Welcome to the 86th edition of carnival of homeschooling.
All homeschooling moms and dads learn to work magic with their kids. If you are new to homeschooling, don't worry, there are plenty of experienced magicians out there who will gladly share their secrets. The carnival of homeschooling is meant for this very purpose.

Beverly at About Homeschooling conjures up Homeschool Classrooms with her Photo gallery of homeschool classrooms.
Julee at Homeschool Daze Blog tells how her son pulled Letter S from his bag of tricks. Julee's 2 year old autistic son, Nathan, had a surprise for her.
Jacque of Seeking Rest in the Ancient Paths presents a Book List for My 10 yo and Linkies. I was asked by Chas which books my 10yo son Eric likes to read. It has taken me awhile, but I am finally getting 'round to it! In writing this post, I thought it would make a good Mr. Linky so we could pass it around and share our experiences and ideas.
Janine of Why Homeschool explores some options homeschoolers have for
being in a band with What about band?
The amazing Sebastian reveals the secrets of Starting School at Percival Blakeney Academy. Some of our favorite starting school traditions.

Miss Jocelyn of Lothlorien teaches us some Old School. "Back in the old days when boys were younger they'd decide what they were going to do with their life and start working towards that. If a boy wanted to be a black-smith he'd be an apprentice to an experienced black-smith so he could learn all the ropes. We've lost that, that apprenticeship mentality. Perhaps those ignorant pilgrims, peasants and farmers had the right idea about school being taught at home or with apprenticeships??"
Enchanting Amanda of The Daily Planet tells a tale of A Homeschool Musical. "There's No Business Like Your Own Business" A couple reasons why I want to have my own business and how homeschooling allows me special opportunities to do it. Plus a funny story.
Katherine No fighting, no biting! mysteriously asks: husband nervous about homeschooling? "Are my homeschooled kids going to be weird? No, all the really weird kids go to institutional schools."
Rachel from The Milk and Honey Tea-House conjures up The Kingdom Series by Chuck Black (Part 2). "This is books 4-6 of the Kingdom Series by Chuck Black. I posted the first 3 before, so I posted the next 3. They are a great series for all ages!"
Crimson Wife of Bending the Twigs says Here We Go Again... Response to the National Association of
Elementary School Principals' criticism of homeschooling.
Alasandra shares the magical secret of Giving Homeschooled Students Wings "How homeschool parents encourage their children to become independent."

On the Life Without School Laureen reveals secrets of Unschooling Nurture. "In a healthy, functioning system, kids are supposed to learn what parenting looks like when they're little, with their siblings. Not as adults, frantically realizing that they have no idea, and they're about to have a trial by fire, as I did. Children learn how to nurture by doing it..."
The Amazing Darrell of Dow Blog tackles a tricky subject in What About Vouchers? "The post provides an explanation as to why vouchers are problematic and also tries to give a brief summary of the purpose of Christian eduation as an outgrowth of the family."
Has Patti of All Info About Home Schooling discovered the secret of Home Education and Perfect Children? We've all heard about the kids who homeschooled and graduated from Harvard at 14....but is academic success the only measure of homeschool success? Let's start the year by remembering why we really do this.
Tara at Waldorf Our Way shares a trick or two in Dear American Girl. "One of last summer homeschooling lessons (before transitioning to a school for the visual and performing arts) has been to learn what it means to be a conscious consumer."
At SmallWorld a post has magically appeared about Back to Homeschool Week. Like everyone else in the homeschooling blogosphere, we're playing along with the "Back to Homeschool Week" theme on our support group's yahoogroup. Here's homeschooling at SmallWorld in a nutshell.
FitBuff's latest act is I Can Stand My Stand Up Desk posted at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, "Anyone who works at a desk for hours at a time like me, especially those working at home, can benefit from a stand up desk. I know it sounds crazy at first, but this article chronicles my first month of using a stand up desk and how it has improved my posture, performance, and productivity. Plus, I show you how to set up one yourself to try out for free to see if you like it."
Kimberly Wasson reveals the hidden mysteries of Why we homeschool... posted at Catholic Family Vignettes, saying, "A reminder of why this family chose to homeschool and the necessity of a mission statement."
Dianne M. Buxton makes pounds dissapear with Lose Weight Safely - in Ballet Shoes and Pointe Shoes posted at Ballet Shoes and Pointe Shoes, saying, "Safe dieting for dancers and young athletes."

