Children's Art Project Freebies: Autumnal Leaves and Pumpkins

Click here at Art Projects for Kids blog for Contour Leaves instructions.

HT to Berry Patch for this one.

Other autumn/fall projects offered at Art Projects for Kids:

Batik Crayon Pumpkins









Layered Fall Leaves

More Canning Jar Labels

These are vintage labels found over at the Library of Congress which are free to use.
Click on images to enlarge and copy.








More here.

Vintage Pastry and Bread Dough Tips

Very helpful vintage advice for baking short cuts at Tipnuts.

Update: Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap in the Dishwasher?

Well, I tried it tonight. I used Dr. Bronner's Castile Liquid Soap in the dishwasher. Last night I use Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds with great results.

I was too lazy to make up the recipe(see original post), so I placed a few squirts of my 50/50 Dr. Bronner's Castile soap mixture which I use for the bathroom in the dishwasher's detergent dispenser. I refilled the rinse dispenser with vinegar, and the dishes came out fairly clean. I had more plastics than glass this time, but the few glasses that were washed came out clean without any film, and no spots. I did find one glass bowl in the back which still had a bit of oatmeal film. I plan to add more castile soap(70/30) to the mix in order to see if this improves the cleaning power. It still did a good job.

I just got an awesome new dishwasher, so that maybe a contributing factor to the great results here. It's not an expensive one, but it's a nice new Kenmore with lots of fancy jets. I run my dishes on the ecocycle, so it's less water than the normal or heavy wash cycle, and still they look great.

I think what I'll do is use the Sal Suds for the really greasy jobs, and continue to use the castile soap for everyday dishes. I'll keep using these products because of their cost effectiveness and eco-friendliness, not to mention other factors which made me feel good about this product. Dr. Bronner's is certified organic and fair trade, American made, and is still a family owned business that has not sold out to big corporations. A company with integrity, a rare gem, and I'm happy to help them with my purchases of their quality products.

Note: Don't try regular liquid soap, it will bubble too much and possibly break your dishwasher.

Plain and Simple: Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking Recipes

Wonderful good! This cookbook is free and in public domain here. Downloadable and readable online. Wonderful hardy recipes including those for Fastnacht, Shrove Tuesday. Check out the recipes for traditional Pennsylvania Dutch Christmas cookies.

Review: Dr. Bronner Eco-Friendly Sal Suds in the Dishwasher

I picked up Dr. Bronner Sal Suds at a local health food store primarily to use on the floors, in the kitchen, and as an eco-friendly replacement for dishwasher and laundry detergent. So far I'm loving it as a laundry detergent, and tonight I tried it in the dishwasher. I had been mulling over the idea of using Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap in the dishwasher until I discovered his Sal Suds which is a better grease cutter, more effective on greasy dishes. From the bottle:

Description:

Super-concentrated organic cleaner. 100% biodegradable. It is equally effective in hard or soft water and will rinse freely, hot or cold. Excellent for hard water shampoo, dishes, laundry, floors, rugs, cars, boats: All household uses!

Sal Suds is a balanced formulation of naturally derived surfactants with pure fir and spruce essential oils: it cleans and rinses with exceptional power, yet is mild and gentle on the skin. Sal Suds is not soap-based and is formulated especially for all-purpose hard-surface cleaning.

--Perfect for general household cleaning: dishes, floors, laundry, etc.

--Equally effective in hard or soft water, rinsing freely, hot or cold.

--Concentrated and self-preserving: no hidden preservatives or ingredients.

--No synthetic dyes or fragrances: all ingredients fully disclosed and described.

--Biodegrades rapidly after doing its job. Pure high-quality fir and spruce essential oils: no cheap harsh pine stump oil.

--No animal testing: Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics certified

Ingredients: Water, sodium lauryl sulfate, coco-betaine, lauryl glucoside, fir needle oil, spruce oil.

Free Of Harsh Chemicals, Phosphates, Silicates, Sequestering Agents or Other Strong Alkalies.

Directions

1. A few drops in a gallon of water removes all sprays from fruits and vegetables.

2. 1/4 oz. does a sink full of dishes.

3. 1/4 oz. in a basin of warm water cleans all your undies.

4. 1 oz. in a pail of water will clean your house and car from top to bottom.

5. For extra heavy jobs, cut it in half or use it straight.

6. Pour some on a fabric stain and watch it disappear.

7. Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds will also disappear-naturally-after it has done its job, without affecting nature's balance.

