New Review and Contest!!! Cooper and Me and the Military

I recently received the latest Cooper and Me book, Cooper and Me and the Military.  This is the third book I have read in the series.  You can read my original review of Cooper and Me here, or my review of Cooper and Me and the Winter Adventure here.   

So far I have enjoyed these books, and so have my children.  They have been thrilled to read them and keep asking which one they are getting next!  I love that the books are actually written and illustrated by a child, Alexa Peters, who was only 11 years old when the first book was written in 2010.  My only concern about this book is that it is about two children whose mother and father both serve in the military.  I just found it sad that the children had to live with their grandparents while both parents were deployed.  It does allow children to see what a sacrifice must be made to keep our country safe. 

The story is all about a dog named Trooper who is friends with Cooper.  Trooper is adopted by Gracie and Joe and their parents, who are serving in the military.  According to the publisher, each Cooper and Me story teaches an important Life Lesson and features interactive materials at the back of the book to drive the message home.  Included are activities that help children name and process their own feelings about what they've read.  In this book, the children learn that their parents love them, even though they are far from home.  

You can learn more about this book and the Cooper and Me series by clicking on these links:

Website: http://www.cooperandme.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cooper-and-Me-Inc/214695101924101

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/cooper_and_me

Now for the contest rules!  Please read them CAREFULLY as I don't seem to be explaining them well enough.  LOL  

Leave a comment.  Tell me who you'd like to honor for serving in the military.  Want more entries?  Here are five more ways you can enter, for a total of six ways to enter! :)

Take my poll in the sidebar, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST letting me know you did. (If you've already taken the poll, just let me know in a comment, and I will still count it as an additional entry.)

Follow me on facebook, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Follow me on Twitter, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Follow me with Google Friend Connect,and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. (If you already follow, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

Subscribe to my blog via Feedburner, and leave AN ADDITIONAL comment HERE ON THIS POST. . (See sidebar. If you already subscribe, just leave an additional comment HERE ON THIS POST to let me know.)

The rules: You must be 13 years old or older to enter and not live in The Crazy House. :) Please leave your e-mail address or some other way I can contact you if you win, or I'll have to draw another winner. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ADDITIONAL ENTRY for up to six entries per person. More than one person may enter per household if they are at least 13 years old. That's about it. :)

The contest will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, March 4, 2012. The winner will be chosen on Monday, March 5, 2012 or sometime soon after.

 “Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

New Review, Contest, and a Special Offer! Cooper and Me and the Winter Adventure :)

I recently reviewed a sweet little book called Cooper and Me.  I was especially impressed because it was co-written by an 11 year-old, Alexa Peters, along with her mother, Monique.  Alexa even drew the illustrations!  I received the book free as part of the propeller blogger program.  So, when propeller contacted me to review another Cooper and Me book, I was happy to do so!  


In Cooper and Me and the Winter Adventure, Cooper and his friend Bella go off on an adventure in the snow, and find themselves lost.  Cooper and Bella must then howl until another friend, Trooper, hears them and barks back.  The two lost dogs follow the sound of Trooper's barking to get back home.  This book would be a great way to teach your child what to do if he or she was ever lost.  One of my daughters wandered off once, and I was so glad she knew what to do.  The book retails for $12.99.  

Special Note:  $1 of every Winter Adventure book sold will go to advance research and treatment of pancreatic cancer, via the Lustgarten Foundation. (http://www.lustgarten.org/)

Also, our friends at Cooper and Me will be offering an EXCLUSIVE DEAL FOR MY BLOG READERS:  Make any purchase of $25 or more at CooperandMe.com and get FREE SHIPPING now through December 15. 

YOU MUST USE THIS CODE @ Check Out:  COOPERBLOG

For more information check out these links:

Website: http://www.cooperandme.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cooper-and-Me-Inc/214695101924101

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/cooper_and_me

The contest:

Now for the giveaway! Would you like to get a free copy of Cooper and Me and the Winter Adventure? If so, just leave me a comment telling me who you'd read it with. ;) You can leave a comment either here or on my facebook page. For additional entries: 

Follow me on facebook.  (If you already follow, just leave a separate comment to let me know.)

Follow me on Twitter.  (If you already follow, just leave a separate comment to let me know.)

Follow me with Google Friend Connect. (See sidebar. If you already follow, just leave a separate comment to let me know.)

Subscribe to my blog via Feedburner. (See sidebar. If you already subscribe, just leave a separate comment to let me know.)

The rules: You must be 13 years old or older to enter and not live in my house. :) Please leave your e-mail address or some other way I can contact you if you win. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ADDITIONAL ENTRY for up to five entries per person. More than one person may enter per household if they are at least 13 years old. That's about it. :)

The contest will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, December 23, 2011. The winner will be chosen on Monday, December 26, 2011 or sometime soon after.
 
"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or servicesmentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  
"Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

New Review!!! Andi's Pony Trouble from Kregel Publications!