Dana teaches sleight of hand for National Wildlife Federation Certification posted at Backyard Birding.
The Astounding Mamma Squirrel pulls out of thin air Of plastic bins and binders posted at Dewey's Treehouse.
Dana presents Homeschooling hits the road, an online travel diary posted at Principled Discovery.
Elena LaVictoire exposes The teenage myth. posted at My Domestic Church.
DeputyHeadmistress levitates Homeschool Organizers posted at The Common Room.
Annette performs 12 Characteristics of A Great Homeschool posted at Homeschooling Journey, saying, "What makes a great homeschool? If you asked 100 moms, you would probably get 101 different responses. There’s no definitive answer."
HappyCampers does the old trick Education In A Cup posted at Reese's View Of The World, saying, "Let's talk about the benefits of cooking with your kids, and how to prepare yourself to do so!"

Stephanie performs Best of Show posted at Adventures in the 100 Acre Wood, saying, "4-H is a great way to teach some of the things you may not during your normal school day!"
Denise explains 7 things to do with a hundred chart posted at Let's play math!, saying, "Elementary math practice on a variety of concepts."
Judy Aron reveals tricks of So You've Decided To Homeschool Your Teenager... posted at Consent Of The Governed, saying, "Some tips for those considering homeschooling their teenager."
Barb reveals The Heart of Harmony - Ideas or Filling a bucket posted at The Heart of Harmony, saying, "Thoughts on homeschooling methods and do they really matter.....Barb"
Renae presents the thrilling What's Wrong with Multiple-Choice? posted at Life Nurturing Education.
Char pulls from a hat, a Back to School Word Search posted at Printables for Kids - free word search puzzles, coloring pages, and other activities.

HowToMe reveals How to Teach your Tactile or Kinesthetic Learner to Study (4 of 4) posted at HowToMe, saying, "Tactile Learners tend to learn better by having hands-on experiences. If your student has these tendencies, here are some ideas and projects that may prove helpful when learning and studying together."
Jacci M exposes some secrets in No Thank You, Mr. Disney posted at The Educational Life, saying, ""No Thank You, Mr. Disney" Why it's important to read the fairy tale before you see the movie - or why it's even better to leave the movie on the shelf."
Kevin presents the stupendous feat: Math Teaching Tips for the Homeschooler posted at Kevin Heath - More4kids Inc..
Rebecca amazes with And King Arthur was Homeschooled Too... posted at Little-Homeschool-on-the-Prairie.

Stacy of Teaching Diligently makes Teeny Tiny Dollhouse Treats magically appear. "Learn how to make tiny treats for your dolls out of homemade clay!"
JoAnn of Our Homeschooling Expedition explores the mysteries of Homeschooling on the cheap. "A summary of how I homeschool on a tight budget with links to some helpful free sites."
Nissa enchants with Keeping Charlotte Simple for Our Family - Part 3: The Tools posted at Renaissance Academy, saying, "Part 3 in the series"
Andrea Hermitt mesmerizes with Socialization Blues posted at Notes From A Homeschooling Mom.
ChristineMM astonishes us with Homeschool Support Group Meetings and Homeschooling Parents posted at The Thinking Mother, saying, "ChristineMM writes about adult homeschool support group meetings and who does and does not attend them, and why."
Mrs. Happy Housewife presents My Favorite Time of the Year posted at Mrs. Happy Housewife, saying, "My favorite time of the year: Fall and the beginning of the new school year."

