Review: Time Stoppers

 I LOVED this book.

Admittedly...when it started I was wondering what in the world Raincoast had sent me, children being hurt, feeling lost and alone, adults letting them down, but it didn't take too long before I was totally hooked.

Time Stoppers by Carrie Jones is a winner. 

Half way through chapter two I was hooked.  Monsters?  In a sleepy little town?   Okay.. so what was the deal with the girl Annie in the first chapter?  Was she connected? How was she connected?  What's with the dog thing?  My curiousity aroused, I kept reading...and reading..and reading.  My sweetheart told me to get my nose out of the book and talk to him.. I distinctly remember mumbling at him... :)

Finding myself impressed with the character development. Watching Annie and Jamie develop into characters with gumption.  Laughing at Eva and her uniqueness and being delighted with Bloom with his determination.   Just great characters that I would like to continue to see in action.

Aurora is where Annie and Jamie end up, with a choice.. stay and protect or return to their home (albeit in a better situation than before).  They make their choice and now we have to see if Aurora will be safe. 

The nasty guy is well.. NASTY!  Seriously.   I'd like to stomp on him. But the youth are determined... will they see through.. well.. you gotta read the book as I'm not into spoilers.  :)

My Thoughts:
I cannot say that the first chapter of this book is an easy read.  It isn't.  Things happen that should not happen to anyone.  Seriously.  BUT that 'not goodness' sets the stage for the choices made later on.  Sensitive-minded children would need to be encouraged to push through and see what happens later with those choices.   (or just wait until they are older to read the book).  Beyond that.. LOVED THIS BOOK.  I found it a great read and the parts I read to my lad have him interested in reading it too... So we may end up with a Carrie Jones fan on our hands eh?   Which isn't a bad thing as ... there's a second book! 

Time Stoppers
Carrie Jones
Bloomsbury Children's Books
372 pages
Fantasy, softcover
approximately 8 x 5 inches
Age: 8-12 years.

Reviewed for Raincoast Books.


Where can you find this treasure?
Amazon.ca: Time Stoppers

Amazon.com: Time Stoppers

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Parenting Series: False Gods

Have you ever asked yourself these questions.
1. Why do my children do the things they do?
2. How does change take place in children's hearts and lives?
3. How can I be a tool of change in the hearts and lives of my children?

The answer to all these questions is this: worship.

Everything children do is related to what they worship most in that moment. 

Is it outward appearance?  Making other people happy?   Wanting to do their own thing?   Wanting more stuff?   What is at the root of their behaviour?

I  was recently reading in Romans that when one gives glory to God it makes your faith stronger.   Mr. Tripp talks about how worship is something that we live everyday.  It's an attitude and choice.  Worship is that inner desire to wonder and amazement that we all possess. It's part of our life long hunt for God. 

So tying these thoughts together... as we increase the chances for our children to worship God, we will grow their faith.  Makes sense eh?  So we need to see the bigger struggles and not just the surface stuff.  We need to build on that connection to God.

Mr. Tripp lists off seven things in our goal to do that.
1. The capacity of the heart of our children to worship is meant to drive them to God.
2. The capacity of your children to worship is the most important biblical insight for parents.
3. Since your children are worshippers, you must be committed to being an instrument of seeing.
4. Since your children are worshippers, a vital skill for you is to learn how to lead them to confession. 
5. To say your children are worshippers means you have no power to free them from their biggest problems.
6. Because your children are worshippers, your only ope for them is the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
7. We are more like our children than unlike them.

Remember.. God has given you the grace to parent the children he gave you.  Search their hearts, help them search their hearts, help them to see God more clearly so they can worship him all the more.

Want to follow along?  Amazon affiliate links below.


Amazon.ca:  Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family


Amazon.com: Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Review: My Jesus Bible

Want a board book bible for your littlest ones?   One that is easy to hold on to, that tells the story of Jesus, and will take some abuse?

Have I got the bible story book for you!   Called My Jesus Bible. 16 stories, 40 pages.   It follows the story from Mary hearing the news to Jesus's death and resurrection.    