Warnings

Don't drink!. Keep out of eyes!. Sal Suds is an all-purpose cleaner, and is not intended for everyday body-washing use.

__USERID__

http://www.vitacost.com/Dr-Bronners-Sal-Suds-All-Purpose-Cleaner-32-fl-oz

Results: Excellent! I winged it on the amount to add, and squirted about a teaspoon and a half into the detergent dispenser, then I filled the rinse dispenser with vinegar. The dishes are as clean as if I had used Cascade. There was no film on the dishes or glasses. I'm not even sure they needed the vinegar rinse, but it can't hurt. I'll try it without next time to see if there is a difference.

An excellent place to buy Dr. Bronner's online is Vitacost. Their shipping is a flat fee of $4.99 within the Continental U.S. only, excluding Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico. I noticed that they ship Internationally as well.

Here is the link for finding Dr. Bronner's products outside of the U.S. It is sold by distributors in the U.K., Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Norway.

Earth Friendly Flea and Tick Lawn Treatment

Ticks and fleas love shady areas, and we've got a lot of it in our backyard. This year has been particularly bad for fleas and ticks. The pets need to be dosed with Frontline Plus every three weeks, or they get reinfested. Of course this doesn't help me any. I get ticks on my legs just going to hang the laundry on the line.

The problem is our lawn, it's full of fleas and ticks, and I didn't want to use any harmful chemicals , so we are trying natural food grade diatomaceous earth(DE) as an organic flea and tick killer. It works as a dehydrator and asphyxiator, eventually killing pests. The only downside of using DE is that the small dust particles can be hazardous to breath, so a mask would be necessary in order to sprinkle the stuff on the lawn. It also needs to be reapplied if it rains.

I've read that you want to find a natural food grade form of DE, not the one sold for swimming pools. The swimming pool grade DE is very toxic to pets and people. Reportedly, the food grade DE can be used directly on pets and carpets to kill fleas and ticks; however, I'd verify this with your vet. Here is the Material Safety Data Sheet on DE(PDF). Planet Natural has got a 1.5 pound box for $6.50.

I'm also considering an Organic Lawn & Garden Spray with Clove, Thyme, and Sesame Oil. Supposedly it kills fleas and ticks dead, and is safe around pets and children. Planet Natural sells a bottle which covers Covers up to 5,000 sq. ft. for $11.95 bottle.

Dirtworks sells huge bags of DE and other natural flea and tick killers for pets and lawn.

Garden centers are likely to carry DE as well as True Value and Ace Hardware stores, and places like Home Depot. I know Ace will order items for free delivery to the store if they don't stock an item. We use Ace Hardware for many of our organic gardening needs.

I'm trying the DE first; if it works I won't be purchasing the oil spray . I'll update this post soon with the results.

Bon Ami: An Old Fashioned Favorite and Non-Toxic All Purpose Household Cleaner

Bon Ami is non-toxic, allergy and earth friendly made of mild natural abrasives: sodium carbonate(washing soda), calcium carbonate and feldspar. Non-abrasive Bon Ami cleanser can be used for all household cleaning. First made in 1886, it has been a household staple for many years. Check Bon Ami's availability at stores here. Prices average about $ 1.50 for a 14 ounces can.

More information for multiple uses for this green product here. There are two products, the original 1886 formula( no detergent or bleach) and the polishing cleanser( biodegradable detergent and no chlorine). These products are phosphate free. The polishing cleanser is easier to locate in brick and mortar stores.

Collection of cute Bon Ami vintage advertisements.

Health and safety information on Bon Ami, rating of one.

A October 31, 2007 interview with Lynn Tondat Ruggeri, Ph.D. via Townnews.com, author of "Safer for Your Baby: A Guide to Living Better with Fewer Chemicals: When asked what parents should do to handle serious cleaning situations, such as blood, bathroom substances and raw poultry, Ruggeri said, "Between Bon Ami, baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice and castile soap, you can clean most everything from pans and ovens to countertops, walls and floors." Bon Ami, French for "good friend," is a 120-year-old powdered cleaner made from the mineral feldspar. Read more here.

