We like ours - it is durable. The paper is good. However, it doesn't come with the figures included. I wasn't sure if you thought that or not? The figures are purchased separately. It is a blank book. I'm glad I just purchased one instead of making one. It is usable year to year (the actual value of it as it comes together).

We have enjoyed several IMAX films through netflix. DK Eyewitness films have been a hit, most recently Rock and Mineral. We liked Meerkat Manor. Adding on as I reviewed our queue: I have several in there but haven't viewed them yet from the History Channel on various ancient events (we are still doing ancients).

Goosebumps - no. Though grandma gave him one (not realizing) and he hated it anyway. Said it was "poorly written" ... if a 7yo says that you know it is bad. LOL Most other series, pretty much. He tends to pick decent ones, many of the ones already mentioned. He reads Time Warp Trio, Hardy Boys, read all the Magic Treehouse, the Percy Jackson Olympians 6-book series, 39 Clues, A to Z mysteries (he is not as fond lately of that one). I do not mind those. I too honestly tend towards some really deeper selections and then some "fluff," meaning a lighter contemporary fiction.

DH read it and okayed it for our child (the series). He is 7 and whipped through the series. He is not what I would describe as "sensitive" to most things though in books, knowing they are fiction and easily able to distinguish. He has more trouble with nonfiction (the news and such). He really loved the series (DH too!).

re #4, you do get extra care bucks for prescriptions, but it is really really a low amount. I can't recall exactly since I rarely use CVS for Rx anymore.

I was only about 6 mos older when I graduated high school. College went fine, though I took a long time and worked FT. It used to be more common to see some 4yo in kinder PS from what I gather. I had a fair number of classmates around my age and a few younger. Red-shirting must not have been as popular. If she is mature enough, I wouldn't worry about age alone.

I don't "grade" but I check it daily. He has to redo anything that is wrong, whether he understands the concept or not. I'm trying to teach that anything worth doing is worth doing carefully and accurately. We don't do a ton of problems each day, so I feel that is reasonable. If he truly doesn't understand we work through a couple together again to review. Generally it is just carelessness/inattention. I have an ADHD child, and he struggles with that. The concept of carefully going through a sheet and making sure to do all problems systematically, carefully and neatly is as much the lesson as is the math for us. He has gotten so much better.

We're an oddball family, I guess. We use Sonlight and have for 3 years now. I add or subtract as I feel necessary for us, but I love to have it planned out for me. Some days I feel like I'm barely surviving and I use it as written. Other times I feel energetic and the kids are eager, and we add and wander in more depth. :)

I was diagnosed last year, but am doing much better. I saw a naturopathic doctor as well as an acupuncturist. I took more supplements than I ever have in my life, but it did really help. I got past the worst of it. If you can, get a consult with a holistic doctor/nutritionist, who I believe is more likely to provide some help. For me it involved LOTS of extra protein, especially in the a.m., vitamin C in very high doses, kelp/iodine to support my thyroid, iron, high levels of B complex, magnesium/calcium at night and some adjustments to my schedule to help my sleep, melatonin at night to get me back into some sleep at least, sleeping late as much as possible (at least when DH was home). No caffeine, lowest sugar possible, whole foods, avoid preservatives. Honestly, it is probably what everyone should eat but most of us don't!

Ok, I personally think it is strange. Here is why - My middle child had speech therapy at age 3 through the PS. I brought him there, signed in at the office (no ID required), got a guest sticker and took him to his class. And waited for an hour, wandering halls or whatever. I had no escort, no restrictions. I could have been anyone! So it would be strange for me to then be told I couldn't observe a class, at least from the door or some unobtrusive spot. In fact, since his class was next to another one (older grade), I did "observe" simply by coincidence. So maybe our schools here are really lax, I don't know. I do have a serious problem with parents and community, with appropriate supervision/escort/ID, not being allowed in a classroom. I would make a lousy PS mom for sure. I feel that the complete lack of community/parental oversight of schools is part of our problem. Of course, I was just reading a few weeks ago that in the LA County schools the teachers there are given tenure with no observation or only their superior in their classroom for 5-15 minutes ONCE to observe them. As a prior supervisor of many employees, that made my hair stand on end. And these are the people we put in charge of our children?! Sorry, mini rant there. I'm not using PS, but so many of my friends' kids are in PS and I really feel for their education or lack thereof.

My son has similar tastes. These 2 are slightly below her reading level, but my son enjoyed them at the same time as Percy Jackson Olympian series. * The Dragon Prince by Vicki Baum (I liked this one a lot too) * The Dragon's Child by Jenny Nimmo This one is a little higher level. My son loved book 1 and 2 in this series, and is anxiously awaiting #3 * The Hound of Rowan by Henry Neff * The Second Siege (bk 2) by Henry Neff It is not of the finer literature genre such as The Hobbit, but the above were simply things my son picked for himself, so maybe your daughter would enjoy them too since they share the love of HP and Percy Jackson. :)