This is a delightful little book, a solid, brightly coloured book.   The colours are so vibrant and the text gives enough detail to give the basics, which leaves you ample room to supplement with additional details if desired.

Each story covers two pages.   Are the colours lovely?  And the text, a bit smaller than what I would have thought, covers more information than is normally found in a board book. 

Check out the text eh?

 

My Thoughts:
This is a bright, colourful book, with sturdy board book pages.  The handle is nice size for little hands that can take some throwing around (not that you'd want your littles doing that but you know... sometimes things happen).  It makes it so easy for them to bring along with them to church or grammas or the park.  The stories are short with just enough detail that you can easily embellish, or let stand on it's own.   I appreciated how in the story of Peter and Jesus on the raging see how it mentioned how Peter took his eyes off Jesus and that's when he started to sink. 

My Jesus Bible
Text: Michael Berghof
Illustrator: Gill Guile
Tommy Nelson
Type: Board Book
Children's story bible
40 pages
Age: Preschool
Reviewed for BookLookBloggers


Where can you get one?
Amazon.ca:  My Jesus Bible: With Handle

Amazon.com: My Jesus Bible: With Handle

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This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Art Book: The Girl Who Drew Butterflies

When I first got The Girl who Drew Butterflies I thought cool.. an art book!  I'll get to see lots of pictures of butterflies and be totally amazed.   Little did I know the wonder and joy I would experience when I realized that it was not only an art book but it was also a science book.  A way to combine two loves!  It's GREAT!!!!

Imagine you live in a time when people aren't sure where bugs come from, and no one can really answer the questions of a curious girl child.  Maria, who helped her step-father, Jacob Marrel, with his artistry. He liked to draw still life pictures and Maria would often bring in flowers for him to draw, and found the insects that crawled on them fascinating. 

Her interest was fostered as her step-dad was also interested in the insects as he thought they made his pictures come to life, so she was sent out to gather more for him. 

Maria was so curious about where all these insects came from but no one really knew where they came from.   Perhaps from mud or old clothes?    Marel taught Maria the tools of the trade, teaching her everything he knew. But Maria's mind was captured by the insects around her and she burned to discover the answers to her questions.

She started with silkworms. Watching everything, drawing it too.

Jotting down everything she could. Asking questions, seeking out the answers to her beloved insects.  Learning how to do this AND fulfill the role destined for her by society.

This is a fascinating book.

I learned so much about what was going in the day.  Witch hunts...seeking after women who varied from what society expected of them.  Women had to be so careful in what they did.  Not receiving recognition for the work they did, yet contributing mightily to society around them.

Gradually society shifted opinions, and just as gradually Maria became known as the caterpillar lady.

She learned, and documented how all moths and butterflies went through the same transformation.



Ah... I want to tell you all that I learned but that would spoil the book for you it would!  It's just a neat book, really.  I so enjoyed it.   Seeing her determination to stick to her love of insects, her patience .. biding her time, watching, observing, starting over, and her stepping out with what she knew.  

She led a fascinating life and ended up drawing/painting so many pictures with plants and their insects.   Showing the world their beauty as she could best show it.

She was simply a fascinating lady, well focused on her life's passion, and so determined to see it through.

To see all the she saw and be able to document everything... so fantastic!

Read the book, be inspired.  See art teach science something new.

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Marian's Art Changed Science.
Joyce Sidman
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
160 pages.
Age: 10-12 

Reviewed for: Raincoast Books
 

Where can you get it?

Amazon.ca: The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science

Amazon.com: The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science

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This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Life Pleasures 2: Concert

Concert

ALMOST every year since we've been married hubby and I have gone to the Home County Festival in London.  Always happens right around his birthday.   We took the lad when he was wee young and spent most of the time in the children's area.  This year we went and the lad pokemon go'd and worked on soapstone carvings.  We hardly saw our lad this year at all.  He enjoyed it so very very much!  But honestly... so did we.  :)

Home County is a free festival...you pay what you want when you are there if you like, some do, some don't, but most do.     Bands play, they have workshops where they try to teach you things, and where different groups get together and have fun playing with each other.   

