Circle C Beginnings Review

Author Susan K. Marlow, has written a prequel series entitled Circle C Beginnings.  Last year, while serving on the TOS Homeschool Crew, I had the opportunity to review one of her other books in her Circle C Adventure series, entitled Trouble With Treasure.  She recently sent the next two books in her Circle C Beginnings to review. Susan is a homeschool mom, freelance editor and teacher.  

The girls were excited to begin the next two books after remembering how fun Andi's adventures were in Andi's Indian Summer and Andi's Pony Trouble.  


In Andi's Fair Surprise, Andi wants desperately to take her pony Taffy to the 1874 California State Fair, but her older brother and mother disagree.  So what possible fun could a fair be without her favorite pony, Taffy?  Her attitude begins poorly, but she finds once she is there that the fair turns out to be very exciting.  Even though she doesn't get to keep the prize she won, she still manages to win a "blue ribbon" from her mother for her decision to give away her prize to another little girl!
My middle girls are ages 6 and 8 and they enjoy this series.  Susan writes at a level that is easily understandable for children of these ages.  When we got to the ending of the book, I quickly realized the character trait that Susan was trying to teach her young readers; generosity.  Andi learned a valuable lesson that it is better to give than to receive - and even though we are not to look for rewards for good deeds, Andi is rewarded in the end with much praise and adoration from her mother.


   In Andi's Scary School Days, Andi wants no part of school.  She doesn't want to be away from the ranch, Riley, Taffy and Coco all day.  School means wearing dresses, sitting still, sitting next to a boy who puts a lizard on her head and watching him smoosh a fly between hands. Ewww!  To top it all off, she gets sent to the corner for something she didn't even do.  She quickly finds out running away from school is not the answer and hiding in trees doesn't help either.

Once again the girls enjoyed this book and from the book they learned about humility and apologizing for wrong doings.  We also saw that it took a change in Andi's attitude for things to begin to turn around. 

Book three and four sell as a set for $9.98 on the Circle C webpage.  Be sure to check out Susan's other books in this series, as well as the Circle C Adventure series.  They are truly a fun read for children.