As a member of The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew, I’ve been given the privilege to review The Hall of Doors series The Dragon’s Hoard by Rebecca Gillenland from Progeny Press this month. I also received and used the Hall of Doors: Dragon’s Hoard Study Guide. Liberty (9) and Eden (8) each used a copy of the study guide.
Written for upper elementary grades in the spirit of The Hobbit, The Dragon’s Hoard was much enjoyed by all of my children. Sterling (almost 6) and Ruby (4) thoroughly enjoyed listening to the story alongside Liberty and Eden – although I didn’t have them do the interactive study guide with the girls. The girls begged and begged for me to read them more. I was impressed with how well they learned and retained what we’d read. After making two copies of the downloaded study guide, each girl was on her own for answering questions in the space provided in the PDF file.
The interactive study guide did a great job of picking the story line apart, asking the student to evaluate the characters and their motives. Fear, worry, and courage were main themes in the book and further discussed in the study guide. The study guide did a great job of giving scripture references to look up and evaluate the characters and their responses to situations that arise in the book. It also includes a word search and cross word puzzle and many ideas for further study, book reports, field trips, art, and further reading.
The Hall of Doors: The Dragon’s Hoard was easily read in an hour and a half, but the study guide slowed them down and sent them back to the book often. I read it aloud the first time, but both Eden and Liberty were able to read it as well, and did as they went back to the book to find answers in the chapter-by-chapter study guide.
The Hall of Doors: The Dragon’s Hoard book is available here for $6.99. The Hall of Doors: Dragon’s Hoard Study Guide is available here for $15.99.
Read more reviews from other the Old Schoolhouse Review Crew members here.
