I have one lefty kid that prefers a graph paper composition notebook for math, the other just uses a regular spiral. I have a binder for each of them to store completed work. That's pretty much it!

I modified the writing assignments for my writing-phobic child.

12 year old: Theodore Boone series, Sidekicked, just finished Under the Egg 10 year old: Harry Potter-just finished 1 and started 2 as read alouds, Going to start The Genius Files on his own. I hope.

My 12 year old is going to be using RSO Biology 2. I went through the whole book a few weeks ago and was really pleased with what I saw. I think he is going to enjoy it.

I will be using Bookshark Eastern Hemisphere (5) with my young 6th grader.

I saw this recently and was so excited. My older boy will absolutely love this!

Final Edits above. I decided on EIW7 for writing and Easy Grammar for grammar. We started SOTW2 already and will work through it throughout the summer. He wanted something "different" for history next, so we chose Bookshark's Eastern Hemisphere History/Reading and Science. I am really looking forward to this next year!

I have not used it yet, but am planning on using their 7th grade plan with DS2 (after we finish Bookshark 5). There is a facebook group called Build Your Library Families that is fairly active, and I know the author is a member here as well.

I was not only screening for things my child may find upsetting, but also subject matter that is not (IMO) appropriate for a 10 year old boy. Relationships, stuff like that. These cores, or whatever they are called have a suggested age range--the one we are using says ages 10-13. So what is "appropriate" for someone's 12 or 13 year old, may not be something my 10 or 11 year old is ready for. KWIM? The beauty of what we do is that we can tweak away to our hearts content.

Since this was our first experience with this curriculum, I just ordered the Instructor Guides for History & Science, the timeline book & figures and one or 2 other pieces directly from them. If you know you are going to use all the components, including math, I think it is a 20% savings for the entire package.

I just ordered the Bookshark IG for 5 (Eastern Hemisphere). I went through the book list one by one, read reviews on Amazon, and crossed off the ones I thought were too "mature" or would bore by boy to tears. Then I went to Thriftbooks.com and got 37 books for $124. (Yay, me!). I guess I am trying to say that you should feel free to "tweak" as needed and don't feel obligated to read every book on the list.

This year, my fifth grader read (or i read with him): The Cay My Side of the Mountain Al Capone Does My Shirts Breaking Stalin's Nose Chomp Scat Flush Tuck Everlasting Time Cat The Invention of Hugo Cabret The Fourteenth Goldfish Lincoln, A Photobiography The Last Musketeer Belly Up Poached I Am Roberto Clemente We are about to start The Toothpaste Millionaire.

Well, DS had already started TT Algebra and History Odyssey Middle Ages. When he finishes HO, my new plan is to use Bookshark 7 (World History 2), using the only half the readers/read alouds and then bring in LL7.

I think it looks good! I am adding it to my long range plan. I like the variety of books and I already own History of US. I just got Bookshark 5 for my 10 year old (History and science guides only, readers purchased on thriftbooks.com) and then I will use 7 with half the books taken out to make room for Lightning Lit 7 with my 7th grader when he finishes HO Middle Ages. We are looking forward to seeing Science 7--Conservation, Robotics & Technology.

My boys (10 and 12) love read-alouds. I don't see that stopping any time soon. (Yay!) I read at lunchtime, and then with each separately while they sit and soak in the bathtub.

My Percy Jackson fan also likes The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch.

Funny you mention that, I am looking at that for the next year (or whenever we finish, since we go year round). I thought it looked great!

Bumping--anyone?

Anyone? I am thinking of using this to break up the history cycle. My geography-obsessed younger one wants something "different" and liked the sample online.

Mom2Cs--did you just read from the text? My younger kid, who has been a bit prickly about schoolwork of late, would enjoy the animal focus. Is there a workbook or anything else you used with it?

DS1 just finished TT PreA, and is beginning Algebra 1. We do LOF Pre A w/Biology once or twice a week, along with Zacarro's How to be a Problem Solving Genius. He is a STEM-y kid, but he is Aspie/2e and has a very low frustration threshhold. TT works well for him. We just got our Iowa scores back and he scored in the 98th percentile in Math with a Post High school Grade equivalency. So we are sticking with the TT/LOF plan. :thumbup:

My older boy likes books with "smart kid" heroes. Some of his favorites are The Genius Files series, The Secret series (pseudonymous bosch), Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, The Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus books, The Puzzling World of Winston Breen, and Floors.

I used The Hobbit and Greek Myths from the 11-13 curriculum, and Poetry, Tall Tales,The Cay, My Side of the Mountain, Hugo Cabret, and Lincoln from 9-11. I would recommend them. We didn't do every activity (we use other grammar and vocab), some of the assignments we did orally, and most of the books we did as read-alouds. I liked them, the kids didn't complain too much and it broadened our horizons a bit in terms of lit selections.

DS writes right in the book. I do make copies of the tests though.

I love buttered noodles with cottage cheese. My younger son enjoys this with me, as my husband and older kid look on in disgust. Cheerios can be eaten as a substitute for any meal. DH does not get the whole cereal for dinner thing, but I don't get why he puts salt on his apples.