This is a beautifully written book that describes how nature reacts during a solar eclipse.
When this rare event occurs, the nocturnal and diurnal animals come together to celebrate the event. They raise their diverse voices in celebration. Through lovely illustrations and lyrical language, the reader is invited to partake of the beauty of this short moment in time.
The author uses alliteration and vocabulary that suit the magical mood. This book combines a sweet tale of nature with science to describe and present a vivid picture of the eclipse.
An excellent choice for teachers and parents to discuss a solar eclipse for children in elementary school.
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The Covid crisis led to an awakening of parents to the curriculum being taught in our public schools. Many parents became dissatisfied with the content and presentation of online lessons. That led them to an examination of alternatives.
Of course in America there are many options to educating our children. There are public schools, private schools, charter schools, Montessori schools and, of course, the option of home schooling. There are advocates of both home schooling and public schooling. Those of us who don’t home school, which is still the majority of Americans, need to fully understand the reasons why people choose to home school their children.
Religious or Philosophical Convictions: Religion is not permitted in the public schools. Many families feel that religion needs to be a larger part of their child’s education than that which the public schools allow. People who have deep religious beliefs show great passion. These are the individuals who are passionate about their children’s education and feel that only they are able to teach them to the best of their ability and the content that they feel they should be learning. The home schooling parent is in charge, they call the shots and they like it that way.
Socialization: Some people that don’t understand home schooling believe that it is confining rather than socializing. But those individuals that believe that are stuck in thinking about the stereotypical socialization of an age-based classroom. Children that are home schooled are exposed to social situations in a mixed age range. They have “age-mates” instead of “class-mates”. Many home schoolers feel that their children need to be exposed to the appropriate ways to behave not inappropriate. They feel that their child should be exposed to the model behavior of people who have learned to make decisions and handle themselves in various social settings. By being exposed to appropriate modeling of social behavior, home-schooled children will learn how to act appropriately. Parents of home schooled children can also see when their child “gets-it” when they model for a younger child appropriate behavior. Home-schooled children get a reality based social lesson. On a daily basis they see adults they know, love and trust manage and balance life day to day. Modeled for them is academics balanced with real life chores; caring for a sick friend or neighbor, shoveling the driveway and walkway, doing the grocery shopping and dropping of the dry cleaning, cooking dinner while folding laundry, putting laundry away and talking on the phone with Aunt Sara. These are real life situations that home schoolers are exposed to and public school children are often sheltered from or are privy to a controlled school environment.
Academics: Home schoolers have several advantages over publicly schooled children. The curriculum is designed specifically for them – not for children their age and what children at a particular age are expected to know and learn. Public schools differentiate instruction the best they can. However, a home-schooled child has a curriculum tailored to their needs. They may read at a 4th grade level, spell at a 3rd grade level and complete math at a 6th grade level. A home-schooled child is neither rushed nor not given enough time. There are no other children to “keep busy” so they are free to work at their pace and move as quickly or as slowly as need be. Much research has been done on how children learn best. A home-schooled child is not only taught by the person who knows them best in the entire world but also since they are the only student, the learning style never has to be varied. If a student learns best through music, then the curriculum of a home-schooled child can be tailored to meet their needs so they will be more successful.
Home-schooled children get to spend more quality time as a family. They are not trapped in a traditional school setting for 6 hours a day but are free to spend quality time as a family every day. It is said that parents are a child’s first teacher. Families that home school want to continue to be their child’s teacher because they feel that their children need the guidance of their family and God and not the guidance of someone hired to do a job that is naturally theirs from the day their child was born.
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Mouse Visits Everglades National Park (Mouse Traveler)
Written by Tricia Gardella
Illustrated by Ginger Nielson
A delightful adventure for primary-grade readers. A mouse gives us a guided tour of Everglades National Park. This intrepid traveler is delighted to find his bird friend at the park.
