I dislike overusing dead words, but AWESOME entirely fits this pair of Doorposts treats. Bible study. Character development. Trait log. Skill-building curriculum. Curriculum - period.

There's something - uh - extra in these two books, too. There is a peace, a gentleness, a nourishing tucked into every page. That's not something I find in just any book. To me it says these books are prayed for and prayed over and prayed through - and that's all on the Forsters' writing and assembling end of the book. On my end of the book, I'll be praying for these truths to root and grow in my children, praying over each assignment and how we'll use the chapters, praying through the years that my children grow into the man and woman of God that He ordained. That growth does not happen by accident, but by careful planning and diligent plodding, even on - or especially on - the hard days of child rearing.

In Plants Grown Up, your sons - and grandsons, and church group, and homeschool group - can study, for example, leadership by making Godly decisions and leading the family in worship, self-control over his emotions and manners and tongue, faithfulness in performing a job, honoring God's day of rest, giving to those in need, sharing the Gospel, and loving a wife.

Stacked loosely in chronological order, you can start in the early pages with your younger boys, and allow them to grow through the book. Pam encourages you to make choices for YOUR boy, like picking through a buffet for what best suits. These projects can be a weekend treat, or part of your curriculum and, as such, Pam has suggested topic areas for each "Plants" assignment: Bible, handwriting, math, research, writing, speech, history, foreign language, logic, reading, and more. Find ways to evaluate your son, too. I read through the Courage evaluation on page 117-118, and found myself asking those questions of myself. (Does HE put things off? Is HE afraid to fail? Ouch, Pam!)

This is a rich assortment of line-upon-line, precept-upon-precept ways to build your son into the man the Lord desires he become. And not all is reading and writing - there's plenty of DO-ing. For example, "Set up your savings boxes, and divide any money you earn or receive into different budget categories." "Plan and host a birthday party for one of your siblings or friends..." (Ah, Mom. Do I HAVE to eat cake?") Add to all of this much study in the rich wealth of the Word.

You'll find the same richness in Polished Cornerstones for your daughter - granddaughter, and other young women you aspire to mold for Jesus.

When I first opened this book to begin reading and writing, I "accidentally" opened to page. 78 - "A Wife's Evil Influence" whereupon I found a chart comparing the ill affects of wives in the Bible. To this chart, I will likely add Job's wife. She was such an encourager: "Curse God and die." The previous page charts two wives who had a good influence. This type of assignment does not leave room for wondering what kind of wife God prefers my daughter to grow into.

The next "flip" took me to several charts on Forgiveness and Bitterness in the Bible, and a chart on God's revenge. These are housed in the "A Peacemaking Woman" section. Again, Pam is not leaving room for wondering. She makes it seem like the Word of God is easy for us to understand and practice. And, she's right. Another flip. Now, I'm looking at "A Devoted Woman" and the question on "How do (parents, aunts, and uncles) treat your grandparents?" And the chart on "Honoring Elders." One more flip. "An Organized Woman" and questions like, "Does she collect 'junk'? ... Is she too organized, growing anxious or angry when forced to deal with the unexpected?" If you're like me, you'll be evaluating yourself along with your daughter!

You and your daughter can grow with Polished Cornerstones, writing goals with "A Goal-Oriented Woman" and asking yourself how those goals will enable you to glorify God. A studious woman will copy passages from the Bible and write her name into them to personalize its truths. The determined woman will keep a record of her times of testing and their outcome. How did she respond? How did God prove Himself faithful?

Pam graciously supplies curriculum headings to help you keep track as you use the book with or instead of other study helps: government, research, law, finances, English, composition, handwriting, reading, Bible, research, family, business education, and more.

There's just so much in these books. Both spiral-bound, softcover books offer more than 500 pages of projects and ideas and training to keep you busy throughout every teaching year of your sons' and daughters' lives.