Ariel’s Journey (The Ice Horse Adventures, Book 1) , by Doug Kane and Christy Wood is classified as Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy, but it is a good read for tweens, teens and adults alike. The main focus of the book is friendship and overcoming differences. The characters are 5 teenage girls who come from different backgrounds but attend a 4H camp that is based on the horses they have all come to love.

The Iclelandic horses are a beautiful, regal breed, known affectionately as the Icies. The book goes into great detail about these horses so any horse lover would also enjoy this book. The way they are described helps you to picture them easily in your mind.

The fantasy part of the book takes place when during camp, the girls are transported back in time, 800 years ago. They become part of a battle between two Icelandic villages. There the girls learn about how to trust and work with each other. They are able to forge together and forget their differences, all with one goal in mind, helping a princess who has been kidnapped.

There is a glossary to assist with the various terms used about the horses and Iceland customs, names, etc. The story itself is a bit difficult to get through in the beginning but as the adventure unfolds, it is difficult to put this book down. You are thrown into the adventure with it’s twists and turns and wondering how the girls will end up working things out together.

This is the first book of a series called The Ice Horse Adventures. Look for the other books to be coming out soon. Ariel’s Journey will be released on November 1st. Thank you to Family Reviewers for the opportunity to review this book.

Peanut got her report card today and is doing fantastic. I’m so proud of her. She has all A’s and a B in Math and Writing. I was pretty shocked about the B in Writing even when she got her Progress Report as she loves to write and does very well usually. When I called about this at Progress Report time, I was told that the fourth grade is doing brand new things in writing and that most of the students are finding it difficult.

They are not only having to write longer stories, but they have to understand the type of sentences and writing now. It’s not really grammar but learning how to write statement instead of an exclamation sentence or write three paragraphs as a exposisotory theme.

When I met with her teacher yesterday, he reiterated that the writing is just tough for them to grasp. The school has a writing coach that works with all of the classes so they get extra help in this area. The reason for more intensive learning in writing is because the famous FCAT is going to focus on these things this year.

As for Math, he did recommend that she gets some extra help in school with it. We have been working with her at home, but it’s not doing the trick. Believe me, we’re not expecting her to get all A’s. It’s that she’s struggling to understand the basic concepts of Math and gets frustrated easily. Her teacher recommended the help, not us.

We instill that she does her best, does her homework and studies. We don’t instill perfection. And we’re very proud of her accomplishments and that she enjoys reading, learning and going to school. That’s the most important thing to us.

I never thought I’d hear my daughter remind me to put sunscreen on her. She’d do everything in her power to avoid this, but since I received a trial of KINeSYS SPF 30 Girl Vanilla-Green Tea Spray, she actually asks me to apply it before she goes outdoors.

Living in Florida, even if it’s cloudy or cool, we use sunscreen a lot. Having a history of Skin Cancer in our family, I’m overzealous in using it on my daughter. But actually getting it on her is a chore. When sprays first came out I was thrilled. No more rubbing creams or lotions on. But taking the time for spraying and feeling oily after, still had me practically holding my daughter down for sunscreen time.

The fist thing that Peanut liked about KINeSYS was the "cool pink bottle". She said that "Even though I’m not a girly girl, the sparkly letters got my attention." When I showed her how easy it is to apply she was thrilled! She is really sensitive about how things feel, like most of the time I have to cut tags off of her shirts, her socks have to have lines on the toes that go across just right and so on. So feeling just a light spray and then nothing made her happy. I was concerned about the fragrance as perfumes bother her but she liked the vanilla smell. No coughing or teary eyes. "Now I can use this to get people’s attention!" she said.

There’s a lot for me to like about KINeSYS . It is not only oil free, alcohol-free, preservative and PABA-free, it is also water and sweat-resistant. It is also hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic. It provides broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection. KINeSYS sunscreens are dermatologist-recommended so no worries for parents of children with sensitive skin.

KINeSYS offers sun care products for adults and children. There are different types including a Sun Protection Stick, Sunscreen Cream with Titanium Dioxide and a Family Pack. To top it all off, KINeSYS has been awarded the PTPA Media Inc. (Parent Tested, Parent Approved) seal of approval.

I can tell you honestly that we will be purchasing this sunscreen. It’s easy to use, my daughter actually likes it and it will save me a lot of worry and frustration.

Thanks to Family Review Network for this opportunity.

I don’t know why Title 1public schools in Florida call their annual parent teacher meetings a compact meeting but that’s really the name. I always thought it was a contract meeting because the teacher, Peanut and I sign a paper saying we all agree on what Peanut will work on during the school year. But I guess the school system didn’t want to use a legal term or one that might sound too severe for families.

Where did they get the name "compact". I’m clueless. But the good thing is that I get a chance to sit down for with her teacher and chat a bit about one of the most important people in my life. And about one of the most important things in her life, her education.

Her teacher is always available for phone calls and has been a very caring person. He undersands what children in the fourth grade are going through socially and mentally. I feel comfortable calling him with what seem like small issues. He realizes their importance and how they may affect Peanut’s performance that day.

This afternoon it will be good to hear his side on how she’s progressing in school, what I and Hubby can do to help support her and him in his efforts and to learn how she is when she’s not around us. That’s one of the most imfortative parts of compact meetings for us. We learn if what we’re teaching her at home is "sticking". So far, so good!