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Archive for September, 2018
October Book Clubs 2018
The October Arrow, Pouch, and Boomerang book clubs are starting soon!
If you’re looking for an easy way into online classes for your child, the book clubs are great for that! Kids love “talking” (a.k.a. writing) about books. In these Brave Writer classes, they will be able to discuss the books freely with instructor guidance and encouragement.
Also a FREE digital copy of our language arts guide based on the book is provided.
[This post contains Amazon affiliate links. When you click on those links to make purchases,
Brave Writer receives compensation at no extra cost to you. Thank you!]
For the Arrow Book Club (ages 9-12), we’ll be reading Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers.
The Arrow Book Club provides an online discussion space (asynchronous, bulletin board style) for students to learn to discuss literature using literary analysis vocabulary without the pressure of writing “essays.” Homeschool students especially need the chance to talk about what they read—-yet the busy mother-of-many doesn’t always have time to take the discussion to a written form.
For more information and to get registered, click here.
For the Pouch Book Club (ages 11-14), we’re reading The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White.
Due to popular demand, Brave Writer now offers a transition book club between the Arrow and Boomerang. This club is for middle schoolers who want to discuss novels with their peers, who are ready to learn the art of thinking and writing simultaneously all while excited about a great story!
For more information and to get registered, click here.
For the Boomerang Book Club (ages 11-18), we’re reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.
Rather than reading in isolation, without the benefit of examining the writing and the layers of meaning novelists intend their readers to experience, The Boomerang Book Club provides a forum for that opportunity. Homeschool students especially need the chance to talk about what they read—yet the busy mother-of-many doesn’t always have time to read those lengthy dense books, let alone discuss them in depth!
For more information and to get registered, click here.
Let Brave Writer help you. These book discussions are drawn from entertaining works of fiction that your kids are sure to love!
Caveat: Please remember that you’re the parent. If you have doubts about the content of a particular book, please check the reviews of the novel or read it for yourself first. Pouch and Boomerang books in particular may include sexuality, graphic language, and mature themes.
Movie Wednesday: Fullmetal Alchemist
by Amy Frantz, Brave Writer alum
After the sudden death of their mother, brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric attempt to use alchemy to bring her back to life. But when it goes horribly wrong, the young boys are left with dire consequences. Edward loses an arm and a leg in the attempt and must bind his little brother’s soul to a suit of armor to keep Alphonse alive.
Years later, Edward has become a renowned State Alchemist, known as the Fullmetal Alchemist because of his metal prosthetic limbs. Now bent on returning Alphonse to his proper body, Edward will stop at nothing to find the Philosopher’s Stone, which he believes will grant him the power to set things right. But strong forces outside the two brothers conspire to keep them from their goal.
[This post contains Amazon affiliate links. When you click on those links to make purchases,
Brave Writer receives compensation at no extra cost to you. Thank you!]
Fullmetal Alchemist is a Netflix original film and a fantasy science fiction movie released in 2017. Directed by Fumihiko Sori, it is a live action adaptation of the award-winning and worldwide best-selling manga (Japanese comic) series of the same name by Hiromu Arakawa.
In recent years, there has been a string of live action adaptations of Japanese manga, many of which have received heavy criticism for whitewashing. Fullmetal Alchemist is a notable exception to this trend. Although set in a fantastical, fictionalized Europe, the movie’s characters are all played by Japanese actors. A common argument against including representation in genre films has been that its presence would somehow need an explanation from the narrative. Fullmetal Alchemist never does this and simply centers Japanese actors without making it a narrative point.
Among the film’s central themes are familial love, trust and loyalty, perseverance, learning from mistakes, and that all actions have consequences that cannot be cheated.
A note to parents: Fullmetal Alchemist is rated TV-14 (roughly the equivalent of PG-13) and is intended for older teen audiences. Parents should be aware that it contains dark themes and intense fantasy violence (particularly in its last third). We recommend looking up the film on sites like Common Sense Media before deciding if it is right for your family.
Discussion Questions
- A major theme of Fullmetal Alchemist is the principle of equivalent exchange; that in order to create something new, something old must be destroyed/given up. In what ways does the film illustrate this theme outside of the obvious alchemy?
- Condensing and omission are necessities of the adaptation process, especially when trying to adapt a long-running comic series into a two hour film. Were there ever any moments in the film where you felt something wasn’t well explained or that something was missing, or did you feel the film’s narrative held together on its own? Explain your answer.