Lynn Aleshire shocks us with National Association of Elementary Principals and Homeschooled Kids posted at Homeschool2.0 Blog.
Dawn presents Fitness Friday posted at Day by Day Homeschooling, saying, "I'm getting in shape and working on a healthy diet. I've got resources to share if any other moms wants to join me on this."
Stretch Mark Mama impresses us with Passing on Perspective posted at Stretch Mark Mama.
That concludes the amazing, 86th edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of homeschooling using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.
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Phineas Gage, a 19th century railroad construction foreman, survived an accident that blew a 13-pound 3 foot 7inch iron rod through his cheek and out the top of his skull. He should have been dead, but rather he was able to walk, talk, and account his accident to others. His recovery was not unremarkable though, after battling infection and suffering from delirious spells, his convalescence would last several months. Yes, he survived a catastrophic injury, but Phineas would never be the same. Read more...
As a mom to three active boys, I'm always eager to read what others have to say about raising boys to be men. What better people to take advice from than Hal and Melanie Young, parents to 6 boys (and 2 girls). In their book, Raising Real men, they discuss the intricacies of bringing up boys within a biblical worldview. They address numerous issues, such as boys needing heroes to look up to, leadership, competitiveness, stewardship, manners, and much more. Read more...
Having grown up in Upstate New York and now living in Western New York, I have grown accustomed to snow. Winters last sometimes 6 months here, and you learn to deal with it. But only a handful of times do I remember experiencing a true blizzard, the kind that closes shopping malls, grocery stores, and schools. In his riveting book, Blizzard, Jim Murphy tells of the infamous blizzard of 1888, where not only towns came to a standstill, but also 600+ people lost their lives. Read more...
Twelve-year-old Miranda is living in New York City with her mom, who has just learned she will be a contestant on the 20,000 Pyramid game show (book is set in the 70's). Excitement abounds and Miranda helps her mom prepare for the show with timed quizzes. Miranda is a latch key kid, and when she starts receiving some unusual notes from an unknown person she is intrigued, and a little spooked. Read more...
In this touching story we meet Frankie, an adorable dachshund who suffered rear leg paralysis after a spinal cord injury. You might think her quality of life would be compromised with such a handicap, but shortly after her injury she became fitted with a harness with wheels, and regains her mobility. Her uplifting and true story is told by her human mom Barb, but it is Frankie's voice. Read more...
As a homeschooling mom to three boys, Pajama School brought me both sighs of relief and smiles. The author's recollection of her homeschooling days gave me much needed encouragement. After all, don't we sometimes wonder if we are doing the right thing, educating our children at home? What about socialization, team sports, band, the "prom" and high school requirements? Are they missing out? Of course my answer to those questions is a big no, but every once in a while I wonder…. Read more...
In The Mystery at Discovery lake, summer camp cabin-mates turned friends Elizabeth, Alexis, Sydney, Mackenzie and Kate team up to investigate first some strange howlings, and then some strange diggings at the adjacent golf course. One of the girls brought with her some neat gadgets such as a robot spy-cam, which proves useful to the novice detectives. When they are not sleuthing around, they are doing regular camp activities such as crafts, horseback riding, and learning Bible memory verses. Read more...
I wish I were thinner. I need to get back to working out. I have a list of books I'd like to read. I want to break a bad habit. I must get more organized. Sound familiar? All of us have things in our life that we'd like to change. But where do we begin? How do we get from here to there? One resource that may help is the Make Today Matter Makeover: The 26 Best Ways to Recapture Daily Magic, Kick-start High-Energy Living, and Get the Most out of Life. Read more...
Do you enjoy poetry? Then you should like this book. Mother and son team, in which author Jennifer White produced the poems and artist Colin White provided the illustrations, came out with Coolhead Luke and Other Stories in 2007. Cynthia Clarke said this about it on Home School Buzz. “In the introduction the author, Jennifer White, explains that her son’s pictures ‘had a story to tell’ so she found the words and the book was born. Read more...
Privies and Muck, rats and pigs, fleas, embroidery, and eel pie. Oh the life of a 14-year old maiden in medieval times. In this amusing and eye opening journal, Catherine (called Birdy), tells of her life in the middle ages. Written with an honest and sometimes sassy tone, readers will be enlightened to innumerable facts about this time period. Birdy longs to be doing anything other than sewing. And, when she is not writing or sewing she's chasing away would be suitors. Read more...
In this unique and colorful picture book the story of a young girl who finds a sea turtle is told in 3 languages: English, Spanish, and French. Living next to the ocean, Marie walks along the seashore to collect shells. Thinking she found a giant shell she is surprised to discover it is actually a sea turtle. The gentle creature needs her help to get back to the ocean, but he is too big for her to move. What is she to do? Her parents eye the turtle imagining he would make a good stew. Read more...
In this educational picture book, kids will have fun while they learn about their skeletal system. Written in rhyming verse with additional "factoids", readers will be given a good introduction to the bones in their body. This is a great way to get across need to know information. I bet as you read along you will easily grasp the material. Illustrations abound, and include examples of the bones being taught. Here's an excerpt: "And, now, count your ribs-a ticklish lot. Read more...
A few years ago, on a video that we watched there was an advertisement for an animated version of A Dog of Flanders that looked good. I went back to the video store and found a copy of A Dog of Flanders, but when we got it home it was a live action version. We watched it anyway and enjoyed it. De la Ramee, an English woman of French extraction, wrote many romance novels that were popular in her day and several captivating stories for youngsters. Read more...
This book had long been recommended to me, so when Mark (now graduated from high school) studied world history in tenth grade, we combined it with a study of Western culture and philosophy using Schaeffer’s material. I just recently got around to reading it myself, and it is one of the most enlightening books that I have ever studied. Read more...
This fresh retelling of Arthur is narrated by Gwynna, a girl who's taken under Myrddin (Merlin) the Bard's care after her village is burned down. The author spins a whole new take on the legendary Arthur. For starters, Myrddin is no more a wizard then you or I. He is a conjurer of tricks and slight of hand, with an uncanny ability to weave embellished stories. The magic is easily explained to be nothing more than illusions and telling people what they want to believe is true. Read more...