This is the first year I heard someone playing a washboard and it was rather neat!  :)

This is admittedly not a great video as I used my tablet 

(the lad had my phone) but it was so much fun listening to this group

 I wanted to try to share it with you.  :)

This year it was a wonderful surprise I got to hear one of my favourite singers!!!   Susan Aglukark did a short 45 minute concert for us!!   IT WAS SO WONDERFUL!!!!   It was WAY too short, I told hubby I'd love to hear her in concert and then he reminded me of ticket prices so well.. that's not going to happen.  :)  But I can buy her music and listen on-line and what not so life is good is it not?

She performed this song for us.  I made my hubby grin as I sang along and shuffled around in my chair.  :)

 I rather despair at this point of getting my lad to enjoy SITTING and listening to music.  He likes some kinds of music well enough...but not to just sit and listen to.. he'd rather be doing stuff and have it on in the background. 

He did make a couple of neat soap stone carvings though which was rather neat to see, but no pics allowed this year.  :(

Anyways, we heard some wonderful music and well... some that we got up and left with, but 95% of it was great!  The Bombaliers, the washboard folks, Amanda (something) and a celtic group.... and of course Susan Aglukark.  

It was a great Friday evening and Saturday.  We didn't go on the Sunday because hubby had to preach and it was his birthday...cake and presents filled our afternoon.  :)
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This post is part of the Crews Instagram word prompt challenge. I find them fun to turn into posts, will you join me in the challenge?

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Creative Friday: Junk Drawer Engineering

Do you like doing STEM Challenges with your students or children?   Aren't they fun to do?   Do you sometimes get concerned that it will cost you an arm and a leg to do STEM activities?    Bobby Mercer comes to your rescue in this great book I'm reviewing today called Junk Drawer Engineering.

Three Chapters entitled Energy, Structures, Waves.  Each chapter has several projects listed such as windmill challenge, egg catch or mirror, mirror on the wall.

Each project lists what you need and then walks you step by step what you need to do to complete the project along with pictures. 

The pictures are all in black and white, but they are clear enough to show the builders what they need to do.  How to bend the paperclip, or how to attach the elastic and so forth.   Little things that might not be as easy to explain in words are readily apparent in a picture. 

I found that for many of the projects he provided images for how you might engineer the project a bit differently.   For instance using the bottom of a can or a ninja star or a plastic cup to make the windmill.   Bobby Mercer also explains the science behind the projects and gives age appropriate ways to guide the student engineer.  

These different STEM projects are a boon to the learning of any middle school and up student.  Upper elementary students could complete many of the projects as well.

Junk Drawer Engineering: 25 Construction Challenges that don't cost a thing
Bobby Mercer
Chicago Review Press
Ages 9 and up

208 pages
Type: STEM Challenges, 
Trade Paperback
Series: Junk Drawer Science

Reviewed for: Chicago Review Press

Where can you find this helpful book?
Amazon.ca: Junk Drawer Engineering: 25 Construction Challenges That Don't Cost a Thing (Junk Drawer Science)

Amazon.com:  Junk Drawer Engineering: 25 Construction Challenges That Don't Cost a Thing (Junk Drawer Science)

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This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Precious Moments Collection

Precious Moments Collection

Precious Moments

Line the shelves.

Reminding me of 

the people I had 

In mind when I bought them

Brothers three

Sisters two

Mom 

Dad

Friends

Moments in history

Caught in the figures.

Memories.

But expenses catch up.

No more memories

Captured in figurines.

Instead

Precious Moments are captured.

In words

In pictures

Captured and

Collected.

Precious Moments.

 

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This is a five minute Friday post. the word prompt is brought to us by Miss Kate over at Five Minute Friday.  What is Five Minute Friday?  Well it's a party of a group of like minded folks who gather on Friday to do a five minute free write around a singular word.  AND THEN (and this is the most important part) we take the time to offer up encouragement to each other on this writing journey.  It's fun, though it's not always easy, but it is always good.   Come join us won't you?  You are always welcome.

