Thanks to everyone who posted their favorite book of 2011.  We randomly picked one of our comments to win our ebook, Homeschooling Like A Pro.  Charise is the winner. Congrats!  Charise favorite book of 2011 was Crazy Love, by Francis Chan.  Others mentioned this book, also.

If you haven’t read through the comments, take some time right now and do so.  I love seeing the variety of books that impact our homeschool moms.   I’ve already started a new list of books for 2012.  Since I’ll be reading 52 books in 2012, I want to pick some of the best ones.

It looks like a few books were favorite to many moms.  To top that list is Ann Voskamp’s 1000 Gifts A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are.  That is at the top of my list, once I get my copy in the mail.  You can read more about this book here:

A Holy Experience

I read some great books in 2011…and I re-read some of my favorites.
Here are my top picks.
BTW…read to the bottom to find out how you can win my book:
Becoming A Homeschool Pro

Although I’m not quite finished with this book (should finish tonight or tomorrow), this may be my favorite of 2011.  Did you know Lou Holtz was 135 pounds, struggled academically and had a speech impediment in high school?  He is currently one of the most sought-after motivational speakers.  He is honest about his life and we can all learn from his story.

Read lessons I learned in Jan 2 post…about prayer

FANTASTIC.  I thought this was all about “me” & selfish positive thinking.  However,  it really has alot to do with God, Scripture and following the verses to think on positive things.  Great reminder for all of us.

Lots of people live life “one yard short”. Les Steckel tells his life story and how God worked in his life to prepare for ministry to others.  Great for sports lovers, but also for men who struggle in feeling like nothing ever goes right.

Love this book!  Truly rags to riches, but Zig knows who carries him always – Jesus Christ!
Zig is honest with his readers, sharing the good & bad stories of his life.  He willingly shares his weaknesses, but also shows how God uses his strengths.  He is honest about his middle years which tell of his chasing shiny objects.  Zig also shares the importance of his family, both his wife & kids.  Very encouraging to see a man who finds success in the middle of his life.

Quick Read…
Quick overview of how Chick fil A began
Great principles to base your life and business. He truly walks the talk!
This would make a great gift for a young person as he addresses young people and how teenagers could use these principles.  I also read his biography which is EXCELLENT!

Love this book.  You should read this once a year.

Inspirational & Encouraging. Truly a man who ran his business with Christian principles. Biography of founder of Quaker of Oats. I needed a new book to read & found this on my shelf.  So much better than I ever anticipated.

Favorite book series I started re-reading this year

I read one new book in this series and re-read 2 books.
They are so much fun, an escape from reality. Fun to read & laugh!

Father Tim & Mitford are so much fun to read…and a great encouragement to me.  I have about 3-4 more to finish re-reading the entire series. I read about one each month.

One of my favorite lines is the prayer Father Tim learned from his grandmother:
“Lord, let me be a blessing to someone today.”

What are you favorite books of 2011?

Post your book title as a comment.
I’ll randomly choose one of them to win a copy of my ebook,
Becoming a Homeschool Pro. 
I’ll choose the winner next Tuesday, January 3.

After you post a comment, you can also enter to win by clicking fb like or tweeting this post at the top.
This will give you additional entries to win.

When Gileskirk quit publishing their terrific worldview curriculum, I was often asked what would I suggest in its place. That’s a tough question because Gileskirk was so good. I’ve found something I am confident you can use as a foundation for your high school students as you teach Christian Worldview. – Starting Points, by David Quine.

In the past, I was frustrated with Quine’s programs because there was not much support. Andrew Pudewa has come along and provided support for Quine’s Starting Points Program. Pudewa’s Excellence in Writing has published a guide to writing assignments that correlate with Starting Points. Watch to see more.

You get FREE shipping on all IEW products. Read more about Starting Points Based Writing Lessons and get FREE shipping!

Homeschool Language Arts for high schoolers with Journalism Basics by IEW.

What a fun way to practice writing & grammar. This is written by homeschool graduates! I love the way they teach journalism while providing lots of practice writing.

You get FREE Shipping on all IEW products, including Journalism Basics.

I wasn’t sure about adding another publisher to our store. However….. when I saw this homeschool spelling program, I knew it was a winner. I wish I had this program when I was teaching my children to spell

Read more about All About Spelling by clicking here

OK…I’m a week late, but I finally have some reviews of our new products.  They are perfect for your upcoming homeschooling year.

Homeschool reading is easy to teach with IEW’s new reading package called Primary Arts of Language. Jill Pike & Andrew Pudewa have come to the rescue of homeschool moms as they teach their children & students to read.

FREE Shipping on IEW’s Primary Arts of Language Reading Package.  Just click here

Last week I introduced you to Sharon Jeffus’ Artsy Animals program.  This week, I’d like to tell you about Sharon’s online classes.

When my kids were 5-12 years old, they took art classes from Sharon.  It was one of the best experiences they had in homeschooling.  They learned art concepts, as well as being introduced to art masters.  My kids came home wanting to do more art work, delving deeper into what they learned from the Jeffus.

We haven’t taken one of her online classes, but I’m sure they will be as good as our live classes.  Plus, they are only $5.  What a deal!  They begin this week on Jan 18.  Sharon has divided the classes into age groups, so she is teaching skills that are specifically pertinent to your child’s age level.  She will teach the elements of art and introduce famous artists in the classes.

To learn more about the classes, here’s her site:

http://www.visualmanna.com/

I’ve decided to make Saturdays my “review” day.  My plan is to post reviews of books or curricula to help you make wise decisions in what to purchase.  The first program is called Artsy Animals, by Sharon Jeffus.  It is a learn to read program that is so cool.  I wish it was around when my kids were learning to read.  Oh well…there’s still time for grandkids.

Oh and BTW, I do not make any money when you invest in Sharon’s program.  There may be curricula throughout the year that I sell (full disclosure that I may make money on some items, but not others).  Hope that’s okay.

To learn more or get your own copy of Artsy Animals, visit Sharon’s website:

http://www.visualmanna.com/