In Freedom's Cause- Schoolhouse Crew Review

Do you have a history lover in your home?  How about a kiddo who loves audio dramas?  Me?  I have both.  Actually, I have several kids who love both.  

Enter, In Freedom's Cause Single Package, a historical audio drama produced by Heirloom Audio Productions.  Yes, we were blessed by the second release from this God centered company, our first being Under Drake's Flag, which we had the pleasure of reviewing last year. With over 2 hours of exciting adventure, In Freedom's Cause will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and sometimes holding your breath! As one of the producers says, "This is the God story behind Braveheart."

Based on G.A. Henty's book by the same name, the true story of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce is told with riveting accuracy!  It is a story about how an ordinary man, but one of intense faith, changed the course of Scottish history.  It is a tale that will inspire and enthrall you and your children. While the recommenced age is from 6 to adult, I firmly believe that this is a family friendly production.  However there are some pretty intense scenes, so if you have a sensitive child, you may want to preview it first.

Many will recognize the vocal talents of favorites in the film industry such as Joanna Froggatt from Downton Abby, Billy Boyd from  Lord of the Rings, Skandar Keynes from Chronicles of Narnia and James Cosmo from Braveheart.

Our experience-

We listened to In Freedom's Cause on yet another car trip.  Hey, it is the one place we have a captive audience with minimal interruptions.  Like our previous experience with Under Drake's Flag, after our family listening time, the CDs were whisked off to my son's room.  It has become a favorite, though I must say probably not the best bed time listening due to the intense scenes and excitement. ;)

Why do we love this?

• These CDs are top quality!  
• They bring history to life and make learning fun.
• They tell the story from a Christian perspective.
• They are just good, clean entertainment.
• The study guide can be the start of a family conversation, or be a unit study for a homeschooler! This 44 page downloadable guide includes Scotland history, 3 Bible studies,comprehension questions, vocabulary and more. (answers are NOT included in the study guide)

The In Freedom's Cause Single Package includes- In Freedom's Cause 2 Disk CD Set
In Freedom's Cause Study Guide  Free Digital Download
In Freedom's Cause Soundtrack MP3 Download
Printable copy of The Prayer Of William Wallace. Digital Download

Jim Hodges Audio Drama- TOS Review

As some of you may already know, I homeschool two auditory learners who love to listen to books on CD.  And I have a crew here that loves history.  When you combine those two things together you have a review that my family asks for.  Add to the fact that the audio book in question is one of GA Henty's historical books and it is one that my family begs for!

Since we had several on a list to choose from, my 12 year old son asked for In the Heart of the Rockies: A Story of Adventure in Colorado, produced by Jim Hodges Productions. Whether it is because he spent several of his earliest years in that area and calls it home, or whether he just  likes the history of that time, I am not sure, but regardless, he waited excitedly for the CD to arrive.

 
In the Heart of the Rockies is a tale of adventure in the 1860s that lasts 10 hours and 53 minutes.  That is a lot of adventure!  And yes, you read that right- almost 11 hours!  That is because this, and all of the other titles offered, are the unabridged readings of GA Henty's original tales. In the Heart of the Rockies tells of a young boy, Tom Wade, who looses both of his parents and decides to leave England in search of a his uncle who is prospecting for gold in the Rockies.  What follows is a tales of courage and excitement that will keep you on the edge of your seat.  While GA Henty's writing style may take you some time to get use to, you will soon find yourself engaged and having no problem understanding.

And why GA Henty?  If you have never read or heard one of this famous author's books you are in for a treat.  With quality character traits that we can only pray our kids learn, to high adventure and elegant writing, these books will become family favorites.  For our boys, the listening of them on CD only enhances the excitement!

As a bonus, study guides for each CD are available for $12.00.  Written by a lady who has a love for history, these guides are quality work. They have vocabulary, listed in the order the words are encountered rather than alphabetical, questions for each chapter, as well as additional activities for extra exposure.  History, literature, geography, math and art are all covered.  If you are a unit study kind of teacher, there is no doubt in my mind that this would make a great unit study for your middle school or even high school child! 

As for us, well, my boys said I was taking the fun out of the audio drama.  Go figure.  Therefore I let go of my previous "school" plans and just had fun.  We used the guide loosely to discuss a lot of the questions, but only because we wanted to, not because we had to. We also liked having the vocabulary readily available to check on words that we were not sure of.  One of the things I love about homeschooling is the opportunity to be flexible.  And one of the things I love about these guides is the built-in opportunity to do so!  You can do as much or as little as you want.  Whether you intend to use them for graded school work or simply use them for your extra "fun" knowledge, they are well done and worth getting!

You can purchase In the Heart of the Rockies for $25.00.  It, and other CDs offered are recommended for ages 10 and up, mostly because of subject matter, but my 7 year old had no problem listening as well.   If you have children sensitive to subject matters like death, I would advise you as a parent to listen first to determine if your child is ready to listen to this CD.  Keep in mind that it only works on MP3 type players- for us that was our home computer only.   Downloads are also available!

You can also find Jim Hodges Productions on Facebook!