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This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Adam's Disobedience, Christ's Obedience

 Today we are reading from Romans 5:12-21.

¹² Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— ¹³ for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. ¹⁴ Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
Remember from Genesis, how sin came into the world?  The temptation of the devil, Adam falling into it?  Sin was brought into the world through one person.  And so it spread to all mankind through that one person.  I found this line interesting "for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law".  So I thought I'd check out other translations NCV says it this way "Sin was in the world before the law of Moses, but sin is not counted against us as breaking a command when there is no law."
So until the law of Moses was set into place, sin was not counted against the people, even though it existed.   And since sin existed... so did death.  Adam was a type of the one who is to come (being Jesus) we know from the rest of the New Testament.

¹⁵ But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. ¹⁶ And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. ¹⁷ For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Then God's free gift happened. And it wasn't like the result of Adam's action.  It caused the death of many BUT Christ's redemptive work.. resulted in grace and life to so many more!  This free gift brought about justification, and life to so many more.
 
¹⁸ Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. ¹⁹ For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. ²⁰ Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, ²¹ so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This is what we have
One trespass = condemnation for all men.
One act of righteousness = justification and life for all people.
One person's disobedience created sinners.
One person's obedience created righteous people. 
Then the law showed all the more sin, but where we saw more sin we also see something else now.. MORE GRACE!  Grace abounding!

Sin reigns in death.
BUT grace.. see grace reigns in righteousness that leads to eternal life though Jesus Christ our Lord.

 To follow along with the rest of this devotional series in Romans Click Here. 

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Parenting Series: Character

Imagine you are working hard, getting frazzled because you have too much to do with not enough time to do it.  Your family is home and is just letting you do your thing (being frazzled and worried) as they do their own thing.  Is this right?

No.  They are showing their lack of concern for you by their lack of action.

I have to admit, I struggle with this one in my household.  Both my fellows will say "but if you want our help just ask"....And it seems to me uncaring that they don't volunteer... or they will do as very little as they can get away with.   Drives me nuts.

Is that a character thing?   I don't know.   So I struggle with it.  I can see their point.  If I'm struggling I should "man up" and just ask for help cause honestly...how are they supposed to read my mind?   They can't.  They know I am fully capable of getting things done and sometimes I do so in a frazzled manner as just part of me living life.  (and I'm sure many other folks do the same). Their point is valid then is it not?  Shouldn't that frazzled mom say "HEY!  Kids, I need some help in here, I can't manage it all.  You Joey, sweep the floor.  Amy, set the table.  Jeff... get this dog out of my way!".   

Could it be a character flaw?  hmm..  can be argued.  :)   Doesn't change Mr. Tripp's premise though.  Sometimes lack of character is why children don't do (and adults) don't do some of the things they aught to.   So how does one deal with it?

Step one: admit that you need the Lord to help you with your character as well. Seriously, we all have "stuff" that we mess up with.

Step two: don't be afraid to admit this to your children.

Step three: see lack of character for what it is... a lack of worship and connection to God. Romans 1 tells us that people make a choice to turn away from God.  They want to be in control, doing what they want, believing a lie, but content within that.  When people show a lack of character they are revealing who is most important in their lives AT THAT MOMENT.

Step Four: point out that idolatry of self.  Point the way back to seeing God in his grace, God giving up his son for us, so that we can have a right relationship with him. 

Step Five: see that just as God is molding you into his image, you can help your children see how they too need to be molded into the image of God.

Character Development.  See God or see yourself?  Be molded.
Want to follow along?  Amazon affiliate links below.

Amazon.ca:  Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family

Amazon.com: Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Rejoice! Stand in THIS Grace.

 Today our passage is Romans 5:1-11.

  Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ² Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

You know what that word therefore means right?   It means that remember what you have just learned.. keep that in mind..  cause now there will be a new thing to add in.

Remember that we have been justified because of our faith.  Got that right?
The result of that is this:  we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
And not only that. 

