Thanks for sharing your finds! I always worry when I post about a book that I like, as someone else may not see the same quality in it as I do. Don't let me be your enabler. ;) The books that I list have almost always been found for about a quarter at a local thrift shop. Others I have ordered when the price was reasonable. Some of the books I've listed have gone up in price so much that they are no longer worth buying. That's a shame, but I guess it's that way with supply and demand. I think the Provensen-illustrated version of The Iliad and the Odyssey has risen in price to over $60 or more by now. It is a beautiful book, but that's just too much. I found my copy at a used bookstore for about $6---and it's well worth that price to me. Keep looking at thrift shops, garage sales, estate sales, and used book stores for these treasures. You never know what will turn up! :) Those Jeanne Bendick books are wonderful!

I just finished Becoming Odyssa, Adventures on the Appalachian Trail by Jennifer Pharr Davis. It was so good that I couldn't put it down! This book is a very inspiring read. I would love to hike at least part of the AT one day soon.

No, but I might have. :D

Yes! I was going to post the very same thing. You can drop a few in your purse or backpack, and go about your day. I try to drink water only with my meals, and also walk as much as possible.

Yep! I think the part you wrote about "a desire to fill in the blank places by exploring" really hits the nail on the head. That's what I want in a science book! Absolutely! I sat for hours as a young girl with a set of the Golden Encyclopedias. They were never boring, and the illustrations were wonderful! (Just take a peep at the list of illustrators in the backs of the books---Walt Disney, Feodor Rojankovsky, Gustaf Tenggren, Garth Williams, Alice and Martin Provensen, Cornelius De Witt, to name a few!) Yes! I think I finally figured it out too, and I've been avoiding the heavily-pictured books with multiple boxes and super busy pages. They make me cross-eyed!

Oooh, do tell! I looked at that biology book for months, and just couldn't get the nerve to pay the going price. Unfortunately, it's well out of my league now. I can dream though, that I'll find it at the bottom of a box of books at the local thrift. ;) What's your opinion of the astronomy book? I haven't seen a copy of it yet. I did find that math book at the thrift store for 50 cents last year, so I was thrilled!! Editing.... A few that I like are: * Breakthroughs in Science by Isaac Asimov * Giants of Medicine by Irving Robbin * Simple Science Experiments for the Elementary Grades by Visner and Hechtlinger * The Earth's Story by Gerald Ames and Rose Wyler * The Story of Chemistry by Mae and Ira Freeman (and any of their other books as well) * The Golden Book Encyclopedias * The Rainbow Book of Nature by Donald Peattie

Oh, I'm just now seeing this, so it probably answers my question in the other post. I think that's something that gave me pause when I looked at it a few days ago. I also want to cover the books in an order using LWAW first, not Magician's Nephew first. I don't know how much that would affect using FUFI, but if other things build on the first book, it might be a bit sticky to use. Editing to add...... Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre episode of "The Snow Queen" is on hulu.com for free viewing. I'm adding that to my list.

Ah, I see. I have to admit, I'll be reading through the series this summer in order to be ready to work with it in the fall. I also have a copy of the Focus on the Family CD recording, though it is abridged. I thought it would be nice to listen to in the evenings as a review. One book I just ordered was The Keys to the Chronicles, by Marvin Hinten. I've looked through some things on Amazon, and this one looked better than others. I think I also ordered the ROAR book, too. With all of that, is it still necessary to get a copy of FUFI, or do you think I'd do just as well with what I'll have on hand? I do have most of the books you've listed as resources, and others I can get from Librivox or the library.

I'm following along with this thread, as I've thought about using FUFI before. I already have most of the books suggested here as add-ins, but I would need to buy a few of the resources. This could be the makings for a great year! Do you actually get through all the books in one year, or is this probably a two year study? I can't imagine covering all I'd like within a one-year time frame. One more question....What does Sherlock Holmes have to do with Narnia?