Well, hello there!!!  I'm so glad you stopped by!  :)  I bet you'd like to get my posts delivered right to your inbox, now wouldn't you?  So why not sign up for Feedburner?  Check it out, it's right there in my sidebar!  Thanks!!  :)

About the product/service: As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free copy of Andi's Pony Trouble by Susan Marlow from Kregel Publications so I could share it with my kids and let you know what they thought!  :)

This book features Andi, who first made her debut as an older child in the Circle C Adventures series.  Now younger kids can get to know Andi, too, through the Circle C Beginnings series. It's a chapter book, recommended for ages 6 to 8 but, in my humble opinion, is quite appropriate for kids a bit older.  (I have been known to read and enjoy many of the kids' books around here!)

In the story, Andi sets out to prove to her family that she is old enough to own and take care of her very own horse.  Can she convince her family?  Will Andi get her own horse?  You'll have to read it to find out!  :)

What are the pros of this product? It's just a nice little book for young readers. 

What's not to like? Drawing a blank here.  :)

The Crazy Mom take:  I knew right away who'd be my "Junior Reviewer" this time around.  It had to be Bear because she loves horses and this book was right up her alley.  Even though it is written for kids in the 6 to 8 year range, and she was 9 (almost 10) when she read it, she loved it! She would highly recommend it to others!  :)  (Oh, and she is literally begging me to get the rest of the books as I type!)



What's the bottom line? $4.99

I am going to give Andi's Pony Trouble 5 out of 5 smileys!!!

Check it out! http://store.kregel.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=2199

See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @ http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/783897/

*The Smiley System:

I can't really recommend this product.

I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.

Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!

Disclaimer!!! I reviewed this product because I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I was given the product by the vendor to use and evaluate in my home so that I might share my insights with others. Other than receiving the product, which I kinda have to to be able to assess the product, I am not compensated for my reviews in any way. I am in no way obligated to give a positive review. I do try to point out negatives when I see them, though I am admittedly a pretty easy going gal! What you read are my honest assessments of the products I receive.

As with all products, you must do the research before buying. Please visit the the other crew members' blogs, the vendor websites, and any other review sites you might find before buying. I can't guarantee that a product will work for you. You must decide what will fit with your teaching style, and your child(ren)'s learning style(s). I do not judge anything other than the educational value of the products I review. I am not qualified to make judgements as to the safely of any product, and I make no guarantee that the products I review are safe for you, your family, or anyone else. I am simply giving my opinion; only you know what is best for you and your family.

Don't use your blow dryer while you sleep or take a bath. Don't read my reviews in the tub either, and please do not read them when you are asleep, though I do not guarantee that you won't fall asleep reading them!

Copyright 2011 Ramblings from the Crazy House 2

New Review!!! See and Read!

Well, hello there!!!  I'm so glad you stopped by!  :)  I bet you'd like to get my posts delivered right to your inbox, now wouldn't you?  So why not sign up for Feedburner?  Check it out, it's right there in my sidebar!  Thanks!!  :)



About the product/service: As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received four free sample products from  from See-N-Read Reading Tools. They sent two Clear Solid Read Bars (one small 3 1/2" x 5" book size, and one large 3 1/2" x  8 1/2" document size), a Cutout Read Bar or Memorymark, and a link for a free demo version of the eSee-N-Read which is an electronic Read Bar available for PCs. 

A Read Bar is a tool that isolates a line of text so that the reader is less likely to skip words or lines or text when reading.  It also claims to reduce "pattern glare," eye strain, and eye fatigue.  The Cutout Bars are different in that instead of just having a clear plastic "window" through which to read the line of text, the area is actually cut out so that you can highlight or mark up the text as you read along.  The e-version is really just like the regular versions.  It's as if you are holding a Read Bar right up to your computer screen.  Well, except you don't have to hold it.  LOL  (The tangible Read Bars are made from flexible polyproplylene, it that means anything to you.)

What are the pros of this product?  This is a great product if you have a child who tends to skip lines or words, or just has a hard time focusing on the text.  And they are quite inexpensive, a real plus for me!  :) 

Another plus is that while the line of text is isolated, the lines above and below are still readable.  I know I'm not explaining this very well, so I do recommend you actually go to the site and check it out.  This is all explained very well there.  :)


What's not to like? There are really no drawbacks to this product that I can see unless your child refuses to use it!


The Crazy Mom take:  Well, to be honest, in our particular situation, this product wasn't a good fit.  Not because of any fault of the product, but because we just don't need it right now.  Of all of my kids, only one has any trouble with reading.  My youngest, Baber, could use a tool like this, but right now the font in his reading book is a bit too large for the Reading Bar.  (The eSee-N-Read can actually be adjusted, but since he doesn't actually read fluently yet, this isn't really of any use to him right now.)  By the end of the year he should be reading regular books, and when he does, I'll give him the Reading Bar to use if he wants to use it. (You see, I make no guarantees because when the time comes, he'll either think it's totally cool, or will refuse to use it, and I have no idea what it will be.  LOL)


What's the bottom line?  $2.99 for one Book Size See-N-Read Reading Bar or Memorymark/$3.49 for the document sizes/$29.99 for the download (on one computer.)