•  access to the grace in which we stand 
• we can rejoice in hope of the glory of God
• we can rejoice in our sufferings BECAUSE suffering eventually leads to hope, a hope because of God's love. 

I have to admit that I don't get this all.  I don't.  How does one live in the God's grace?  How does one stand within that grace?  I looked it up in other translations and that was no help.
So I leaned on hubby who helped me understand that it's grace, a tangible thing that we see in our hope, and in how we deal with suffering and build character and overall live within that hope of God's glory.   It's is not just God's kindness, but it THE GRACE...the grace that is God and is a tangible thing that we can hold on to.  And I'm probably not explaining it well, but it's real and it's there and it's what helps us rejoice in our sufferings because we can see the end result of it  all.

⁶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— ⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. ¹¹ More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

These verses point out to us that Christ died at just the right time.  God knew you know?  How all these cultures would merge in Rome. The Passover which brings people into Jerusalem so all these people would see the mighty work that God had done.  God's timing was perfect.

Our weakness was still there, a people so prone to turning away from God, a people so ungodly. A people full of sin. BUT read this: but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners.  Showing love to us.. sinners!  And we already know how God sees sin right?  God sent his son to DIE for us. 

 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. ¹¹ More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Since we've been justified by his blood, we are also saved from the wrath of God. Think about what that means.  While we were in that horrible icky state, enemies of God, and he chose to reconcile us to him by the death of his Son.    So now we've been made right with God just think about how much more we will be saved by his life.  Just think about that!  We have that reconciliation.  We have the joy in God. What am I saying.. doesn't all this give you reason, give me reason to REJOICE in the Lord God.  That tremendous gift he gave us in reconciliation.   We were horrible in our sin and God knew that and yet, and yet he chose to bring us back to himself.   If that isn't a reason to rejoice what is?
 
 To follow along with the rest of this devotional series in Romans Click Here.

This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Art Book: Miniscapes - Create Your Own Terrarium

I recently contacted my "person" at Raincoast and mentioned that my lad was into making terrariums lately so she very kindly sent me a book that she thought might be a boon to him... and it was!   Let me tell you about Miniscapes: Create your own Terrarium.  I know I know..not your typical art book, but making a terrarium is a form of art you know?   Can you put different mediums together in a way that will balance and create something beautiful?   Miniscapes helps you to gain the know-how to do this yourself.

 
 I love the logical step up in Miniscapes.  Walking the reader through what a terrarium was and how it worked.  Being walked through all the parts of a terrarium, learning why you need the different layers, the types of plants you can use and more.  The Close of Miniscapes leaves you with several projects you can complete to get your feet wet, or to at least give you ideas for creating your own.   It's a rather neat book.

The first half of Miniscapes is devoted to teaching the reader about the various plants, and parts of a terrarium.  The different styles of glass bowls, types of rocks, plants, substrate, tools, and accessories . 

I found the text easy to read and understand.  The author was very good at explaining how everything works, making this an ideal book for a novice to terrariums, while including lots of projects to intrigue the more seasoned.

 
The Projects, more than 15 projects, each with an ingredients list, with step by step instructions for completing them.

My Thoughts:
This is a helpful little book, full of ideas and images and creations.   It's great to look through to garner ideas for different types of terrariums, or to actually create one of them as written.  My son liked it and didn't want me to add it our "let's rehome it" pile so it will sticking around for a while.  :)  (not many books make it to that status which tells you something eh?)  :)

But it's a great book to teach you how to make your own garden art form. 

Oh!   And check it out!   My lad made his own terrariums!!!

Miniscapes - Create your own Terrarium
Clea Cregan
Hardie Grant Books
Pages: 160
Approximately 8 x 8 inch square 
Type: Hardcover

Reviewed for: Raincoast Books


Where to find it: 
Amazon.ca: Miniscapes: Create Your Own Terrarium

Amazon.com: Miniscapes: Create Your Own Terrarium

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This post may contain affiliate links - using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool - thank you! ©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites