When Stars Are Scattered Book Review

I want to share with you today a fun graphic novel from Timberdoodle, When Stars Are Scattered.  This book follows Omar and his brother Hassan's journey in an African refugee camp and is recommended for kids 10 and older or 5th grade and up.

D and E were the first ones in our family to read it.

This book dives into the refugee experience of Omar and his brother Hassan, who has developmental disabilities, and their foster mother.  This book is based on a true story and it really highlights the bond between siblings and the importance of family.

A peek inside our book

As many graphic novels, the illustrations are fun and really help tell the story along with the words.  Even reluctant readers will be drawn to the graphic novel style.  This story helps readers become aware of life with poverty, how valuable education really is, and the strength and importance of family.  There are some hard topics that come up that I think is great material for discussion and general conversations.  I'm looking forward to having F read it next and talk with him about it!  If you are looking for a fun, graphic novel, we recommend you pick this one up!

Disclosure:  Huge shout out to Timberdoodle for selecting me as a Timberdoodle Blogger.  I received When Stars Are Scattered in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

24-Hour History 5-Book Set from Timberdoodle Review

I have a fun book set to share with you today from Timberdoodle, the 24-Hour History 5-Book Set. Our set includes The Attack on Pearl Harbor (by Nel Yomtoy), D-Day (by Agnieszka Biskup), The Assassination of John F. Kennedy (by Terry Collins), The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr (by Terry Collins), and The Apollo 11 Moon Landing (by Nel Yomtoy).

 

Our new history books!

D loves graphic novels so she was the first to grab them!

Each book takes a focused look at an important day in US history, hence the 24-Hour History name, and is 48 pages in length.  The books are easy to read and the graphic illustrations are engaging and students see how key events in history have a lasting impact, even through today.  I really appreciate that each book ends with a summary or conclusion, timeline, cast of characters, glossary, a find out more section and an index.

 

Specifically the days in history that this set examines are:

December 7, 1941 (The Attack on Pearl Harbor)

June 6, 1944 (D-Day)

November 22, 1963 (The Assassination of John F. Kennedy)

April 4, 1968 (The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.) and

July 20, 1969 (The Apollo 11 Moon Landing).  Now I am going to share with you a few sneak peeks into our books.

A peek inside The Attack on Pearl Harbor book.

The Apollo 11 Moon Landing book is one of our favorites!

E reading about The Apollo 11 Moon Landing.

 A peek inside The Apollo 11 Moon Landing book.

The cast of characters in D-Day.

The find out more section in The Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

The glossary in The Assassination of John F. Kennedy.

 

The 24-Hour History 5-Book Set is part of Timberdoodle's 4th Grade Curriculum Kit and we are excited to have it as part of our homeschool resources!  If your kids enjoy graphic novels like mine do, they are really going to appreciate this set.

 

Disclosure:  Huge shout out to Timberdoodle for selecting me as a Timberdoodle Blogger.  Timberdoodle sent my family 24-Hour History in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Timberdoodle's Graphic U.S. History Set of 13 Review

I have a super fun book set to share with you today from Timberdoodle, their Graphic U.S. History Set of 13 books.  This set is recommended for ages 10 and up and would be around a 4th grade reading level.  I think interest is definitely broader, more like 2nd through 12th.  In our home, E (2nd grade) - A (10th grade) were all interested in them!

Our Graphic U.S. History Set of 13

A closer look at all of the titles.

This set includes The New World, The Fight For Freedom, The US Emerges, Problems of a New Nation, Americans Move Westward, Before the Civil War, The Civil War, The Industrial Era, America Becomes a World Power, The Roaring Twenties and The Great Depression, World War II and The Cold War, The Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam, and Globalization.  Each book is 54 pages and includes engaging, full-color graphics throughout.

D was the first to get her hands on our books and she devoured them.

She read through all 13 books in just a few days.

This series is perfect for children to get a broad U.S. History overview beginning with the New World in the 1500s through Barack Obama's inauguration.  Most children love graphic novels and my kids are no exception.  There is something about them that ignites a passion for reading.  I love that this set gets kids excited to learn about history, specifically U.S. History!  Each book contains relevant historical content and fun, engaging illustrations that help keep the reader's attention.  I love that this fast-paced nonfiction series can be read over and over again as these books are not overwhelming and easy to read.

  Excerpts from our series

Another feature of this series is that the nonfiction text is shown in blue colored background; whereas, the fictitious speech bubbles are shown in yellow.  I like this clear separation.

 A peek into The New World.  

{You can see what I mean about the different colors.}

I do want to note something else.  This is not a faith-based series so there are a few spots of potentially offensive language.  Timberdoodle does a great job of pointing all of these instances out on their website:

Fire, follow orders.  For God's sake, fire! 
By whose authority?  In the name of the great Jehovah and the Continental Congress!
Oh, God!  It is all over.
Give 'em hell, boys!
Lord!  Lord!
I tell you war is hell!
Look at that - another damned carpetbagger arriving!
You farmers need to raise less corn and more hell!
We will divide our forces, drive the red devils into the open, and wipe them out!
Diable!  Those Americans!  Bring our troops home from Mexico.
My God, sir!
Remember the Maine, and to hell with Spain.
My God! I'm wiped out.
Oh my God, no!
                
Despite the above, my view is that this is a really good U.S. History summary set and your kids will most likely be enthralled with them like mine.   This set helps readers form a timeline of American history as they read and reread this series over and over again.  This would be a great addition to any homeschool or home library.

Disclosure:  Huge shout out to Timberdoodle for selecting me as a Timberdoodle Blogger.  Timberdoodle sent my family their Graphic U.S. History Set of 13 for a discounted price in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are my own.