that all photos and images are in black and white.   I like seeing colors and it would be nice to have more colors in the book.  But the book is very interesting and present fascinating information on the subjects covered in it.  Let me give you some examples.  Did you know that kangaroos can unleash environmentally friendly farts?   Apparently Australia possesses numerous cows and sheep which are farting quite a lot.  These animals pass so much gas that they are supposedly responsible for about 15 percent of the greenhouse gas emission on that island continent.   Cows and sheep produce methane which is a gas that is detrimental to the environment.  However, kangaroos possesses a unique bacteria in their stomach that get rid of the methane.   So a researcher, Dr. Klieve is studying the possibility of adding kangaroo gut bacteria to cattle feed to see if it will help the cattle in reducing the warming gases that they pass.    At another section of the book, you can find a detailed graph that will help you identified the type of animals who has left some malodorant pile of poo in your backyard.   I think it is interesting that you can identify the culprit based on how their scat look like.

This book will allow your child to become an expert on interesting subjects and permit him/her to do fun experiment on subjects that you wouldn’t cover in school more than likely.    This book allows you to cover lessons on chemistry, biology, and physics by using themes that might gross you out.  It is a book that could keep your kids busy learning science during the summer months or just keep them busy when you need a day to catch your breath. 

Oh, Ick! is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore, even amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned books for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Mom’s Family Calendar 2017

Are you looking for a calendar for 2017 still?   Well look no further because the Mom’s Family Calendar by Sandra Boynton is the best one for your family.   Why?  Simply because you will have a quick glance on a daily basis for all the activities that goes around in your family.

I will admit that I am a bit biased for this calendar.   It has been part of our lives for many years now but every year I make sure that I get the new one because – well it is simply fabulous.  There are five columns on this calendar where you can write the names of the people in your family.  For ours Mom & Dad share a column and each of our kids has his/hers own column.   That way I know exactly who has an appoint or worship practice and so on.  When all the kids share a same activity, I make sure that the words spread on all the columns.  For example, on Wednesday swimming is on the schedule for three of our kids – so the word swimming is spread on their columns. 

This calendar is an absolutely must for families with numerous children.  Nothing stops you to put more than one child on a column if needed be.   Having the calendar hung in the kitchen also makes it very useful because anyone can access the information rapidly.

The calendar comes with it’s usual 2 sheets of stickers which are very useful for brightening up some days.   But this year, you will also find 9 fridge magnets that are just the cutest thing.   They are adorable and will be useful to hold specific notes on our fridge.

So here you go, if you are still looking for a calendar for the new year, why not considering the Mom’s Family Calendar by Sandra Boynton.   It will make your life much easier when 2017 comes around.

The Mom’s Family Calendar is available for purchase at your favorite store, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned books for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Color Your Year During 2017

Workman Publishing has released a wide line of products called Color Your Year.  With the trend of coloring still strong in the adult community, it isn’t surprising that new products beside coloring books are release.  This time you can get from the Color Your Year products a coloring book, a wall calendar, a notepad and calendar, an engagement calendar, and a page-a-day calendar.
For the purpose of this review, I will present you the page-a-day notepad and calendar as well as the engagement calendar.
PAGE-A-DAY NOTEPAD and CALENDAR
There is nothing more relaxing I find than coloring away the stress of every day.  This particular Color Your Year product will allow you to do just that and stay organized throughout the year. Each pages including in this notepad and calendar will combine a check-off to-do list, lined notepaper, a mousepad, and built-in coloring break.  COLOR YOUR YEAR NOTEPAD + CALENDAR is the all-in-one desk accessory that works hard while refreshing the spirit through creativity. The hundreds of intricately drawn illustrations—designed to be colored in and brought vibrantly to life—cover a range of themes and are accompanied by smart and inspirational quotes. It’s a daily reminder to slow down, take stock, and make something beautiful.

This particular product is very interesting for anyone whether are work, school, home or on the go.   You can easily write the things that needs to be done on the day/week-end in order to not to forget anything.  A page could easily become your shopping list if you need to.  But what it also amazing about this notepad is that you can have a little peach and quiet time in order to recharge your own batteries by coloring an image on the page.  I find that doing the simply activity of take coloring pencils and adding color in an image helps to relive stress and tension in you.    I know that I personally feel more relax and patient when I do bible art journaling – even if it is just sketching an image, inking it or coloring it.  Coloring for adults can do wonders to anyone who takes the time to do so.
ENGAGEMENT CALENDAR
With the Color You Year engagement calendar you will be able to let your creativity shine—and keep track of important things during the year on a weekly basis. Combining the organizational powers of a planner with the addictive pleasure of coloring, COLOR YOUR YEAR ENGAGEMENT CALENDAR delivers an intricate, beautifully drawn illustration each week to color in and make your own. This particular engagement calendar offers seasonal themes like animals, botanical motifs, dazzling geometric patterns, and more. On the right-hand side of each spread is a roomy, write-in grid for keeping track of the week’s reminders and goings-on.

