You might try one of the old New York Regents exams at http://www.jmap.org.

At this age, I would get him a scientific calculator that can do fractions. I would also let him use a reference sheet for some of the formulas and such. At our school, when a "low" kid reaches 10th grade, they do Business Math Preparation (basically remedial algebra), and then they do Business Math in grade 11. Business Math is super practical---they learn about interest rates, loans, investments, profit, etc.---but the math itself is not as complicated as our regular (integrated) Math 10 or Precalculus.

I'd start with free resources from the web. http://www.letspracticegeometry.com has some good packets. You might also try Geometry Online If she likes hands-on better than writing, you might try http://www.proofblocks.com.

As a high school math teacher, let me assure you that if he really does understand arithmetic, fractions, percentages, etc. then he is not as far behind as you may think. (I once tutored an eighth grader who had trouble with single digit addition and subtraction. Granted, I had her in a pull-out because of her math struggles, and that's not at all standard, but still.) Most colleges are going to want the three math credits, so I would try to push through. If he does well in other areas, C's in math shouldn't kill his transcripts. (He may have to start in community college and transfer elsewhere later, but that's cheaper anyways). I would recommend taking a look at jumpmath.org. It only goes through eighth grade, but some of the basic algebra concepts are covered. (Again, you'd be surprised at how many kids struggle to grasp basic algebra).From there, I'd probably go with something like Saxon (except maybe more mastery-oriented) or that teaches the kids how to do the math without making them try to discover it. Inquiry learning is great, but for a kid who has trouble with math it sometimes just leads to frustration. Also, I would let him use desmos.com when he does his math work. It might help him to "see" the functions graphically. Feel free to let me know if you have questions---not a parent, but I do teach math at a Christian school.

Try some of the puzzle worksheets here: http://mathops.com/free/index.php. Interactive "Year 9" activities from MEP: http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/book9/book9.htm. Also, if he has any particular weak areas with regards to arithmetic, you may want to look into the Math Mammoth Blue series. As has been noted before, fractions are particularly important for algebra. Also, if he needs "drill and kill" for any specific topics, try generating worksheets on mathaids.com. HTH!

I'm currently teaching from it in a classroom setting. I don't know your background, but I wouldn't reccommend it unless you and your son are both very strong in mathematics. Most of the problems are too hard for the average student---I supplement extensively from various websites to give my students more practice with the basics. The explanations and examples are not particularly clear for an American reader---they use different math terminology. That being said, however, the problems are thought-provoking and rigorous. It would be a great set of books for a kid who needs a challenge. I'd probably get Discovering Mathematics (the updated edition of NEM), though. I've only glanced through samples, but I will be teaching from it next year. It is more colorful, with clearer examples, and the problems are set up so that you have basic practice first and the more challenging questions later.

When I took 20th century in college, I found the textbook so-so and another book we had to read incredibly boring, but I loved this memoir: http://www.amazon.com/Daughter-Persia-Journey-Fathers-Revolution/dp/0307339742/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370201293&sr=8-1&keywords=daughter+of+persia It gave me a whole new view of Persia and the Middle East. I don't know how it would be for a ninth-grade boy, though---I guess it depends on how good of a reader he is.

Or chocolate eclair dessert: line a pan with graham crackers, layer pudding mixed with cool whip on top, then another layer of graham crackers with chocolate frosting on them

Jack Russels have a reputation for being very hyper... FWIW I have a rescued Beagle mix and he is very sweet to me but will snap at anyone who approaches to pet him. He has to approach them and give them a thorough, all-over sniffing before he deems them worthy of the privilege of scratching him.

23---which I'm actually happy with, considering I have Asperger's

Off the top of my head: baking soda and vinegar pupil dialation (let them look at each other's eyes or at their own in a mirror while you turn the light on and off) If you eat mayonnaise in your house, you could try making some homemade to demonstrate emulsification (although this isn't exactly clean...) Playing with magnets is always fun, as is rubbing a balloon on your head and sticking it to the wall. Also not clean, but you can make silly putty with borax and glue. experiment with solutes and solvents: which dissolves better in water, sugar or salt? Does oil dissolve in water? Do things dissolve better in hot water or cold?

This was the most boring book I read as a child. It's just about horses, not people. And it's not anthropomorphized horses either---just regular horses. What on earth is the point?

Just wanted to point out that Huck Finn is pre-war. Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books are good for late 1800s/pioneer era, but not so much for an adult man. He might enjoy Farmer Boy? Nazi Germany--- The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

I don't know about this. I am both Christian and pro-grammar, but it seems a bit ludicrous to equate the two. Also, I think you'd be hard-pressed to find an English teacher who does not want the students to use proper grammar.

Dimensional analysis was never part of my formal math education (it wasn't in the textbook), but my Pre-Algebra teacher made us learn it, promising that it would help us out later in the sciences. It did. Plus, in high school chemistry (at a different school), I was way ahead of the game on stoichiometry because I already understood how to set up dimension analysis and solve the problems. Being forced to learn it in middle school was one of the greatest educational gifts I've ever been given.