Scot Guards, Auld Alliance

An interesting historical tidbit, link via Tea at Trianon:

"The friendship between France and Scotland was well known; indeed there had long been an alliance between them more popularly known as the Auld Alliance (Website in French : *Vieille Alliance*). This friendship was forged because the two countries were at war with England though for different reasons. Charles V was the first king to employ Scotsmen in his bodyguard, but it is principally with Charles VII that the alliance was properly employed by the creation of the first elements of Scot Guards who were maintained by tradition in the King’s Household until the 18th century and again under the Restoration." More here.

These brave knights accompanied Joan of Arc into battle.

Sunday Funnies

by Dana Summers...
HT to Jean.

Going Green with Facial Products

I had mentioned (here) that we are phasing in greener cleaning and personal care products. A little at a time seems to work better for us. This week I experimented with using Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap as a facial wash. I need a daily pore cleanser or I get breakouts, so I added baking soda. So far so good. I use a little 50/50 Bronner's and water on my face, and then sprinkle a little baking soda in my hands, applying it to my face over the soap in a circular motion. This is replacing my all time favorite, Clean & Clear Pore Cleanser(bad for fish) which works great, but is a pricey chemical cocktail. Clean & Clear is not super expensive, but it is pricier than baking soda and diluted Bronner's.

I've been using a 50/50 pure glycerine(available at drugstores or Walmart type stores) and water as a hair mist moisturizer for about a year now. When I switched to Bronner's for my facial wash, I also switched to glycerine as a facial moisturizer. It worked great on my hair, so I figured it was worth a try on my face. It's a bit thick, so I wet my fingers before applying and it smooths on nicely. It's doing the job, and I'm not breaking out. It stays a little sticky, so I've been using it at night only. I still need a sunscreen during the day, so I've been using Olay daily moisturizer for sensitive skin SPF 30.

Beyond being a good steward of the earth, I think much of my need to go more natural has to do with my aging body. As we age, we no longer process things as well; toxins are cleared out more slowly. I'm not even sure if this is true, but I notice that any kind of load, chemical or allergy is not as easy to bounce back from, and I tire more easily. I figure why weigh down my body with more things to clear out. I need all the energy I can get!

Next week I try Bronner's as a toothpaste for a week.

Dr. Bronner's Soap in the Automatic Dishwasher?

Has anyone tried Dr. Bronner's Castile soap in their dishwasher? I was thinking of trying just a smidgen with some baking soda.

Wait! I finally found a recipe after searching Google forever:

*Ingredients:

2 cups liquid Castile soap(Dr. Bronner's)
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 drops tea tree oil
1/2 cup white vinegar

Method:

Stir all ingredients together until blended. Store in a squirt top bottle. Use 2 tablespoons per load of dishes, shake well before use.

*A similar recipe from Flylady(see link below) lists 1/2 cup of castile, not 2 cups. I'm not sure which is appropriate, so I'd experiment with less rather than more.

Also, there are some great Dr. Bronner's recipes for shampoo in the comments section.

Although I've read some criticisms of Dr. Bronner's All-Purpose Castile soap as a shampoo, mainly that it left the hair with a greasy film, one very interesting comment mentioned that Dr. Bronner's may work best as a shampoo on curly haired folks. Hmmm, maybe that's why it's been working well on my curly top daughter. I just began using it on my curly hair as well - no greasy film. I liked the tip about adding tea tree oil(blemishes, oil control) and/or glycerine(moisturizer). I've got both on hand, so I'll try this.

Here's another Bronner's Natural Dishwasher Soap Recipe , and check out her Natural Carpet Cleaner Recipe using Bronner's!

I also saw the recipe over at FlyLady.

We've been phasing in Dr. Bronner's All-Purpose Castile soap for our household and personal cleaning needs some time now. The children use it for their hair and body, and my son cleans his bathroom with it. I'll be adding it to the liquid soap dispensers after I've used up my soft soap.

I'm going to try this recipe for the dishwasher just as soon as I get a chance. See update.

See more tips at Work-for-me Wednesdays.

Guide to Less Toxic Products

Click on title.

Vintage Children's Living History Books: Understanding The Old Fashioned Story Based Approach

I found a new source for children's free public domain history books which is affiliated with The Baldwin Project - Heritage Books. Heritage History books are divided by civilization and general reading level.

For each civilization Heritage Books has "written an introduction and organized the associated books, character pages, timelines, and historical maps into eras, or historical divisions."

A little about old fashioned story-based history books from Heritage Books, which I think is worth repeating:

"Most of the books prepared for Heritage History take a old-fashioned, or story-based approach to presenting history, rather than an analytical or modern approach. Our books do not attempt to explain the "underlying forces," that influence history, or critique ancient notions of human rights, or focus on contrasts between cultures. Instead they are based simply on stories that have been retold for dozens of generations regarding individual characters, important conflicts, and events of special interest. The stories are connected by simple narrative threads, and are completely shorn of complicated analysis.

This approach to history is not our own invention, but was in fact, the traditional approach to teaching young people history in almost every introductory history book right up until the last half century. The trend toward interpreting history as social science in the Universities dates back to the 19th century, but it was not until the baby-boomer generation that "social studies" and historical criticism replaced traditional narrative history in elementary and secondary schools. Many of our authors were aware of these trends, and opposed them, specifically stating in their introductions the importance of emphasizing the most interesting aspects of history first, and avoiding the

"dull recitation of the textbook. That in the past which a child is led to see is history; all else is weariness and vexation."

Whatever the merits of this new analytical approach may be, it is considerably less interesting to most students than the traditional approach, and modern students are far less knowledgeable about history than their great-grandparents were."

Free Vintage Children's Scissor Work Cut-outs

Just click on the images to enlarge and copy/print. I collect these from public domain sources, and will add more cut-outs as I find them. Enjoy!

Dozens more here.

Happy Hearts at Home Living History Book List(Timeline)

This is our living history book list, a work in progress. We have either already read these books, or they are on our list. The selected books reflect a middle to late elementary reading level. It will include older conservative public library books, free vintage ebooks and if available, links to purchasable reprints of these ebooks.

12th century:

Where Valor Lies by Adele and Cateau De Leeuw(ages 12 and up)

13th century:

Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle

15th-16th century:

Sir Walter Raleigh by Adele DeLeeuw(ages 9-10)

Martin De Porres Hero by Claire Huchet Bishop(ages 10-12)

Men of Iron By Howard Pyle (free ebook) In reprint inexpensively at Dover books(ages 12 and up).

Victorian Era:

Queen Victoria, English Empress by Sally Glendinning(ages 10-12)

Collective Biographical Stories Covering Many Time Periods:

Fifty Famous People by James Baldwin(ages 6-9), also see the back paper for a historical timeline. This can be used to find additional/supplemental readings for older children.

Fifty Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin(ages 6-9)

Thirty More Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin(ages 7-10).

Children's Living History Timeline Book Lists

Bethlehem Books, a conservative publisher has a nice historical time line for their books along with graded readability levels.

Valerie's Living Books has the 1960's Gerrard series listed by subcategory and general readability levels, a super resource for locating more living history books that your public library is likely to have available.

The Baldwin Project, free ebooks and reprints for sale. Here are some listed by grade and historical period.

Christine Miller's All Through the Ages, Nothing New Press, Classical homeschooling education sample reading list page(freebie) for Renaissance, 15th - 16th Centuries.

Catholic, Reading Your Way Through History, Love2learn.net.

Happy Hearts at Home Living History Timeline Book List(mostly middle to late elementary) .

Yesterday's Classics by grade.

Heritage History, a real gem of a site with free public domain books organized by civilization and readability levels.

In James Baldwin's Fifty Famous People(2nd - 3rd grade), the back papers have a timeline list of all famous people covered in this book. This list can be useful for expanding upon the readings for older children. Search the names at your pubic library or Google Books for more mature readings on these people.

Books by G.A. Henty, readable online, downloadable, and organized along a historical timeline.



I'll add to this resource page as I find more links.

Timeline: Children's Living History Books

Bethlehem Books, a conservative publisher has a nice historical time line for their books along with graded readability levels. New and used Bethlehem books can also be found at Amazon.com. These books are not for younger children; most are appropriate for reading levels of late elementary school and up.









Beowulf

Childen's Living History Book Review: Sir Walter Raleigh by Adele DeLeeuw

Another living history public library book that has turned out to be a gem. The reading level is below my son's level, but it's still interesting, and great for filling in bits of basic history in an exciting way. The book has short chapter's and large print. I'd hazard to guess it's at a third grade reading level. It's not always easy to find living history books for early elementary.

Here's some excerpts:

"The Queen enjoyed poetry. Walter Raleigh wrote verses for her. His musical voice made pictures of the words. They both had quick minds. The two of them would toss sentences back and forth, each trying to better the other. This was refreshing to the Queen. Walter Raleigh made her feel young again."

