< Previous30 | The Utah Homeschooler Madeline O This year, my mom, my sister, and I decided to get a booth at the our town’s annual heritage celebration. The three of us shared a canopy, and we each had a table. Thankfully we had some awesome friends and neighbors who were happy to lend us a canopy and extra table! For the weeks leading up to it, I lived and breathed painting. It’s my favorite thing ever to get so “into” something. I tend to like to do things “all or nothing.” Last year I did a watercolor class, and this was my first time really putting all of my watercolor skills into practice to make my best art yet! I mostly focused on painting local landmarks. It’s such a cute town to paint. I also painted some places in Europe and some from my own imagination. Then I took all my paintings to a local print shop to get them scanned and printed. I printed seven copies of each local painting and four copies of the rest, knowing that local ones were likely to be more popular. Then I spend a long time putting the prints in their sleeves. I labeled all of my paintings by putting a colored sticker or shape on the sleeves before hand, and then wrote the according price on a white board. That way, if I needed to change the price in the middle of the event, I could easily do so without re-writing everything a hundred times and being messy. I also finished setting up my Etsy shop, after a failed attempt at starting one a couple of years ago, and I posted my first paintings the week before the celebration. My dad made a QR code to my shop for me. Then I made a sign and some simple business cards to advertise my shop at my booth. (My Etsy shop is called TheGardenHut, and I have most on my paintings on there right now). When the heritage celebration finally came, I was so excited I could hardly contain myself! I loved getting to talk to people who came by my booth. Some people that came by told me a little bit about how they remember our town several years back. I found out that when I talked to people or even just smiled at them, they not only were more likely to buy something, but they had a better time at my table. (And I did too!) It was a super fun day and a great experience! I made a total of $431.00, with a profit of $368.01. I feel like that was pretty good for my first time. I kept super good records of the whole process. I highly recommend doing this if you start a business, or even just earn some money. It makes the whole thing more fun and stress free. It also is important to have a record for budgeting afterwards. It was really nice that almost all the investment for something like this is time, not money. I hope to have a booth at a bunch of events next summer, and I plan on expanding my painting collection too. Something cool that I realized after painting a bunch of places I know is that you never look at a place quite the same after you paint it. Every time I bike past our local Fire Department I think, “Oh, that’s my cute little Fire Department!” If you want to be an entrepreneur, here is some advice: Even if things don’t work out the first time, keep trying. Try new ideas or different ways of approaching your old ones. Always be developing skills. I wanted to start an Etsy shop for clay magnets a couple of years ago, but didn’t finish setting it up because I ran into problems with the clay being more fragile than I’d have liked, and mostly, I was just way too slow at making them for it to be worth the money. But I kept developing my art skills and found something that I actually enjoy way more. Now, after a couple of years, I was able to start a business. I haven’t stopped developing skills though. Now I’m taking the Digital Design class at Btech, which will help me in my business even more. age 17This could be you! Have you done something awesome in your homeschool like the students you’ve just read about? We want to hear about it! Share any homeschool experience, project, or accomplishment from the last year and you could see it published! Student Submissions should include: 1) a short write-up (one or a few paragraphs), 2) a portrait photo (doesn't need to be professional), 3) one or more pictures related to your submission, 4) your name and mailing address, and, 5) a signed permission form. You can find the permission form and all the details at ? All students who send in a Student Spotlight, Big Win, or Book Nook submission for the Janaury 2026 issue will be entered into a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card. There will be four lucky winners, so don’t miss out! Big Wins should include: 1) a sentence or two about your big win, 2) your name and mailing address, and 3) a signed permission form. WIN A $25 GIFT CARD! Student Spotlights | 31 Ryan O Last year when I was doing art class I saw a video about how to do a really cool illusion art picture. It was a picture of a pipe coming out of a wall with water pouring into a pail. So a few weeks ago Mom emailed the video to me and I did it. The illusion picture only works when you have it folded in half. When you just have it flat it looks really weird. I also made another illusion picture. It was a picture of an open door with steps inside of the door way. I really liked making the