Drive Thru History Has Done It Again

Yet another review of Drive Thru History®, because, ya'll, my family loves this company, the man behind it, and the quality products he produces.  We have previously reviewed The Gospels CD set and The Drive Thru History Adventures site, but this time we are taking a look at Drive Thru History® "Acts to Revelation" CD set.

This 3 disk,18 episode set comes with a full color study guide included in the case.  It is the newest brain child of Dave Stotts, producer and star of the Drive Thru History®, franchise.  Acts to Revelation picks up where The Gospels left off, the time where Christianity got its start.   Nine hours of footage includes live video from all of over the middle east, maps, pictures, timelines, scripture, and of course, Dave's witty humor!

Dave begins in the Book of Acts with the first Christians in Disk 1 and ends with the 7 churches in Revalation by Disk 3.   In between you do a lot of traveling in the trusted Jeep they have affectionately named Steve McQueen, across vast lands where Jesus and the disciples once walked.
 

Part Bible lessons and part history lessons, you get to see places and details close up through Dave's eyes. Places visited include Cyprus, Galatia, Philippi, Jerusalem and Rome, learning about the disciples and their lives as well as the history of that time.

Our thoughts and how we used this-
I always have grand ideas of sitting somewhere quietly and watching these series, but alas, that never happens.  Why?  Because my family loves them as much as I do.  Since each episode is about 27 minutes long, we usually watch two at a time in the evenings during our devotion time.


The study guide that is included with this CD set has a summary of each episode and questions meant to spur your conversation and see how well you listened.  We read through those questions after watching each episode and discuss, but quite honestly, most of our conversations come from things we have seen in the show.  Often times there are things that will spark additional questions and we use google to go down a lot of bunny trails!  A lot!

There is a SIDE NOTE section for each episode in the study guide that gives additional information about something pertaining to that episode.  For example, for episode 4 about Damascus you learn that the road to Damascus, also know as the Decumanus Maximus, was a 50 foot wide street that ran for an entire Roman mile.  Beautiful, full color photos of historical landmarks grace every page.
 

Not all of the lessons are easy to hear.  This particular time in history was often a violent one, as shown in Episode 15 describing the Martyrdom of Paul and Peter.  If you have younger children watching, this is recommended for 6th grade and up. Please be aware that some of the subject matter is for mature audiences.

While we love the quality of these CDs and the beauty they contain, what I love the most are the conversations that follow.  Seeing the Bible come alive through pictures, both modern day and ancient, and hearing the excitement in Dave's voice makes the Bible even more exciting to us.  In fact, because of this series, we are hoping to send our 17 year old son on a tour of Israel next year for a graduation gift.

One of our favorite episodes is the story of the conversion of Saul to Paul on the road to Damascus. As he often does, Dave tells the story as close to or at the actual historical site.  Dave travels to the border of Syria, but of course, does not enter due to safety reasons.  (Instead he hangs out at a cafe that is now located there.)  It was a solemn reminder that the area is still one of unrest and danger; a good lesson to our homeschooled kiddos of how blessed we are to live where we do.

Once again,  Drive Thru History® has exceeded our expectations and have become another beloved CD set to watch over and over again!  I am confident it will bless you as well.

80, yes 80, other amazing reviewers have been enjoying this set!  Click on the banner below to see what they had to say as well!

The Familyman- Homeschool Review Crew Audio Drama Review

There is finally a chill in the air and yes, my heart has started yearning for Christmas.  Yes, I know it is only October and I promise I will not put up one Christmas decoration until December, but let's just say I am counting the weeks.

It doesn't help that my family has been listening to The Familyman's Christmas Treasury- Audio Collection containing 6 CDs from The Familyman.  What a fun review!  In addition to the 6 stories that are included in the Christmas Treasury, The Familyman, whose real name is Todd Wilson, also blessed us with two additional stories to listen to.

Each individual story in the treasury is available in Digital Downloads, which is how we have been listening.  I just saved them to our laptop, and we pull them up to listen to when we have some extra time, when we need some quiet time, or as my youngest drifts off to sleep.  Additional stories, including ones with an Easter theme are also available.

The stories are a perfect way to wind down at the end of a busy day and can put you in the Christmas mood! Written by Todd, they all carry a beautiful theme of the real meaning of Christmas, focusing on Christ and what He has done for us.