I am going to give See-N-Read 3 out of 5 smileys!!!

Check it out! http://www.see-n-read.com/prodcts.html


See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @ http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/783605/


*The Smiley System:

I can't really recommend this product.

I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.

Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!


Disclaimer!!! I reviewed this product because I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I was given the product by the vendor to use and evaluate in my home so that I might share my insights with others. Other than receiving the product, which I kinda have to to be able to assess the product, I am not compensated for my reviews in any way. I am in no way obligated to give a positive review. I do try to point out negatives when I see them, though I am admittedly a pretty easy going gal! What you read are my honest assessments of the products I receive.

As with all products, you must do the research before buying. Please visit the the other crew members' blogs, the vendor websites, and any other review sites you might find before buying. I can't guarantee that a product will work for you. You must decide what will fit with your teaching style, and your child(ren)'s learning style(s). I do not judge anything other than the educational value of the products I review. I am not qualified to make judgements as to the safely of any product, and I make no guarantee that the products I review are safe for you, your family, or anyone else. I am simply giving my opinion; only you know what is best for you and your family.

Don't use your blow dryer while you sleep or take a bath. Don't read my reviews in the tub either, and please do not read them when you are asleep, though I do not guarantee that you won't fall asleep reading them!

Copyright 2010 Ramblings from the Crazy House 2

New Review!!! The Trouble with Treasure!

About the product/service: As part of the TOS Homeschool Crew I received a free copy of Andrea Carter and the Trouble with Treasure by Susan K. Marlow from Kregel Publications so I could read it and give you my humble opinion. :) This is book five of a series of which details the adventures of Andrea and her family and friends who live on a cattle ranch near Fresno, California in the 1880s.

Here's what the website has to say about The Trouble with Treasure:

When innocent horseplay temporarily lands Andi and her friends in jail, they decide that a trip into the mountains will leave their troubles far behind. Accompanied by big brother Mitch and armed with a map showing old gold diggings, they can't wait to strike it rich. What could be better than two weeks of camping and horseback riding?

But instead of gold they find heaps of trouble -- trouble that leaves Mitch gravely wounded. Andi needs help fast. But who can she trust? And what good is a bag of gold when her beloved brother lies near death in the middle of nowhere?

What are the pros of this product? This is a nice historical fiction for kids that I think both boys and girls would enjoy reading. Actually, though the main character, Andi, is a girl, she is sort of a tomboy and I honestly thought the book I read seemed more like a boy book.

What's not to like? Nothing negative stands out to me. However, the storyline is a bit intense. The kids get caught up in a very dangerous situation. Think bank robbers, guns, and gunshot wounds, even death. At one point the kids are even physically assaulted. So, if you have a child who cannot handle that sort of thing, this is one to steer clear of.

The Crazy Mom take: Well, this is one I intended to pass off to my daughter to read, but after she lost it twice, I figured I'd better just go ahead and read it. :) I have to say, I thought it was well written and very suspenseful. I did think it had a more "boy" flavor to it, though. It is a bit intense, but I think my kids could handle it. Life can be intense, and I like it that when Andi found herself in a very difficult spot, she remembered a Bible verse to help her make it through. I don't mind books with real situations as long as sin isn't glorified and the characters, at least the main ones, respond in a Biblical manner.

But, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I suggest you read it first before passing it along to your kids. Only you know what's best for your own family.

Happy reading!!!



What's the bottom line? $7.99

I am going to give The Trouble with Treasure 4 out of 5 smileys!!!

Check it out! http://store.kregel.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=1998

See what my fellow TOS Crew members have to say @ http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolcrew/782677/





*The Smiley System:

I can't really recommend this product.

I doubt this product would be helpful to many people.

This is a good product, but isn't right for everyone.

Most homeschool moms will find this useful.

This is great, and I would recommend it to anyone!!!

Disclaimer!!! I reviewed this product because I am a member of The Old Schoolhouse Homeschool Crew. I was given the product by the vendor to use and evaluate in my home so that I might share my insights with others. Other than receiving the product, which I kinda have to to be able to assess the product, I am not compensated for my reviews in any way. I am in no way obligated to give a positive review. I do try to point out negatives when I see them, though I am admittedly a pretty easy going gal! What you read are my honest assessments of the products I receive.

As with all products, you must do the research before buying. Please visit the the other crew members' blogs, the vendor websites, and any other review sites you might find before buying. I can't guarantee that a product will work for you. You must decide what will fit with your teaching style, and your child(ren)'s learning style(s). I do not judge anything other than the educational value of the products I review. I am not qualified to make judgements as to the safely of any product, and I make no guarantee that the products I review are safe for you, your family, or anyone else. I am simply giving my opinion; only you know what is best for you and your family.

Don't use your blow dryer while you sleep or take a bath. Don't read my reviews in the tub either, and please do not read them when you are asleep, though I do not guarantee that you won't fall asleep reading them!

Copyright 2009 Ramblings from the Crazy House