Sir Walter Raleigh, published in 1964 is a part of the World Explorer Series, a subset of the Gerrard History Series "written especially for children who love adventure and exploration into the unknown". There is a nice big easy to read map of Raleigh's discoveries and adventures across the first two pages . There are large one page illustrations throughout which help expand interest into geography and social studies.

When I did a Google search, I found this book listed at Mary's Books, so I'm assuming that it is Catholic friendly. I believe Adele DeLeeuw was a Catholic apologist?

Valerie's Living Books has the 1960's Gerrard series listed by subcategory and general readability levels, a super resource for locating more living history books that your public library is likely to have available.

Nothing New Press, Christine Miller's All Through the Ages, Classical homeschooling education has this book listed under the grade 3-4 category.

Update: Curly Haircare Product Review: Africa's Best Ultimate Herbal Oil with Ginseng

Last month I posted about this hair product which I picked up at the Family Dollar for $2.00 here. After a month of using this oil regularly on my hair(overnight), I can say it's working well to moisturize my hard to please hair. It does get the tub a bit sticky, but it's not slick. It washes out well, and I can use it on the ends of my hair in between washings. I'll keep using this product which is also an excellent skin moisturizer. My only complaint is that it has a very strong scent. It would smell better if they toned it down just a bit.

Ignore the bags under my eyes; it's ragweed season. OY!

See more tips at Works for Me Wednesday.

Old Fashioned Hot Chocolate Recipes

Housekeeping in Old Virginia by Marion Cabell Tyree, 1879.

CHOCOLATE.
Scrape fine one square of Baker's chocolate (which will be an ounce). Put it in a pint of boiling water and milk, mixed in
equal parts. Boil it ten minutes, and during this time mill it
or whip it with a Dover egg-whip (one with a wheel),
which will make it foam beautifully. Sweeten to the taste, at table. - Mrs. S.T.


COCOA.
To one pint milk and one pint cold water add three table-
spoonfuls grated cocoa. Boil fifteen or twenty minutes, milling
or whipping as directed in foregoing recipe. Sweeten to
taste, at the table. Some persons like a piece of orange-peel
boiled with it.— Mrs. S. T.

Household Science and Arts by Josephine Morris, 1913

RECIPE 7. RECEPTION COCOA
3 c. milk
2 tbs. cocoa
2 tbs. sugar
1 ts. cornstarch
1 c. boiling water
1/2 ts. vanilla
Speck of salt

Scald the milk in a double boiler ; mix well the cocoa, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan ; stir in gradually 1 c. boiling water and boil the mixture five minutes, stirring it constantly. Turn this mixture into the hot milk in the boiler and beat it with an egg beater for five minutes, or until it is foamy. Serve the cocoa in chocolate cups with whipped cream on top.

See more tips at Kitchen Tips Tuesday.

North Carolina Pig Pickin' History and Recipes

Click on title.

An Old Fashioned Favorite, Pear's Soap

We used this soap in our home when I lived in Europe as a child. This wonderful transparent soap which first sold commercially in 1789 is no longer made anywhere except India. Hopefully, they'll never shut down. India still makes Pear's Soap using the original formula, although I heard that the scent has changed. Pears's soap is made from pure ingredients - glycerin, natural oils, rosemary, cedar and thyme. It contains no animal fat, nor is it tested on animals. Like good wine, it gets better with age, and becomes even clearer.

A little from Wikipedia:

"Pears began to experiment with soap purification and eventually managed to produce a gentle soap based on glycerin and other natural products. The clarity of the soap gave it a novel transparent appearance which provided a marketing advantage. To add to the appeal, Andrew gave the soap an aroma reminiscent of an English garden.

The concave shape of the soap is formed by shrinkage while the soap is drying, and is not due to deliberate moulding. After washing, the concave area on the top of the soap is used to dissolve the last sliver of the previous bar of soap. Pears Soap is often used by the elderly for its skincare properties.

From the late nineteenth century, Pears soap was famous for its marketing, masterminded by Barratt. Its campaign using Millais's painting Bubbles continued over many decades. As with many other brands at the time, at the beginning of the 20th century Pears also used their product as a sign of the prevailing European concept of the "civilizing mission" of empire and trade, in which the soap stands for progress. Between 1891 and 1925 Pears issued their now famous Annuals, now highly collectible. From the early 20th century Pears was famous for the annual "Miss Pears" competition in which parents entered their children into the high-profile hunt for a young brand ambassador to be used on packaging and in consumer promotions. Many Miss Pears subsequently entered acting or modeling."

