Apologia: How Do We Know God is Really There? by Melissa Cain Travis
Posted by jlsgrant in Book & Product Reviews on June 19, 2013
Now that my kids are teenagers, one of the things I’m really missing is snuggling together on the couch with a good book. That, and the chance to read a good picture book! But at least they were more than happy to read How Do We Know God is Really There? on their own to help me with this review and they both enjoyed the story.
First, here’s the book synopsis from the Apologia website:
“Thomas and his father escape to their backyard tree house most evenings to watch the night sky through a telescope. Thomas is dazzled by what he sees of God’s creation, but he has questions. ‘Dad, how do we know God is out there?’ he asks one night. ‘I know the Bible says He’s there. But how do we really know that’s true?’ Together, Thomas and his father begin to examine the cosmological evidence for God’s existence.”
How Do We Know God is Really There? is the first book in the new Young Defenders series, written by Melissa Cain Travis, Illustrated by Christopher Voss and published by Apologia Press. It will be part of a new series of beautifully illustrated children’s stories on Christian apologetics.
I was so happy for the timing of this book. While the intended audience is obviously the young child, my 14 year old son is interested in studying astronomy, so he was more than happy to read any book that has something to do with space. He thought it was cool that the author explained the Big Bang Theory in a way that even young children could understand and shows God as the creative force behind it.
My daughter, age 17, also thought it was a wonderful story for kids around the age of five to ten. She loved the idea of the being in treehouse with a telescope and the beautiful illustrations that went along with the story.
I love that this little picture book clearly demonstrates Psalms 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” This is a beautiful story about a father and son spending time together discovering an amazing part of God’s creation. If my own kids were younger, I’m sure this little book would have been a family favorite. I can imagine my son, especially, wanting to read this one again and again.
Because of the vocabulary, this book is best suited as a read-aloud with your young child.
How Do We Know God is Really There? by Mellisa Cain Travis is available for purchase through:
Price: $16.00 (As of this writing), ISBN: 978-1-935495-96-3, Estimated Age: 4 – 10ish
Apologia carries an excellent line of science curriculum, Biblical worldview products, planners, and other books and resources for Christian home educating families. They also facilitate online classes through Apologia Academy. For more information on these and other products, visit the Apologia website.
Disclaimer: Several members of the Mosaic Reviews team received copies of this book in exchange for their honest reviews. No other compensation of any kind has been received. To read more reviews of this product, please click the Mosaic Reviews button.
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Review: My Home School Grades
Posted by jlsgrant in Book & Product Reviews on May 22, 2013
My Home School Grades is an innovative new approach to keeping your home school records. Designed and developed by a successful home educating father and a home school graduate with an idea, they have used their intimate knowledge of the needs of the homeschooling family to provide this exciting new app. And it couldn’t be easier!
To use the app, you simply log in, add your student, and begin adding classes and activities. You can select from leading curriculum providers, add your own, or just give a one time grade for each class. If your student is in high school and you need a transcript, it’s literally just a click of the button to generate one from the information you’ve already added!
The website contains “How to” videos for adding students, adding classes, adding activities, and creating your transcript, but honestly, you probably won’t need them. It really is that simple.
In the past, I have tried other software products and found them to be so cumbersome, that I gave up after just a couple months and many hours. I tried making a file in Excel and in Word, but that didn’t quite have the finished appearance I was looking for in a transcript. Then I was asked to review My Home School Grades!
Within the first few minutes, I knew this was what I needed. (So even if you’re not sure this is something you can use, you should definitely take advantage of their 14-day free trial.)
I never considered the benefit of having a mobile app to get the job done. I usually work on my home school record keeping at home, at my desk. But now, if we’re on a field trip or involved in an extra-curricular activity, I can simply add it to my records on the fly. (If I wait until I get home, I will undoubtedly forget!) 
Honestly, this could not be simpler to use. And yet, it has all the features I need to create a record of all our classes and activities and most important for me, with high schools students at home, the ability to create a professional looking transcript. My Home School Grades automatically calculates a GPA based on the grades you’ve entered, and you generate a printable copy with just the click of the mouse or a touch of a finger!
Because this is a brand new product, they have been very open with suggestions based on our needs and have promptly responded to any issues we have had with this ground breaking new app. I look forward to the features they will be adding in the months ahead.
Bottom Line: This was perfect timing for us as we are finishing one high school transcript and beginning another. They definitely live up to their claim. Simple..Robust…Powerful
My Home School Grades can be purchased directly at their website by clicking the image above. Best of all, they offer a 14-day free trial so you can try it before you by it.
Lifetime Membership – $49.99 (includes all future updates)
You don’t have to take my word for it. Several other Mosaic team members where given this product to review too. Please visit the Mosaic Reviews website to read about all their experiences with My Home School Grades.
Disclaimer: Members of the Mosaic Reviews team were given this app in exchange for their honest review. No other compensation of any kind has been received.
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