Reading is an integral part of my life.

Not only is it good for my soul (who doesn’t love a good story?), it has also proven beneficial in my role as a homeschooling parent - or lead learner as I prefer to describe myself these days!

Last year I read a lot.

This year I want to deepen that experience and read more for my professional development.

Enter the Homegrown Learners Book Club!

Many readers gather in our private Facebook group, Equipping Homegrown Learners, to discuss homeschooling ideas, resources, and concerns. They come to the group for encouragement and support.

Our conversation naturally drifts towards books, so it is time to formalize that conversation into a book club.

In the Homegrown Learners Book Club we will discuss a book each semester that is pertinent to our roles as home educators.

These discussions will typically take place on a Thursday evening at 8 p.m. ET. You will be able to join in the discussion via Facebook or (if you aren’t on Facebook) through a simple webinar registration.

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This is a group dedicated to homeschool parents who would like to "up the discourse" about homeschooling - specifically on Facebook. We tackle interes...

Beauty in the Word

I have long had Beauty in the Word on my shelf.

To be honest, it has intimidated me. It is quite deep - AND - it is written for Catholic schools and educators.

Let me debunk both of these myths: yes, it is deep, but after reading and re-reading I am finding so much BEAUTY and wisdom in this book! And, I am not Catholic, but am gleaning so much from the Classical principles in the book.

Beauty in the Word - Homegrown Learners Book Club Selection #1

The central idea of the present book is very simple. It is that education is not primarily about the acquisition of information. It is not even about the acquisition of ‘skills’ in the conventional sense, to equip us for particular roles in society. It is about how we become more human (and therefore more free, in the truest sense of that word). This is a broader and deeper question, but no less practical. Too often we have not been educating our humanity. We have been educating ourselves for doing rather than being. We live in an excessively activist civilization, in which contemplation and interiority are often despised and suppressed in favor of mere action and reaction. ~ p. 11 - Beauty in the Word

Let the above passage sit with you for a moment.

This book is rich and timely - relevant and pertinent. I am excited to make this our first Homegrown Learners Book Club selection!

More information will be published soon, but we will meet on the following dates:

January 31 @ 8 p.m. ET
February 7 @ 8 p.m. ET
February 21 @ 8 p.m. ET
February 27 @ 8 p.m. ET
March 7 @ 8 p.m. ET
March 14 @ 8 p.m. ET
March 21 @ 8 p.m. ET
March 28 @ 8 p.m. ET

All sessions will be recorded and made available, so no need to worry if you cannot attend live. Live attendees, however, will have the benefit of an interactive discussion and asking questions.

Subscribe to the blog for updates and reminders about book club.

I hope you will join me - I look forward to learning with you and from you as we discuss great books together!

Any questions or comments?

Have a book you’d like to suggest?

Let me know in the comments below.

A Gentle Beginning to learn about C.S. Lewis

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need to slide into a deep subject gently.

There was a lot of buzz about Becoming Mrs. Lewis - the story of Joy Davidman and C.S. Lewis’ unlikely friendship and eventual marriage. I listened to the book and was drawn into their world.

A logical place to go after listening to this book was to read A Grief Observed - this was the book Lewis wrote after his wife died. The book is short, but is so full of wisdom. I read it through quickly the first time, and then really sat with it a second time - highlighting and making notes in the margins.

A Plan to Learn More about C.S. Lewis

After this enjoyable introduction into the life and thoughts of C.S. Lewis, I found myself wanting to know more.

I get easily bogged down by too much “intellectual” reading (just being honest).

I have to keep it short and interesting.

Second, the box set of C.S. Lewis signature classics (these are SO approachable - and the covers are beautiful, too!).

Third, Surprised By Joy - the shape of C.S. Lewis’ early life.

(If you want to include your children in this endeavor, I HIGHLY recommend C.S. Lewis, Master Storyteller - one of the Christian Heroes Then and Now biographies. We listened to this on a long car trip last year and all learned so much! )