The 6 CD set includes- Cootie McKay's Nativity Captain Chaos and the Manger Blaster Gladys Remembers Christmas Harold Grubbs and the Christmas Vest The Stranger and The Bishop's Dream We also downloaded It's Called Christmas and The Secret of Snow Village.
What do we think? Fun, fun!  Quite honestly, audio productions are a little hard for me to follow.  I don't know if it is just that I cannot shut off my mommy brain or what, but I tend to zone out pretty quickly.  This collection was not as big of a struggle for me.  The voices are clear and strong and therefore easy to listen to and follow, and the stories are lively and engaging.   Both of my boys, ages 9 and 14, are auditory learners, so audio dramas are the perfect fit for them.  As a matter of fact, they can easily listen to them and multitask as well, no problem. Me, not so much.  My 9 year old has been especially enthralled with these stories, his favorite being Cootie McKay's Nativity.  When I asked him why it was his favorite he replied- "It was fun! It made me laugh when I was listening to it!"  In his words, "Cootie McKay's Nativity begins when a older lady from town crashes into the town's Nativity.  Almost all the pieces are broken and they need to have a town meeting to decide how to fix it.  Someone suggests that Cootie should be hired to fix the Nativity, but most of the townspeople think he will ruin it.  Each night he meets with the family and begins to learn what the true meaning of Christmas is about.  His best discovery is that Jesus is alive!"   The Stranger did have some suspenseful times in it and he did say it was a little scary, but it did not keep him from listening to it again!  I would recommend that if you have younger children, you may want to listen once by yourself to determine if your child is able to handle the suspense.  Every child has a different level of tolerance!  The Stranger tells of a town that is visited by someone they do not know on Christmas Eve.  All reject him except Sam' family, who has a lesson to teach them all. Captain Choas was another favorite of Colby's.  This story tells of a boy named Jason who is determined to make the Nativity a more exciting story as he reinacts it.  He truly believes his story can be better than the Bible.  His sister tells on him and he is sent to his room.  Once there, he is "visited" by Captain Chaos, who shows him that by changing the story the world is quite a different place, void of God and love! Even though it was the shortest of all the audios, I have to admit that Harold Grubbs and the Christmas Vest was my favorite.  This sweet story tells of a dad recounting to his son, how and why he aquired the bright red plaid Christmas vest he wears every Sunday between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  The Harold Grubbs in the story is a mean spririted old man who eventually comes to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior and the town who gets to witness that transformation.  This collection would make a great addition to your family's Christmas traditions, as well as a fun gift for a special family in your life.  Each audio is about 13- 30 minutes in length. Merry Christmas in October!

Brinkman Adventures- TOS Crew Review

Ian Bultman and his family have a heart for missionaries.  Lucky for us, they also have a heart for sharing missionary stories.  The result - The Brinkman Adventures.

We recently had the opportunity to review The Brinkman Adventures- Season 2, Episodes 13-24.  Season 2?  Yes!  You see, we had been exposed to The Brinkman Adventures a while back when we bought Season 1.  Loved them then, love them now!

Season 2, consisting of 4 CDs and over 5 hours of audio drama missionary stories, is just as wonderful as the first and my family was thrilled to add this set to our listening collection. The Brinkman Adventures are appropriate for family listening, but do be aware that some of the scenes are pretty intense and serious topics like slave trade are addressed.  If that concerns you, you may want to preview them first.  Our whole family enjoys listening to The Brinkman Adventures together normally, but for this review we have listened to them separately, mostly because my oldest son, age 12, hijacked the set as soon as it arrived and listened to them all in about a day.  Then listened to them again.  And possibly again.  Since then, my youngest and I have been listening to them together during quiet time.  Luckily for my daughters and husband, we have a road trip coming up so they can have their chance.

All of  the stories told, 10 total with two in two parts, are based on true missionary stories.  Some names have been changed to protect those involved, but other than that they are true to life.  Ian's children even play their own parts!  One of my favorite parts of this company is their website!  Under the REAL STORIES tab are video clips and additional information about each story.  These have been just as much fun for us as the CDs!  In addition, under the tab FUN STUFF you will find behind-the-scenes video clips as well as printables that correspond with season one.  We hope season two printables are coming soon! Under the LISTEN tab you can listen to episode 9 The Provider.  Go ahead, have fun!

What do we think?

Love this!  Really, we do!  Books are important in our house, but sometimes we just enjoy sitting back and listening to a story told to us.   When those stories are about God and His people, well, that makes it all the better!  I love that my kids are being exposed to countries and cultures other than their own and being inspired by real people to make a difference in God's world.  It is not only a great way to build listening skills for younger children but also a time of bonding and quiet time for our family.

Our favorite story... that is hard!  I think my favorite by far was the Blue Hat & Shirt Bible.  I loved the story about how the Christians problem-solved to get a Bible into the hands of a Christian in China, but it was even more endearing to me once we watched the video clip of the real missionary telling part of the story in his own words.  The excitement and joy just radiated from him and it warmed my heart to see him talk.  My 12 year old's favorite story was Sapphire Slaves, which is one of the two part stories. When I asked him why it was his favorite he said, "I like Sapphire Slaves because it is one of the most exciting episodes.  It tells of a some kids who have been taken slaves and how they are rescued.  It is intense!"             

You can follow the Brinkman Adventures on their Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brinkman-Adventures/152895116079

Brinkman Adventures- Season 2, episodes 13-24 can be purchased for a suggested donation price of $25.00 (free shipping) for the CD set or $17.00 for the MP3 version.

