Well, this is the second product I have reviewed by Melissa Forney, and I must say that I am growing quite fond of her writing style. Her energy, wit, and charm are contagious, and she gives her characters strong personalities and identities that make them so believable.  

The Astonishing Journey of Teddy Bodain is an action-packed novel written through the eyes of 10-year-old Teddy Bodain. Through daily letters to her best friend, Martha, Teddy takes readers along on her family's adventure as they travel from Mississippi to Florida by covered wagon in the year 1892. Teddy and her companions will face many hardships, including a yellow fever epidemic that hits the wagon train. Teddy's world falls apart, and she is forced to continue the journey on her own. The incredible trials and triumphs she encounters will keep you on the edge of your seat!  

The Astonishing Journey of Teddy Bodain is more than just a novel--it's a complete literature curriculum. The teacher's edition has been awarded the 2010 Teachers' Choice Award for the Family by Learning Magazine. The teacher's edition costs $49.95 and includes 130 days of lesson plans for Reading and Writing; these coincide with the 130 letters in the student book. (The student book can be purchased separately for $10.95.)  

Daily lessons cover a variety of writing skills and applications such as:  

• Reading and vocabulary
• Writing skill questions
• Narrative writing
• Expository writing
• Persuasive writing
• Reading short response
• Reading extended response
• Grammar

The course is designed to cover one school year. Your children/students in grades 3-5 should read one letter per day and complete the corresponding assignment. For even more Teddy fun, there is a language arts companion book, Teddy Bodain's Adventure Quest, which can be purchased for $12.95. This neat addition to the curriculum is packed with games, word searches, secret codes, crafts, recipes, plays, and many other amusing activities. I really think kids are going to get hooked on Teddy and on creative writing!  

My own fifth grade son, who often complains about the structured writing assignments in English, hasn't complained once about the writing he has had to do in The Astonishing Journey of Teddy Bodain curriculum. And I am not just saying that; I think he really is enjoying the writing part, which is a huge blessing!  

There are a couple of recommended resources for teaching some of the writing skills in this particular curriculum: Razzle Dazzle Writing: Achieving Excellence through 50 Target Skills and Writing Superstars: How to Score More Than Ever Before. Both are written by Melissa Forney and can be purchased separately at www.butterymoonmultimedia.com. I do not own either of these, but I think they might prove beneficial, as my son and I have run across a writing term or two with which we weren't familiar. Next year, I will definitely be adding at least one of these resources when I use this writing program with my third grader.  

For the complete Teddy Bodain writing program, you will need the student book and the teacher's edition. (Honestly, your child could read the letters straight from the teacher's book since they are in there as well, but I prefer for my child to have his own book.) The other resources I mentioned are optional, though I believe they'd be helpful. I am very pleased with this Reading and Creative Writing course and look forward to using it again next year!