The soap can be a bit pricey at up to $2.00 a bar, but I did find it at Amazon priced at $14.99 for 12 bars from an Indian food store vendor. This soap is great for sensitive skin.

I've also seen it at the Dollar Tree and Walmart. I plan to return to this soap due to terribly dry skin, probably caused by using my husband's harsh deodorant soap.

Vintage Advertisements

I found this vintage Colgate Advertisement in a 1920 Primary Education magazine. I don't know about you, but Cho-cho the
" famous health clown" looks like he's swallowed too much toothpaste!


Here's Jaaaack.

Children's Living History Book Review: Queen Victoria, English Empress

We just finished reading Queen Victoria; English Empress by Sally Glendinning, 1970. My son is ten and easily read this to me, a few chapters a day. As are many books written for this age range of about 10 - 12, the book is written in dialogue between the characters, grasping interest right away. I've read many biographies about Queen Victoria's, and this book hit all the important high points, and low points. There were illustrations and photographs of Victoria and the royal family throughout. A well written book which is recommended for learning about this popular long reigning queen whose throne is linked to many of European monarchies by the marriages of her nine children. We found this book at our public library.

An excerpt:

Such lovely phrases! Queen Victoria cherished every pronouncement from Disraeli. He never argued with her, as others had done in the past. He charmed her, entertained her, and frequently through persuasion brought her around to his point of view.

Disraeli's goal was to enrich the power and prestige of the British Empire. Yet he managed each accomplishment as if it were intended solely for the glory of Queen Victoria.

In 1875 he arranged the financing for the purchase of controlling shares in the Suez Chanel, the great man-made waterway linking Europe and the Orient. It would be impossible to estimate the value of such an investment for the British Isles, always dependent on the commerce of the seas.

I also found two recommended books on Queen Victoria over at Mater Amabilis, Catholic Charlote Mason:

Queen Victoria (Noel Streatfeild) [World Landmark series] – excellent, but out of print
Victoria, May Blossom of Britannia, England 1829 (Anna Kirwan) [Royal Diaries series]

Interestingly enough, it was the American Quakers(my relatives) who gave significant help to the Irish during the famine. As well as Irish, I also have Philadelphia Quaker blood from my father's side. See the Irish Famine Memorial in County Clare. There is still a Quaker meeting house there. Makes me wonder if there is a connection there since both my Catholic and Quaker relatives are from Philadelphia. Even more ironic, my Catholic side of the family is originally from County Clare!


Older children's books have a traditional story based approach without modern analytical analysis. See more here.

Living History Children's Book Review: Where Valor Lies by Adele and Cateau De Leeuw

Where Valor Lies by Adele and Cateau De Leeuw, 1959 is living history at it's best! I picked this book up some time ago at a library sale. It was an older book club edition, but I've since learned that Lepanto Press has republished this book.

I've been reading this book aloud to ds at bedtime. I thought it might be a dry historical book beyond his interest level, therefore making it a good fall-asleep book(giggle). It wasn't, and isn't. This book is very well written and peaks your interest in the first few paragraphs as we witness the dialogue of a young man who has a thankless and low paying job as an apprentice carpenter to a cruel taskmaster. Work is hard to come by, and many are starving in 13th century Paris.

Elizabeth Yank reviews the book at the Love2Learn Blog:

"Where Valor Lies includes a colorful cast of characters including Aimar, a father like figure who watches over him, Pierre a dear and close friend, Friar Bernard, whose example of unfailing help to those in need inspires those around him, and the rascal Vincent, an enigma whose generosity ultimately triumphs over his greed.

Where Valor Lies opens with a whirlwind of activity and does not stop until the last page, keeping the reader’s attention riveted throughout. It is a story of personal growth as much as it is an adventure story of an impetuous young man on a quest for great fortune and glory during the Seventh Crusade[Saint Louis the IX]. What is a man’s true valor? In the end, Richard finds out it is not great victories in battles, but the moral victory over oneself."

See the complete review here.

It was a very good book, but I think the ending was a little emotionally flat. Especially considering how exciting it was throughout. Maybe I was depressed by their losses, and wanted to be lifted up with more coverage or discussion regarding their moral victory.

I plan to look for more books by Adele De Leeuw at our public library. What a wonderful way to make history come alive. I'm guessing that the reading level would be appropriate for at least fifth grade, but I enjoyed it as well.