The bird volunteers to guide his friend. First, they visit many of the birds that inhabit the swamp. Readers learn about egrets and spoonbills. But the mouse wants to see alligators and crocodiles, so he moves on to the mangrove swamp.
Tired from his daylong adventure, the mouse uses his magic acorn to get home.
At the end of the tale, the author includes facts about the Everglades and questions to measure comprehension.
A fun book that contains an adventure story with knowledge about the Everglades.
Recommended to teachers and parents of elementary-age readers.
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The Lightborn Generation : Children of the Light and the Future of Humanity
Written by Werner Stejskal
Children of the Light is a reflective novel that invites readers into a world where inner transformation, consciousness, and the search for truth take center stage. Werner Stejskal crafts a narrative that blends storytelling with philosophy.
Stejskal’s writing leans into themes of enlightenment, self-discovery, and the interconnectedness of humanity. Readers who enjoy contemplative or metaphysical literature will likely find the book meaningful.
One of the novel’s strengths is its tone, which is calm, introspective, and often poetic. The author explores big questions: Why are we here? What does it mean to live authentically? How do we move beyond fear and limitation? These elements make the book feel almost like a guided meditation at times.
However, readers looking for a traditional, plot-driven story may find the pacing slow. The narrative prioritizes ideas over action. That said, for the right audience, this is precisely what makes the book impactful.
Children of the Light is best suited for readers who appreciate spiritual fiction and are open to exploring deeper questions about life and consciousness. It is an invitation to think, reflect, and perhaps see the world a little differently.
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A fun-to-read middle-grade adventure with appealing illustrations.
What happens when grandpa starts acting like a dog? Finn and Sally discover a strange contraption in their grandfather’s workshop. Suddenly, grandpa acts like the family dog, and other family members get involved in all sorts of shenanigans.
The humor certainly appeals to the seven through twelve age group, but readers of all ages will enjoy these zany characters and the fast-moving plot.
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This is a touching book about a child’s emotional feelings as a parent deploys to Iraq.
Mason is about to attend a community ceremony honoring the soldiers, including his dad, about to depart on military duty. Mason is feeling anxious, worried, proud, and upset. When he returns to school, Mason finds a surprise. Feeling the support of friends reassures Mason.
This book is a wonderful resource for children of military families. Recommended for parents and teachers of children aged seven and older.
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This book is part of a series in which The Know It Owl entertains and educates elementary-age readers.
The axolotl is an intriguing creature. This amphibian breaks the rules. It reminds young readers that unique characteristics can be a blessing or a curse. Children learn about the habitats, foods, and body characteristics of this little-known sea creature.
Readers will not realize they are absorbing knowledge as they turn each page. There are interactive features such as drawing pages, Fast Facts, and mazes.
The whole series is highly recommended.
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200 Free Tools to Save Time on Social Media Managing: Boost Your Social Media Results & Reduce Your Hours (Free Online Tools
Written by Anita Nipane
A useful tool that provides free resources to help you navigate through social platforms quickly.
The author provides a useful chart that delineates different platforms and lists free tools for each one. There were many tools I had never heard about. Nipane provides clickable links and briefly explains how to use each.
Readers can visit the social platforms that they frequently use and select more efficient ways to use them with these tools. It is a valuable resource for casual and business users.
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You can’t control what happens to you—but you can always choose contentment. Here’s how to start today.
Have you ever been in a tough situation and felt really good? If you shared your lousy set of circumstances with others, they might have remarked on what they saw as an inappropriate attitude. Is it really inappropriate, though? Why not choose to be upbeat when times are tough?
Life can be hard. Sometimes your life is going along splendidly, and then you are dealt the worst possible cards out of nowhere. You have to deal with some setbacks or losses. What happened was out of your control. You couldn’t stop it and certainly didn’t see it coming.
What do you do now? How are you going to get past this devastating experience?