pictures and see- ing the outcome. age 9 Looking at it flat.K O O N K O O THE B Book reviews for kids by kids 32 | The Utah Homeschooler Have you read a great book lately? We'd love to hear about it! Write up your own book review and send it in to see your words right here in the next magazine. Whether it’s an old classic or something new, share your favorite books with other homeschool kids across the state. Visit Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li Jiang Red Scarf Girl is the true story of Ji-li Jaing, a spunky girl who lived in China during the cultural revolution. Ji-Li grew up in a family of six, including her grandma and parents. The Chinese Cultural Revolution was a time where all former customs, traditions and class statuses were viewed as problematic. The Chinese people wanted to destroy all the old traditions and replace them with new ones. Landowners were among the group of “black categories.” This was a group of people that were considered devious and the citizens wanted nothing to do with them. Ji-Li, up until this point, knew nothing about herself or about her family history. One day when coming home from school, she finds out that she comes from the landowner class. People soon discover this secret and Ji-Li’s life is turned upside down. Many things she holds dear and private are destroyed. People persecuted her and harmed her family, both physically and mentally. Ji-Li has a choice: to leave her family and have a pure clean start or to stay with her family and keep going down a path that has caused her so much pain. She realizes that her family has nothing to do with her and that she can still change who she is. But she also realizes that her family loves her and she loves them. She cannot leave them behind. Her family is priceless and she decides to stay with them. When she is thirty, she gets to immigrate to America with her family and leave the darkness of the revolution behind. I love this story because it’s a good example of learning to love one another, even when things go wrong. It teaches that things in the past cannot be redone, but it doesn’t mean that we cannot try to be better. We also learn that communism never works and what is most important is our freedoms to be a family and live life how we feel is best. Juliet G, Age 12Endless Forms: The Secret World of Wasps By Seirian Sumner This book is about how awesome the wasp is! It shows how the general public opinion hates the wasp and loves the bee, but how those opinions should be flipped. Wasps have shown humans how to make paper, pottery and other things. If you wanted a complex society other than humans, go to the scial wasps like the yellowjacket! Bees are just a random spinoff of the wasp. Wasps help keep garden pests at bay, and some wasps even pollinate flowers. Without wasps, we would’nt have any figs or orchids. Wasps are crucial to humanity, and this book shows you how! Blaise J, Age 13 Book Nook: Book Reviews for Kids by Kids | 33 Percy Jackson (Series) by Rick Riordan Lately, I have been obsessed with the Percy Jackson series. They are really good books and I have learned so much about Greek mythology from them. Here is why you should read them. In the series, Greek mythology is real, and the main characters meet many Greek gods, titans, and monsters. The main character, Percy Jackson, is a demigod, and goes to a place called Camp Half-Blood in New York City with other demigods. It is there that he meets the other two main characters: Annabeth, who is another demigod, and Grover, a satyr. The main characters go on lots of adventures trying to stop the titan lord Kronos, during this amazing five book series In conclusion, whether you’re new to Greek mythology, or you’re already an expert, this series will wow anyone. Ted A, Age 13 Itty Bitty Princess Kitty (Series) by Melody Mews My favorite books right now are an awesome series about a princess kitten. In the first book, she finds out she’s actually a princess. Then in the second book, she hosts a ball and she has to do a special dance and teach everyone else how to do it. I love them because they are chapter books, but they still have pictures, so they’re more fun to read. Plus, the covers are sparkly. Elora H, Age 9RESOURCE DIRECTORY INDEXRESOURCE DIRECTORY INDEX I know all the states and capitals! ~ Amelia H, age 9 I memorized The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe. ~ Ricki T, age 15 I just read my 100th book this year! ~ Sammi P, age 13 Tell us about your Big Win and see it in the next issue! Send an email to TheUtahHomeschooler@gmail.com with your big win and a publication release form. WINS WINS BIG BIG Get the form via the QR code or at www.TheUtahHomeschooler.com/permission.pdf 34 | The Utah HomeschoolerDiscover art history at home. Utah Fits All Eligibl eROCKANDGROW.COM 435-689-1633 ro ck and grow ! roc k and grow ! with with lea rn learn Ages 3-5 Ages 3-5 Designed by Designed by TEACHERS! *Homeschool *Homeschool *Daycares *Daycares NO PREPDAILY CRAFTS 3 OR 5 DAY A WEEK- ALL SUBJECTS! Pre-K/Kinder Pre-K/Kinder No-Prep Kits No-Prep Kits CURRICULUM HANDS-ON DAILY ACTIVITIES! KITS MAILED TO YOUR DOOR OR DIGITAL NOW AVAILABLE! 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