Giveaway...

ENDS TOMORROW!

Comment at this link for your chance to win The Adventure in Odyssey Christmas Classics Cd set.

Fun Friday- CD Edition & a Giveaway

 

It is probably not news to most of you that we do not have cable.  Nope, not a lot of TV watching going on in the house.  (Except for an occasional football game for my hubby or Netflix, or family videos.)  BUT, we do listen to A LOT of Cd's!  A lot!

So the first one I want to introduce you to is a rather new-to-us series, but one of our favorites!

Meet the Brinkmans and The Brinkman Adventures!

These Cd's tell real stories of missionaries, with a few dramatized "extras" added in.  As a matter of fact, you can read the true facts about the episodes on the Brinkman Adventures website, something that really helps bring these stories to life for your child, allowing them to see the real people behind many of the names.

From funny happenings to hair raising adventures, I think most any child would love this series.  We have about worn our set out and are anxiously awaiting a second series which is in the works right now. 
You can listen to episode 9 here!

And so for a little Christmas treat, you can enter to win a complete set of The Brinkman Adventures here!  Enjoy!

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CREW Review- Sugar Creek Gang Audios

Have I mentioned I have an auditory learner in my house?  Yes?  Thought so, but it bears repeating.  I am convinced once you learn your child's learning mode, you can open a whole new world up for teaching them...and entertaining them.  My 10 year old likes to read, but he LOVES to listen- so we have LOTS of books and adventures on CD in our home.  We have recently had the privilege to add a new family favorite!  The Sugar Creek Gang Audio Series.


For this review we were blessed to receive Volume 1; 6 stories on over 12 hours of CDs from Beloved Books.  Beloved Books is a wonderful company dedicated to bringing to your home wonderful classic stories and songs, including histories, missionary stories and even the popular G.A.Henty books!  Some of you may be familiar with the Sugar Creek series because of the more recently published books, but these sets are recorded straight from the 1939 original books written by Paul Hutchins. 

Stories included in Volume 1-

The Swamp Robber
The Killer Bear
The Winter Rescue
The Lost Campers
Chicago Adventure
The Secret Hideout

Primarily my oldest son has listened to the CDs in his room by himself, over and over.  During quiet time, while playing, at bedtime, while he got dressed.   Did I mention over and over?  The few times we have managed to get him to share we have listened to them as a family in the car as well as during some quiet, down time in our home.  From a 5 year old up to a 40 something year old ;) have enjoyed these grand adventures.  Though the gang is a group of boys, I have no doubt that girls will enjoy as well!

Listening before bedtime

Think back to the time of when families gathered around the radio to listen to a broadcast program together.  The stories are about a group of boys who are close friends and their many adventures.  Poetry, Dragonfly, Bill, Little Jim, Big Jim, Circus, and later Tom are a group of middle school to early high school kids who love to hang out together and share adventures.

Narrated by Paul Ramseyer, the story is told by "Bill". Paul's voice is smooth and easy to follow.  He changes his voice between characters, keeping you interested each minute.  He is, quite honestly, one of the best narrators I have heard in a long time.

My favorite part?  In between a fun and sometimes breath holding adventure are little nuggets of Truth from God's word, scripture and moral lessons.  Simpler times of boys fishing at the fishing hole, great advice like "work comes first then play", and often a few things to make you think make these CDs  good conversation starters within your family.  If I can have my children enjoying stories while at the same time hearing the Gospel in a fun, non-threatening way, I say send us more!

My son's favorite part?   He liked the idea that the boys had so much freedom after they took care of family responsibilities and chores.  (This gave us an opportunity to talk about how the world has changed and why in many areas in our country it is not safe for boys to just take off and do their own thing all day long.)  He also liked the adventure and that the plots kept him on the edge of seat a few times! He did voice frustration that each story left you hanging at the end, but I think that is a great way to create excitement and surely spurred him on to continue listening. 

Because they are a continuing series, Beloved Books does encourage you to listen to the stories in order.  While each story could stand alone, spiritual foundations are laid in the beginning that are built upon throughout the following stories.

You can order Volume 1 for $54.95, or all six sets that cover 36 books and over 100 hours on 72 CDs for the sale price of $279.70.  While a little pricey for many homeschoolers, I do feel like these sets are worth the money and will find themselves among your favorites for many years to come.  Think about them as an investment in good entertainment!  To try them out, you can order the first complete story, Swamp Robber, for just $4.95!  See what you think!

Also, as a special treat to my blog readers- use the code FAMILY-FAITH-FRIDAYS-20 at checkout, and get 20% off your entire order.  Happy Shopping and THANKS Heather!

To see what fellow CREW mates had to say about The Sugar Creek Gang audios, click on the banner below.

  Disclaimer- We received Set 1 of The Sugar Creek Audios from Beloved Books in exchange for our honest opinion of the product.  Opinions expressed are our own and were not influenced by the company in any way.