Can you start a small book club with other boys? Having other boys who read the same book might encourage him to read. You can choose books that have been made into movies and host a movie /pizza night after the book is completed. There are great boy books to choose from: Johnny Tremain, War of the Worlds, Something Wicked This Way Comes, etc.

Rick Riordan didn't write the whole series. It's a compliation of authors. It is fun to read but can get expensive if you choose to buy the card packs for the computer game/contest. The Fablehaven series is good, too.

Just a little pet peeve I need to air. Why does most everyone refer to sneakers, running shoes, etc as tennis shoes? Do you know how difficult it is to find real tennis shoes? In my region of the country we have to go to a tennis Pro shop or order them online. If I walk into a shoe store and ask for tennis shoes they look at me like "Are you blind? Can't you see them lining the wall?" When I ask for shoes for the tennis court (i.e. tennis shoes) no one carries them. Okay - rant over. --- I wear socks with my tennis shoes and with my sneakers.

Really? I was told adjunct positions are on the rise. Since we do not receive benefits and are paid much less than full time faculty we are much easier on the budget. I am so disappointed about the lack of benefits. Children of my co-workers all get to take courses for free while I have to pay full tuition for DD. By the time we add up books, fees and tuition I have to teach one course for every two courses she takes.

I wish. They don't hire anyone without the terminal degree and I am a lowly MA. I teach at the local CC. I play tennis every week at the school your DS is going to attend. I thought of him the other day and told all of my tennis chums about him (no names; just that I knew of a homeschooler who will be attending and he appears to be one smart cookie). The profs from that school are all hoping he will be in their classes.

:iagree:.

My DD just completed Biology and A & P in our local high school. Each was a separate, one semester course (our school is on the block system so each course counts as 1 credit). Her courses did not cover the entire text book; as a matter of fact I was shocked and dismayed at how much the teacher left out. In my opinion DD will not be prepared for college level Biology courses. BTW - DD was in the Honors Biology and A&P classes and was invited to take the AP Biology course next year. Her text books were supposed to be college level. They did not compare at all with the A & P college text I have. As a result of DD's experience I see no problem with Apologia separating Biology & A&P. I plan on using both. Chem is another matter.

Thanks for the links.

:bigear:

Thank you so much for this thread. This has been informative for me, especially now that DS is looking for Marine Biology educational opportunities.

You beat me to the answer. I can't wait to begin Biology.

I don't know. Where do you think I am teaching?

Congrats to you, too!

Congratulations to your DD. That is wonderful!!

For those who remember that I was 'laid off' from my adjunct position at the end of the Spring semester I have good news to share. I have been offered one class for the Summer semester (beginning next week) and two for the Fall. Yeah-we are so very happy. It means no summer vacation for me until August but I can live with that. I have decided to ride my bike to work this summer to help with my fitness and weight loss program. DH and I rode out to the school last night. I can do it in 20 mins with no traffic. Praises are being sung for this wonderful blessing. We can use the income and I need the stimulation.

Welcome!

Congratulations to you and your DD! That is wonderful!!!

This is what my 7th grader read this year(A=assigned; P=pleasure): The Call of the Wild (A) Carry on Mr. Bowditch (A) The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (A) Tom Sawyer Abroad (P) Tom Sawyer, Detective (P) Lieutenant Hornblower (A) Ivanhoe (A) The Three Musketeers (A) Amos Fortune (A) Asa's Choice (A) Black Heroes of the American Revolution (A) Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys (A) Uncle Tom's Cabin (A) The Count of Monte Cristo (P) Starship Troopers (A) Johnny Tremain (A) Something Wicked This Way Comes (A) Idylls of the King (A) Mr. Midshipman Hornblower (A) Hornblower and the Hotspur (P) Hornblower During the Crisis (P) Treasure Island (A) There are others, too. I only included what I thought would be appropriate for school. DS is never without a book or his Sony reader. I think the Hornblower series is great for boys this age.

No - for many reasons. DH's work requires him to be gone quite a bit. There is no set schedule so planning things in advance is extremely difficult. DH and I also have very different friends. His are hardworking, blue collar types who like to get together to shoot the bull about farming, hunting etc. Most are non-Christian. My friends are more white collar, graduate school educated, conservative Christians. Out of the two of us DH is the more extroverted and social. DH has many more friends than I do. He would love to have people over every week or go out and have a good time. I on the other hand am the home body. I tend to get anxious when I am in social groups. It is easier for me to stay home. It is a very confusing part of my personality. I can stand in front of 100 people, give a lecture, share personal stories, etc and be just fine. Put me in a more intimate social gathering, though, and I self-destruct.

One room? That's tough for me. We have nature/science stuff in almost every room of the house. We have rock collections, entomology cases, fossils, native american artifacts, books, shells, starfish, more books, pictures, models, etc. Nature and the outdoors is my family's passion so it is a part of who we are. People come over and spend lots of time looking through our treasures. The best part is - we are absolutely hands on. Kids love being able to pick up things and look at them.

Chris, I am in a similar situation with my DD(17). Would you like to come over and start a support group with me? I'll provide chocolate, tissues and boxing gloves and a punching bag. We could play 80's music as loud as we want to. Do you like Duran Duran? Singing Hungry Like the Wolf while punching a bag can be very cathartic. :grouphug:

Congratulations. I grew up in Colorado Springs. Where downtown did you live?

I grew up in the big city; DH grew up in a smaller city but went on family camping trips, owned/showed horses, did 4H, went hunting, etc. It was a whole new world for me when we began dating. Now we both prefer the great outdoors and are looking forward to buying property in the country.

That would have to be Tombraider. Someone gave me a free VHS copy when I began grad school and I would pop it in every night when I would study. I liked the background noise and the sense of adventure. I watched/listened to it almost every night for about 9 months. As soon as I finished the majority of my courses - and all I had left was my thesis - I stopped watching it and haven't watched it since. The runner up would have to be The Ten Commandments. DH and I have watched this together every year since we began dating.

Thank you so much for sharing! As stated already - very inspirational. I am glad you are feeling better.