At times throughout the engagement calendar, you will obtain a two pages coloring image that is simply stunning.  Not how I plan to use this specific engagement calendar next year is to do tiny scripture doodle in it.  What are tiny scripture doodle you might ask?   Well it looks a little bit like these which I have grabbed from instagram to show you.

Essentially, you take a specific scripture that has touched you in some way during the day and doodle it in a calendar that offer smaller space.  The Color Your Year engagement calendar for 2017 will be perfect for this kind of project.  Another useful way that this can be used would be to jolt down blessings you have received during the day or special prayer requests/answers for the year.   Being uplifted when I do bible art journaling, I think being challenged in doing a doodle a day on a scripture will be fun to do next year.
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Update March 18, 2017: Here's some of the tiny scripture doodles I have been doing since the beginning of the year.

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As you can see both of these products can be really helpful for stay-at-home moms and homeschoolers.  One will allow to keep track of the daily activities in a calendar way while the other will allow you to keep your to-do list very organized.     Each of these product gives you the opportunity to download a free page-a-day digital calendar for you personal device.  And since different people prefers different kind of calendars, you will find that offering a variety of products with the same theme can be very helpful – especially for those of you who will be looking at getting a special calendar to a love one for the new year.
The Color Your Year products are available at amazon.ca and amazon.com
 
 
 
 
  
Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned books for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Everything You Need to Ace Books

Everything You Need to Ace Books
Published at Workman

About the books

The BIG FAT NOTEBOOK™ series is built on a simple and irresistible conceit—borrowing the notes from the smartest kid in class. There are five books in all, and each is the only book you need for each main subject taught in middle school: Math, Science, American History, English Language Arts, and World History. Inside the reader will find every subject’s key concepts, easily digested and summarized: Critical ideas highlighted in neon colors. Definitions explained. Doodles that illuminate tricky concepts in marker. Mnemonics for memorable shortcuts. And quizzes to recap it all.

For the purpose of this review, I have received the books on English Language Arts, World History and Science.

English Language Arts

Everything You Need to Ace English Language Arts . . .takes students from grammar to reading comprehension to writing with ease, including parts of speech, active and passive verbs, Greek and Latin roots and affixes; nuances in word meanings; textual analysis, authorship, structure, and other skills for reading fiction and nonfiction; and writing arguments, informative texts, and narratives.

World History

Everything You Need to Ace World History . . . kicks off with the Paleolithic Era and transports the reader to ancient civilizations—from Africa and beyond; the middle ages across the world; the Renaissance; the age of exploration and colonialism, revolutions, and the modern world and the wars and movements that shaped it.

Science

Everything You Need to Ace Science . . . takes readers from scientific investigation and the engineering design process to the Periodic Table; forces and motion; forms of energy; outer space and the solar system; to earth sciences, biology, body systems, ecology, and more.

My Thoughts

I am always on the lookout for books that could help my kids to grasp a certain topic like World History or Science for example.   So when I stumble on these titles I though they would be great to have as reference for anything related to English Language Arts, World History or Science my kids might want to know.   Already I know that I will use the World History and the Science one this year.   The English Language Arts is always nice to have when they stumble on something with their grammar or writing.  

What I particularly like about these books is that the presentation of the information is original in itself.   The sections are color coded in the book so you can easily glance the table of contents and then switch to the section needed.   You will also find plenty of illustrations and graphs that will help to better assimilate the information and learn from the pages.  Finally each unit concludes with a small “test” called Check your Knowledge.  Answers are also provided for the student to check if he/she has the proper responses.

The use of color through the page of this book will be attractive to a middle school student for many reasons.  I recall using numerous colors when studying and this book will help to understand and comprehend a specific subject at hand.   Besides, knowing that these books were created from the brains behind the Brain Quest products helps to know that the information within these pages will be accurate.