Yes, yes! One of our favorite locations even sends someone around the tables during lunchtime with little samples of their desserts in souffle cups. We love that! I've never had a bad experience at a Chick-Fil-A. (I know I'm really getting off topic, but since we were discussing service, I thought it might apply. :))

I have a couple of old 60's and 50's English textbooks. One I especially like is Junior English in Action by Tressler and Shelmadine from 1956. Building "language power" is the goal of this text. The first chapter is even titled, "Making and Keeping Friends", and includes various common courtesies. The rest of the chapters in the first half of the book cover such things as "Explaining and Giving Directions", "Here's a Letter for You" (about letter-writing), "Improving Your Conversation", "Listening and Reporting", "Talking It Over" (about making a club and conducting meetings), and "Reading the Newspaper". The other half of the book is devoted to grammar and usage, with just a bit of diagramming included. Editing to add.... My third grade teacher actually devoted a couple of weeks to correct phone usage, and split the room into two groups. We sat with two phones and carried on a conversation, and she made sure we answered and closed the conversation appropriately. I always secretly wished that the cutest boy in the class would be talking on the other phone, but alas, it was not to be. I probably would have been embarrassed anyway.

I agree that Chick-Fil-A is a genuinely happy and friendly place to visit. We love to go there when we can, and usually don't pass one without stopping. Now, our McDonald's is a whole 'nother ball of wax. I've been there standing at the counter with maybe one other customer when there were (I counted) 15 employees---and they couldn't take my order, nor serve the food in less than 10 or 15 minutes. If there are more than 4 or 5 customers at the counter, the wait hovers around 30 minutes to be served. That, to me, is an issue. I've called to complain about this particular location, but it was all in vain. There have been no changes, nor do I anticipate seeing any in the near future. Lately we just avoid it at all costs. Sonic has 1/2 price milk shakes after 8 pm, so they're getting our business, and our tips, for now.

I tip every time we go, and usually will give at least a $1 tip, even if the total is less than $3---and I consider myself pretty frugal. I feel that's the least I can do for the workers who bring my food to me (quickly too!) at my car-side. The servers are usually very friendly, and will bring extra straws or ketchup when we ask for it. You don't get that at the drive-thru at Mickey D's!

:iagree: We love to ride the train, and we usually travel in coach--no problem! Take some audiobooks or music on mp3 if you like. We usually take decks of cards, small travel games-- Scrabble Flash or Simon Flash---Mad Libs books, books to read, puzzle books---those kinds of things. Having a place to stay for no cost is a super incentive to visit Chicago. The boat ride on the Chicago River is cheap and fun. You can do a whole afternoon of architecture study with a camera---cheap and fun, too! You might be able to get some inexpensive ball game tickets for Wrigley Field. If you have a museum membership elsewhere, the Field Museum is one of the ASTC museums on the reciprocal list. I also agree about a stop at Glacier Park. The kids could do the Jr. Ranger Program to earn badges---free! The Brown House is a nice B & B, and is relatively cheap for a night or so. There are other B & B's there, and they will usually pick you up at the train station. The Empire Builder route is a beautiful route to travel. The scenery is awesome! Spend time in the day/lounge car for extra special viewing, and access to tables for playing games. Take plenty of snacks and a small cooler. (Last summer we met a family traveling in coach who had brought 2 large bags of groceries filled with goodies from Trader Joe's. They were having a blast playing games in the day car, and having gourmet food for meals.) I think you can't go wrong with an inexpensive train trip. If you have a AAA membership, there is a 10% discount on tickets, and kids are 1/2 price. Adding....You might want to look at Travelzoo.com for some specials on shows or other entertainment in Chicago. The city bus system is great, and you can buy day passes across the street from Union Station at CVS. One more edit.....If you decide on the train trip, make sure to take blankets and pillows for everyone. It gets cold on the train in the summer!

I found a copy of a 1960's text, General Business at the thrift store for 25 cents recently. We've been reading through it at night, and it's been a hit. In fact, it's the most requested book we use lately. For all of a quarter, I consider that quite the find! :D Granted, some things are out-of-date, and the prices for things mentioned in the book are very interesting, ;). The vocabulary is there, though, and also the business math work. Does your library have some older copies of any general business math books that you could look over to see if one might fit your purpose? I hadn't thought of using a business math book, but this one popped up, and for the price, I scooped it up. I'd bet there are plenty of general business books at the used book seller sites.

I remembered about this old thread, and thought I should post it here. Hope that it is helpful. Dolciani discussion

Thank you for taking the time to post the pictures of all of the book covers. That is incredibly helpful, and I'm sure, very much appreciated by everyone here.

The website for the Grand Canyon to see the lodges and other info is here. You can find the menus for the cafeterias and restaurants, as well as get an idea of availability for the rooms and what is included.

Here is a thread discussion of a Grand Canyon trip, driving cross-country. Hope that is helpful, too.