- Towards the end of the film, one of the Homunculi observes that because she can die then she is human. What do you think this definition of humanity implies about her character?
- At the end of the film, Ed decides not to use the Philosopher’s Stone to bring Al’s body back. Do you agree with his decision? Why or why not?
Additional Resources
Fullmetal Alchemist is streaming on Netflix.
Amy Frantz is a Brave Writer alum. When not over-analyzing Star Wars, she spent much of her teens building a rather large manga collection.
Hispanic Heritage Month
From September 15th to October 15th is National Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States.
“Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.” –From the Hispanic Heritage Month about page
Here at Brave Writer we would like to direct you to some products and resources for Hispanic Heritage Month.
[This post contains Amazon affiliate links. When you click on those links to make purchases,
Brave Writer receives compensation at no extra cost to you. Thank you!]
Esperanza thought she’d always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico–she’d always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home, and servants. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California during the Great Depression, and to settle in a camp for Mexican farm workers. Esperanza isn’t ready for the hard labor, financial struggles, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When their new life is threatened, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances–Mama’s life, and her own, depend on it.—Amazon (purchase the book here)
The Arrow is the monthly digital product that features copywork and dictation passages from a specific read aloud novel (you purchase or obtain the novels yourself). It’s geared toward children ages 8-11 and is an indispensable tool for parents who want to teach language arts in a natural, literature-bathed context.
Miguel comes from a family of shoemakers and in the Rivera household there is absolutely no music allowed. Miguel’s great-great-grandmother’s husband abandoned the family many years before to pursue music and ever since then the family has forbade music on principle. But Miguel dreams of one day becoming a renowned musician. His idol is the famous Ernesto de la Cruz, who was a popular singer before his untimely death. And now it seems like it’s Miguel’s lucky break. During the Day of the Dead holiday there will be a music contest and Miguel hopes to enter. But magic is in the air, and when Miguel’s plan goes wrong, he finds himself in the Land of the Dead! Now Miguel must find his musician great-great-grandfather to receive his blessing and transport Miguel back to the living before sunrise or he will remain among his deceased ancestors forever!
Learn more about the film (includes discussion questions) here.
Poetry Teatime!
Here is a list of bilingual English-Spanish poetry books perfect for Poetry Teatime!
- Arrorro, Mi Nino
- Water Rolls, Water Rises: El agua rueda, el agua sube
- The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations: Holiday Poems for the Whole Year in English and Spanish
- From the Bellybutton of the Moon: And Other Summer Poems / Del Ombligo de la Luna: Y Otros Poemas de Verano
For more Poetry Teatime ideas for Hispanic Heritage Month, check out our post on the official Poetry Teatime website.
Brave Writer Podcast: Making Money as a Mom and Homeschooler
Do you wonder if it’s okay to earn money on the side while homeschooling? Are you skilled in some way but don’t know how to monetize it? Would it help your family to know that there was a stream of income that could pay for the extras like lacrosse gear or a field trip to Williamsburg?
These were the questions I asked myself that drove me to find ways to earn extra money while homeschooling. I didn’t launch a full-fledged business right out of the gate. In fact, my first income came from freelance work as a ghost-writer and editor of PhD dissertations.
In this episode, I give you some tips for how to go about adding additional money to your strapped finances without crushing your homeschool under the weight of too much work.
The first thing we need to address is the mindset.
Right off the bat, know that it’s okay to want to earn money! You’re not a bad homeschooler, you’re not a bad spouse, you’re not less devoted to your children, you’re not overly materialistic.
Now, you have the freedom to decide whether you want to do that, and it’s okay to decide you don’t – but it is YOUR choice!
The 4 keys to earning money while homeschooling:
- Determine your skills. You may be wondering, what is it that I’m going to do? Well, this probably isn’t the right time to reinvent the wheel. Consider the things you’re already good at it and use that as a starting point – work doesn’t have to be something difficult or something you don’t want to do!
- Get good at your skills. You deserve a little time away from your family to devote to yourself, and that’s how you’ll grow as the human being you were born to be. You need it, you deserve it – all you need to do is take it!
- Give your skills away. You can start getting some work experience by volunteering your skills. And if you’re pursuing something you like to do, this should be fun!
- Start charging money! Pricing is always a challenge, and you can do some research but, ultimately, you may end up having to sort of make a guess and pick a number. But people, particularly women, often undervalue themselves – so start with the number that sounds right to you and then double it!
Would you please post a review on Apple Podcasts for us?
Help a homeschooler like you find more joy in the journey. Thanks!
