Free Algebra and Geometry Lessons online for the summer!

Even if your kids attend public or private school during the school year, you are still a home educator!

Parents are always teaching their kids, informally if not formally. 

And if you are trying to keep your kids from being bored or losing their math skills during the summer, here is a fabulous FREE resource.

(Or perhaps you want to brush up your math skills to be able to help your student with his/her homework!!)

The Homeschool Buyers Co-op has launched a Group Buy for online video math lessons from YourTeacher.com.

Go to http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/yourteacher-freebie/ for more information.

The offer expires 8/31/2010.

Help Grace Lin find this dress for the Oscars!

Children's author and illustrator and Newberry honoree, Grace Lin, is looking for her dress to wear to the Newberry banquet.  And since this is the equivalent to the Oscars in her world, she is looking for the perfect dress to wear.

This painted lotus cotton and silk dress from Anthropologie was her first choice, but it is sold out everywhere! Okay, well there is a size 0 version of this dress on ebay, but petite Ms. Lin says that it is too small for her.

The dress pattern seems pretty simple to me.  It's the fabric and structured placement of patterns that really sells the look. http://www.satin-moon.com/ has some beautiful Asian-inspired fabric [see below] that might be able to carry off a similar look.

There is the floral pattern for the skirt the geometric pattern on the bodice and the solid black accents. But the geometric patterns here don't have the same black accents in the background like the Anthropologie dress.  And these are cotton rather than cotton and silk fabrics.  But it makes me hopeful that a an inspired version of this dress can be crafted. 

Good luck with the dress search, Grace, and congratulations on the honor for "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon!