I fished it out of her backpack and read a little. It is definitely an adaptation, though not as bad as it could be. The author did make an effort to preserve the spirit of the book. Dd is too intent on reading all the books on her scavenger hunt list before school gets out to be interested in listening to a full version. I'll definitely try this summer.

Guess there's no point in keeping it secret. I'm always afraid to give potentially identifying details. It was A Little Princess, one of the few books that makes me cry at the end. And Sara Crewe is such an inspiring character. She makes me want to be a better person. There's no way an abridged version can capture that.

It's a special book to me, so that's probably affecting my judgment. Maybe it can be our first read-aloud when school gets out.

It's just a vent, sorry. Maybe it will be okay and dd will cooperate with reading or listening to the original version as well. I'm just always afraid that once a kid knows the ending, there's not as much motivation for reading a harder version.

I'm frustrated. My 8yo is doing a reading scavenger hunt of sorts, and one of the items on the list is "read a book recommended by your teacher." Her teacher gave her a certain children's classic which surprised me because I thought it was rather advanced for dd. I just realized this morning that it's a simplified version. I've never allowed these because I think originals are so important, and I try to follow the "read the book before watching the movie" rule. This particular book is so beautiful in the original form. I hate that her first exposure has now been a dumbed-down version that likely doesn't teach the important character lessons contained in the original. And then there's the mommy guilt because I haven't already read the original to her. Just more confirmation that I'm doing the right thing by going back to homeschool next year.

Will R&S English have enough writing for my 2nd and 3rd grader next year, or do I need to add in WWE? I need to take a minimalist approach due to my work schedule, but I don't want them to fall behind.

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I didn't know there were two different ones. I don't think scripted would be necessary.

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I'm considering Saxon math for dd8. She would be in level 3. What do I need to buy?

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Argh. I *begged* my mom to teach me shorthand, and she refused because she was afraid it would interfere with my spelling ability. It would have helped me so much because I struggled greatly in college because of my poor note-taking skills.

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Ben has since finished an AA degree from community college. He said his major was political science. After the AA, he stopped school because Jessa was pregnant and he wanted to spend more time with her.

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I love it, but it's not for everyone, and no one should feel bad about not reading it.

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Wow, have I found my people or what? Hate trite cutesy sayings and gushiness.

20 minutes? I would cry tears of joy and kiss the ground if I could move within 20 minutes of the school that I know is perfect for my daughter. I am looking at a 30-minute commute next year just to get her to an okay but less than stellar choice.

I just have one question: Kentucky?