You can let that difficulty wreck your emotions. People sometimes have such a hard time overcoming a traumatic event that it cripples them for the rest of their lives. Instead, you can choose that you are going to recover. At first, this may seem impossible. However, when you consciously choose to move past one of life’s great difficulties, that’s the first step to eventual recovery.
Contentment is the same way. It’s all about choice.
You may have a tough set of circumstances. There may not be the possibility of your circumstances changing for a very long time. In this situation, why not choose to be happy and think good thoughts? If you know the details of your situation may not change for the better any time soon, why not choose happiness over sadness?
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Our Busy, Fast-Paced World
The modern world is always begging for more. You can give everything you’ve got, and it will expect you to produce more effort. It constantly tells you that you’re not good enough and you must consistently strive to be better than you currently are.
The distractions you get daily simply moving through your daily routine are constant. So many things going on around you are out of your control. This leads to experiences you didn’t ask for.
When these negative situations enter your life, you must deal with them. Ignoring them might make them worse, and ignorance never solves any problem. While you can’t control much of what happens to you, there is one thing you can control.
Think about your daily life. What are the top three external pressures or distractions that affect your sense of peace?
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You Always Have a Choice
Happiness is short-term. You smile or laugh at something, and then just as quickly as it appears that short-term dose of joy is gone. Contentment lasts long-term. It’s about accepting who you are, all you have right now, and your place in the world. You are enough right now. Don’t believe the constant barrage of messages saying you need to buy more, be more, and experience more.
Happiness is great. You should have a lot of happy moments in your life. Contentment is what you should strive for because it’s long-lasting. Accept yourself for who you are, giving you a better appreciation of yourself and the world. You choose positive feelings and emotions rather than despair and stress when things don’t go your way.
Life is going to catch you off-guard. That’s a truth you need to wrap your mind around. When it does, choose hope and happiness, and contentment. You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can always control how you decide to feel about it.
Reflection Exercises
Understanding Happiness vs. Contentment
What is the difference between happiness and contentment in your own words?
Think of a recent moment when you felt happy. How long did that feeling last?
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Choosing Your Response
Describe a challenging situation you’re currently facing or have faced recently.
How did you initially react to this situation?
Looking back, how could you choose to respond differently to create more contentment?
Your Contentment Action Plan
Recognizing What You Can’t Control
List three things in your life that are currently outside your control:
For each item above, write how you can choose to respond with contentment instead of stress:
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Affirming Your Enough-ness
The modern world constantly tells you that you’re not enough. But the truth is different. Complete this affirmation by filling in what makes you enough right now:
I am enough because:
Daily Contentment Practice
Remember: You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can always control how you decide to feel about it.
Use this tracker to practice choosing contentment each day for the next week. When something challenging happens, pause and consciously choose your response.
Day
What challenged me & how I chose to respond
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
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Weekly Reflection
After practicing for a week, what have you learned about choosing contentment?
What will you continue doing to maintain contentment in your daily life?
Life is unpredictable—but your response doesn’t have to be. This simple contentment guide helps you:
✔ Let go of what you can’t control ✔ Choose peace during tough moments ✔ Build daily habits for lasting calm
Because contentment isn’t luck — it’s a skill you can practice.
I Can Try Again: An Inspiring Story for Kids About Perseverance, Grit, and Learning From Mistakes for Ages 4–8 (I Can Books Book 6)
Written and illustrated by Alicia Ortego
Another picture book in this charming series about Mia and life lessons.
The lesson in this book for early elementary readers is that perseverance pays off. Once again, Mia has her mother’s support. Mia realizes that we can learn from our mistakes and use them as stepping stones, practicing in small steps until the goal of mastery is achieved. Whether the goal is learning how to jump rope or mastering the sequence of steps in a dance, Mia discovers the importance of patience and perseverance. She comes to understand the true value of resilience.
This book also contains interactive activities and thoughtful questions that encourage readers to apply the valuable lessons Mia shares in their own lives.
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April 29, 2026
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