English Language Arts

Here’s a quick look of the table of contents in the English Language Arts book:

• Unit 1: Grammar: Phrases and clauses, subjective pronouns, objective pronouns, possessive pronouns, intensive pronouns, verbals, active and passive voice and verbs, verbs and mood, defining from context, Latin and Greek affixes and roots, reference materials.
• Unit 2:  Language: figurative language, word relationships, nuances in word meanings.
• Unit 3: Reading Fiction: Types of fiction, objective summary, textual analysis and evidence, authorship and narration, setting, character, plot, theme, tone, poetry, fiction reading list.
• Unit 4: Reading NonFiction: types of nonfiction, textual analysis and evidence, authorship, central ideas and arguments, structure, nonfiction reading list.
• Unit 5: Writing: researching for writing, writing practices, writing arguments, expository writing – informative and explanatory texts, writing narratives.

Also here’s a few pages of the book so you can see what it looks like.

World History

Here’s a quick look of the table of contents in the History book:

• Unit 1:  The First Humans – Prehistory – 3500 BCE: first humans and the paleolithic era, neolithic era.
• Unit 2: First Civilizations – 3500 BCE – 300 CE: Mesopotamia, Ancient Africa, Phoenicians and Israelites, Ancient India, Ancient China, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rom.
• Unit 3: Middle Ages 400 CE – 1500 CE: Byzantine Empire, Rise of Islam in the Middle Ages, early civilizations of the Americas, Medieval India, Golden Age of China, Medieval Japan, Europe in the Middle Ages, European Crusades in the Muslim World.
• Unit 4: Renaissance and Reformations - 1350-1650: Renaissance begins, Reformation.
• Unit 5: Age of Exploration – 1400-1800: Europe sets sail, Europe explores Asia (or tries to), American Colonies,
• Unit 6: Revolution and Enlightenment – 1500-1865: scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment, monarchies rise in Europe, American Revolution, French Revolution, nationalism across Europe and Independence movements in South America and Haiti, American Civil War, Industrial Revolution, Women’s Movement.
• Unit 7: Era of Imperialism – 1800-1914: European quest for imperialism, scramble for Africa, Japan modernizes, Spanish-American War, reactions to colonization.
• Unit 8: World conflicts in the Early Twentieth Century – 1914 – 1945: World War I, Great Depression, political shifts after the war, World War II.
• Unit 9: Post-World War II – the World from 1945 to today: changes in Europe and the Middle East after World War II, Cold War, nationalist and independence movements after World War II, modern global transformations, global security and major world events of today.58

Also here’s a few pages of the book so you can see what it looks like.

Science

Here’s a quick look of the table of contents in the Science book:

• Unit 1: Scientific Investigation: thinking like a scientist, scientific experiments, lab reports and evaluating results, SI units and measurements, lab safety and scientific tools.
• Unit 2: Matter, Chemical Reactions and Solutions: matter, properties, and phases, periodic table, atomic structure, compounds, solutions and fluids.
• Unit 3: Motion, Forces, and Work: motion, force and Newton’s Laws of motion, gravity, friction, more forces in everyday life, work and machines.
• Unit 4: Energy: forms of energy, thermal energy, light and sound waves, electricity and magnetism, electrical energy sources.
• Unit 5: Outer Space – The Universe and the Solar System: the solar system and space exploration, sun-earth-moon system, stars, galaxies, origin of the universe and our solar system.
• Unit 6: The Earth, Weather, Atmosphere, and Climate: minerals, rocks, earth’s structure, earth’s crust in motion, weathering, erosion, earth’s atmosphere, water cycle, weather, climate.
• Unit 7: Life – Classification and Cells: organisims, biological classification, cell theory, cell structure, cellular transport, metabolism, cell reproduction, protein synthesis.
• Unit 8: Plants and Animals: plant structure, reproduction, invertebrates, vertebrates, homeostasis, behavior.
• Unit 9: The Human Body and Body Systems: skeletal and muscular systems, nervous and endocrine systems, digestive and excretory systems, respiratory and circulatory systems, immune and lymphatic systems, human reproduction and development.
• Unit 10: History of life – heredity, evolution, and fossils: heredity and genetics, evolution, fossils and rock ages, history of life on earth.
• Unit 11: Ecology – habitats, interdependence, and resources: ecology and ecosystems, interdependence and the cycling of energy and matter, ecological succession and biomes, natural resources and conservation.

Also here’s a few pages of the book so you can see what it looks like.

 

Keep in mind that these books are written with a secular perspective but I still find that they can be useful for any homeschool as well as school students of middle and even high school.  Two other titles are also available – one on Math and the other on American History. 

The Everything You Need to Ace Book (also known as the Big Fat NoteBook series) is available at your favourite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

  

  

  

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned books for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.