You're welcome. :) We spent three nights there, and were very sad to leave. I could have stayed a week! :D I forgot to note that there is a nice washeteria in the campground which we used for washing our clothes. I think the showers for the campground are pay showers. I don't remember the price, but they are located in the washeteria building. I'm not sure of the price of the campsites, but I think they were ~$18 a night or so. If you can assemble all of the needed supplies, it would make for a very cheap trip! The campground is walking distance to the Yavapai Lodge area at which the cafeteria and general store/post office are located. Be aware that the gift shops have some very cool stuff to buy. Just so you know.... Forgot to add....The bus system goes all the way to the campground, so you will be fine to get around the park if you are camping. Take a camera. The wildlife is everywhere! We saw elk on the lawn of the Thunderbird Lodge while we were walking along the rim sidewalks! (Can you tell that we miss it and want to go back?)

:grouphug:

The Grand Canyon is such an amazing place! The lodges within the park are nice, and of course, some are cheaper than others. I can personally recommend the Yavapai Lodge. There is a wonderful cafeteria onsite at Yavapai, as well as a nice grocery and deli. The campground is also nice, but I would guess that springtime temps would be too cold for camping. Have you thought about mid to latter June? The temps are much better for camping then. If camping in springtime is the only option for you price-wise, I would suggest to find good sleeping bags for the chilly weather. Borrow from friends or scour thrift shops for these. I can usually find Coleman or better quality in my local thrift shop. If you do decide on a hotel, then I would again, strongly suggest staying inside the park. You would waste too much time going back and forth to the out-lying towns to make it worthwhile. YMMV, though. Take as much food/snacks as possible. There is a Walmart in Flagstaff and a nice grocery next-door in a shopping center to stock up on supplies before heading into the park. The shuttle buses are all free inside the park. Take a daypack-type backpack for touring around during the day. Make sure to buy batteries and what-not for cameras and any electronics before entering the park, as they are $$$ at the store there. Make sure to pack some chapstick or other lip balm and sunscreen. Take a good star chart for night sky viewing. The view is amazing there! Let the kids try the Junior Ranger program for a free activity. They can earn a badge, and you can then buy a patch for ~$1.50 or so. It will be hard to pass up the ice cream shop on the rim without having a scoop. The gift shops can be very enticing! Bring a copy of Brighty of the Grand Canyon, and read it aloud on the drive. Wear shoes with a good tread. The path along the rim is narrow. Take empty water bottles and fill them at the *watering hole* just before the descent down the rim trail. Beef jerky and oranges are good snacks for the trail. Pack some kind of hat for everyone, as the sun is intense. I bought several *hiking quality* clothing items at various thrift stores. We took flashlights and bandannas and kept a jacket rolled up in our daypack. Try to spend a bit of time in the porch swings and rocking chairs on the wrap-around of the El Tovar Lodge. The view from there is amazing, and it is a peaceful respite---free, too! If I think of more, I will post later. Have fun! Editing, as just checking some random dates.... * Maswik Lodge ----- $92 for a 2 Queen room * Yavapai Lodge----- $120 for a 2 Queen room Both of these lodges have cafeteria-style dining. Call Xanterra for reservations at 1-888-29-PARKS. I have found from experience that the phone reservation system has more availability than what is shown online. I have also found last-minute availability by calling the reservation number. I even saw some people getting rooms on the spot at the check-in desk. The Yavapai rooms have a fridge and coffee maker. I think the Maswik rooms may as well. We took packets of instant mashed potatoes, instant refried beans, hot chocolate, powdered milk for reconstituting (NIDO brand), fruit, instant oatmeal and other lightweight foods. I studied on a hiking forum to know how to dress and what foods to carry before making the trip. The cinnamon rolls in the cafeteria will tempt you greatly. (Ask me how I know.....) The America the Beautiful Pass might be a cheaper option for getting into the GCNP. There are many other sights to see and various national monuments within driving distance.

You have the former. I have copies of both the 1965 (1962) Structure and Method book and the 1970 (1967) Modern School Mathematics book. Personally, I prefer the instruction in the earlier edition, but both are great. There were two different sets of authors for these books. The 1965 (1962) book was written by Dolciani, Berman, and Freilich, and the 1970 (1967) book was written by Dolciani, Wooton, Beckenbach, Jurgensen, and Donnelly. The earlier text has a red and turqoise cover, while the latter text has a blue cover. The TOC are different, and there is more set work in the earlier edition, at least from what I can tell in comparing the two.

Brag away! I think it's fantastic! :party: