I guess I am the odd one out. I do not have a degree and have no desire for one. I'd rather be living life then sitting in a classroom. My husband's family is all about school. His Dad has numerous degrees, his Mom has been going to school for the last 7 years and got a Bachelor and more (I don't keep track) and his sister has been in and out of colleges/universities for the last 11 years. I haven't found that it has made his Mom or sister all that much smarter. My husband is far advanced in math, technology, social studies. He is a bit of a scourge to them though for not going mainly for the prestige it would give him I think and the bigger paying job. I found these article interesting: http://www.businessinsider.com/most-successful-college-droputs-2013-9?op=1 http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-08-27/news/ct-talk-jobs-dropouts-0826-20110827_1_mark-zuckerberg-dropouts-steve-jobs http://www.college-startup.com/college/15-successful-entrepreneurs-who-didnt-need-college/ Now I think if you want a degree or feel called to get one then go for it, that is wonderful!! But I hate the attitude that a degree makes a person so much smarter, it just frankly isn't always true!

I have seen quite a few schedules that combine SOTW and MOH. I like the idea because it gives different perspectives on history but I keep reading mixed reviews on what age MOH is appropriate for. Some people say their young children love it, other people say it is way over their children's heads. Do all the levels have the same level of reading? Thanks again!

My 7 year old is extremely sensitive. She can't watch animal shows because often animals die in them which makes her run up the stairs upset or crying. We watched a fun documentary on dinosaurs and fossils that ended up making her cry over dead dinosaurs. I'm curious how brutal SOTW 2 is. I know it's dealing with a brutal period of history. Thanks in advance!

I am shocked to see it this low! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CMDPTTA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CMDPTTA&linkCode=as2&tag=theamames-20

I noticed this is one of the deals on Educents. I have a bit of credit there and have been thinking of getting the Middle Ages Project Passport but couldn't find many user reviews on it. For younger grades could this be the only curriculum used for Middle Ages history? Thanks for your insight!

I was excited to see the newest Human Body Detective book free on Amazon right now. http://www.amazon.com/Osteoblasts-Rescue-Human-Detectives-ebook/dp/B00DNH54QW/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378337751&sr=1-4

I don't understand all the hate. Can't we respect each other's opinions without attacking? I just don't understand why a book that MANY people don't approve of for their kids is on approved/recommended list. There are so many other great books. Can't this book be one that parents provide to their children if they feel it is important for them to read?

My cousin was sexually abused by a family friend as a child. It really, really messed him up. He has been hooked on heroine and in and out of jail since he was a teenager. I don't need to know the details to feel abhorrence for what happened to him, or to feel compassion for him or to feel anger and disgust for his attacker. I don't need a minute to minute detail to feel this act is wrong. I'll never agree that we need to show are children the nitty gritty of a situation for them to understand it better. I don't want such twisted thoughts (the ones of the rapist) getting in my kids heads and confusing them. I believe morality is within us. There is a feeling of horror over murder, rape, etc.but some choose to ignore those feelings. Isaiah 33:15: He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil. Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Amazingly most of the one in the OP are still available for free. I removed the ones that were no longer free. I found some more today. I've been checking daily because we are about to start an around the world animals and people study. Added the new ones to the OP.

Wow, so many great giveaways. I signed up for them all. :)

The iPad has become my most used device. I love that it can hold most of our books, audiobooks etc., and I can scroll through them easily as if I was browsing a book shelf. But Android has great nature guide apps such as Audubon nature guides.

Thanks for the review!! I looked at the sample of one of the past books and wasn't thrilled. But this one pulls me for some reason. I noticed it has a different author. We are doing an around the world year so I think we'll use this to supplement it. :)

I have a Kindle App on my iPad that I can view my books with. You should also be able to view them with the free Kindle to PC download Amazon offers as well. My basic Kindle crashes every time I try to use it, so I'm not sure if they can be viewed on that.

I was so excited to see these because many of them match animals we are studying this year. I thought some of you might be interested in them too. I have no idea how long these will be available free. http://www.amazon.com/Mark-Farley/e/B00B2MKHFS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B6C4D68/ref=pe_245070_24466410_M1T1DP Edit on September 4: I found a bunch more today. I wanted to add I am not affiliated with Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Great-Barrier-Animals-Marine-ebook/dp/B00ECGUN2I/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378310871&sr=1-2 http://www.amazon.com/Australian-Venomous-Dangerous-Creatures-ebook/dp/B00EB0QCES/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378310871&sr=1-5 http://www.amazon.com/Australian-Mammals-Kids-About-ebook/dp/B00DMI6R36/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378310871&sr=1-8 http://www.amazon.com/Animals-World-Facts-Picture-ebook/dp/B00BTPZMFI/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378311468&sr=1-6 http://www.amazon.com/Animals-Animal-Books-Kids-ebook/dp/B00E9A0C5K/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378310944&sr=1-2 http://www.amazon.com/Animals-Animal-Picture-Books-ebook/dp/B00B7A12U4/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378311769&sr=1-12&keywords=animals http://www.amazon.com/Raccoons-Learn-Colorful-Pictures-ebook/dp/B008XQMX9O/ref=sr_1_56?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378311941&sr=1-56&keywords=animals http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Horses-Childrens-Bedtime-ebook/dp/B00BGIKZC8/ref=sr_1_57?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378311941&sr=1-57&keywords=animals http://www.amazon.com/Polar-Bear-Erudite-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00E99LEI0/ref=sr_1_69?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378312056&sr=1-69&keywords=animals http://www.amazon.com/Snakes-Learn-Read-Animals-ebook/dp/B00A4LK6PO/ref=sr_1_94?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378312143&sr=1-94&keywords=animals http://www.amazon.com/Orca-Amazing-intelligent-animals-ebook/dp/B00BG5UP0S/ref=sr_1_97?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378312294&sr=1-97&keywords=animals http://www.amazon.com/WHALES-About-Whales-Bonus-ebook/dp/B00EXB8VJO/ref=sr_1_127?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378312390&sr=1-127&keywords=animals http://www.amazon.com/Lions-Photos-Interactive-Animals-ebook/dp/B009YQN15W/ref=sr_1_143?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378312435&sr=1-143&keywords=animals http://www.amazon.com/Horse-book-Educational-Girls-ebook/dp/B00EDVYFSA/ref=sr_1_152?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378312473&sr=1-152&keywords=animals http://www.amazon.com/Snakes-Learn-Read-Animals-ebook/dp/B00A4LK6PO/ref=sr_1_157?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378312490&sr=1-157&keywords=animals http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Breed-Facts-Book-ebook/dp/B00A29CMUA/ref=sr_1_165?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378312490&sr=1-165&keywords=animals http://www.amazon.com/Pigs-Just-Facts-Kids-ebook/dp/B00EV2YKH2/ref=sr_1_177?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378312581&sr=1-177&keywords=animals http://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Encyclopedia-Animals-Arthropods-ebook/dp/B00EDPCKCO/ref=sr_1_203?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378312683&sr=1-203&keywords=animals http://www.amazon.com/Animals-Galapagos-Islands-Educational-ebook/dp/B00AQ81BBI/ref=sr_1_205?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378312696&sr=1-205&keywords=animals http://www.amazon.com/Animals-America-Children-Childrens-ebook/dp/B00AY83JWE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378312729&sr=1-1 http://www.amazon.com/Animals-Africa-Childrens-Learning-ebook/dp/B00AEFVLVI/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378312729&sr=1-3 http://www.amazon.com/Discover-Lions-Tigers-Facts-ebook/dp/B00BH6IU9O/ref=sr_1_248?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378312918&sr=1-248&keywords=animals http://www.amazon.com/North-American-Gray-Wolf-ebook/dp/B00E1SIVEE/ref=sr_1_270?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378313007&sr=1-270&keywords=animals http://www.amazon.com/Snakes-Informative-Book-Kids-ebook/dp/B00EPSX96A/ref=sr_1_273?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378313007&sr=1-273&keywords=animals This author has a TON of free animal books. You just have to sort by price. But the reviews are a mixed bag so I was hesitant to put individual links. I did share her raccoon one because a reviewer who had experience with raccoons said it was very accurate. Some people said the books look copied and paste. I just have no way to verify or discount that. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Becky%20Wolff&search-alias=books&sort=relevancerank

Actually if you google it the common core was written to include this book. They didn't just adopt the old list. I looked at the common core document and found they only recommended 19 stories for Grade 11. Since teachers feel pressure and stress to adapt to common core the likeliness that children in 11 grade are going to read this book is high. The fact that parents can opt out is moot to me. Many parents would never imagine that such a graphic book is a suggested to their 11th graders. My Dad didn't pre-read my books but would have been furious if he knew I was reading such a book.

I agree with you about the word pornography. I actually don't know the blogger but saw the post on facebook. I was shocked by the explicitness of the book and was interested to see what others thought.

I don't see anything about banning books but I wouldn't want my kid reading a book like that at 16.

I am not someone who has been scared by the common core or thought it was some evil thing. I follow some elementary teachers blogs such as Mrs. Jump and Mrs. Willis and find their classrooms are beautiful. I have even bought some of Mrs. Jumps education packs. But the following blog post makes me fearful of the high school common core: http://www.monicaboyer.com/common-core-or-pornography-reader-warning-explicit/ I graduated from high school 11 years ago, we didn't have such explicit books then!

No problem. I love these dollar deals. It's so nice to get books for so cheap. There are 38 other kids books being offered for a dollar this month. There may be others that interest you. I want a ton of them but it has to wait until next week when we get paid again. :) http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=amb_link_382694582_12?ie=UTF8&node=7338196011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-2&pf_rd_r=17Q81SV7EG38J750CJPS&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1609095522&pf_rd_i=155009011

I know a lot of people like these books. I thought this might interest some of you: http://www.amazon.com/Marco-Polo-ebook/dp/B008XNTAHK/ref=lp_7338196011_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1378040961&sr=1-5 http://www.amazon.com/Tutankhamun-ebook/dp/B009DOOS2U/ref=sr_1_22?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378041142&sr=1-22

We need 10 more . . . Here's for hoping. :) ETA: Yay now we only need 8.

Today is the last dat!

Homeschoolshare.com has a free unit study to go along with the one you linked. :)

Great! We are getting close to 60%. :)

Nothing except that this series was the core book list. I found the curriculum and thought it looked really good. I added the books to my cart and left them there to think about my plans some more. I thought I had saved the curriculum on my computer but realized I hadn't and my browser had been closed.. I open a ton of tabs at once and it drives my husband batty, lol. I searched the history but my hubby had just re-downloaded IE, it's been really buggy so he thought that would help. It's no biggie though. Maybe this truly is a sign. Thanks for all the help ladies! It was so sweet of you!