Brook Farm Books

Kids’ Container Gardening: Year-Round Projects for Inside and Out, by Cindy Krezel. This is a great idea, well presented, with a good variety of small projects that kids can do either by themselves or with you. It starts with some good advice and goes on to tell you about a wide variety of containers you can use and interesting ideas for growing things in them. Have you ever heard of a cocktail garden? It’s just one of the projects here, along with vegetable hanging baskets, Halloween hats, sand art terrariums, a small fountain, and others. Ages 9 to 12. Cover price $14.95. $13.00 from Brook Farm Books.

A HISTORY OF US, a set of 11 volumes, by Joy Hakim. You can use these books with your beginning U.S. history studies right though high school if you make use of the Study Guided and extensive reading list that comes with each book. These very readable books don’t resemble “schoolbooks.” Hakim presents history as the story of people, which is as it should be. You meet ordinary people, not just the presidents and well-known figures, and discover how they lived. These engaging books, with excellent color illustrations, will ask you to think and form opinions. Hakim makes good use of original sources, newspaper excerpts, cartoons, diaries, drawings, maps, and the original artwork of the time. You’ll find yourself spending more time thinking about the people and the issues than memorizing meaningless names, battles, and dates. While this series of books is not cheap, it will be all that you will need from about third grade through junior high. If you have younger children, I suggest that you can take your time going through the books, concentrating on one historical period at a time, or you can go through the books more quickly, returning for a more in-depth study when the children are older. Hakim’s inclusion of an extensive list of related reading material in the back of each book is a real boon to those who like to explore in depth. While the original set was 10 volumes, the newly revised set is 11 volumes. This most recent addition to the set contains a complete index for the series, a good glossary of terms, essential documents and speeches that have shaped the country, and commentary about why each is important. The price per book is $15.95 if bought individually. The current price for the whole set is $219.45, but we are setting our price a bit lower — at $150.00 — because we think everyone should have this set. We’ll also include UPS shipping. This is one of the best investments you’ll make. My only regret about these books is that they were not available when our kids were still at home.

Vol. 1, THE FIRST AMERICANS (prehistory – 1600)
Vol. 2, MAKING THIRTEEN COLONIES (1600 – 1740)
Vol. 3, FROM COLONIES TO COUNTRY (1735 – 1791)
Vol. 4, THE NEW NATION (1789 – 1850)
Vol. 5, LIBERTY FOR ALL? (1820 – 1860)
Vol. 6, WAR, TERRIBLE WAR (1855 – 1865)
Vol. 7, RECONSTRUCTION AND REFORM (1865 – 1890)
Vol. 8, AN AGE OF EXTREMES (1880 – 1917)
Vol. 9, WAR, PEACE, AND ALL THAT JAZZ (1918 – 1945)
Vol. 10, ALL THE PEOPLE (1945 to present with election of Obama)
Vol. 11, Index, commentary, documents, and glossary

TEACHING GUIDES: one for each volume. You don’t need these guides, but if you want to extract the most from these wonderful books you will find them useful. Each guide has more than 50 pages of chapter summaries, reading suggestions, vocabulary to learn, and — best of all — activities, projects, and ideas for discussion. The regular price for the guides is $9.95 each, or $99.50 for the complete set, plus $2.50 shipping. Our special price is $70 for the complete set of guides, with no shipping charged if you order these with The History of US. If you question the usefulness of the guides, send an SASE and I’ll be happy to send sample copies of a few pages.

*** This series has extensive reading lists. If you can’t find the books listed, email us for help.

Note from a happy mom: “… I love the teaching guides. … They help my son to focus in on what he will be reading, and the study guides … will prove very useful for his end-of-the-year portfolio that I have to show the school system.”

Enjoyment of music is common to the human experience. It strikes a common chord in all of us, and we respond to it in conscious and subconscious ways. Music is a poetic expression of our innermost feelings painted in sound. It can express our anger, love, frustrations, dreams, loss, and joy, and reflects our soul. It is a gift to be enjoyed in every way possible. Some of us can create it, some can play it, and some of us can barely hum a tune, but we can all enjoy it.

I was lucky to enjoy music in many forms while I was growing up. I studied dance for years; sang in several choruses; played piano moderately well, but without great talent; played clarinet, not as well; played the violin with promise (I was told); and found playing the drums in the orchestra absolutely boring because there were long pauses between the times they were played. It wasn’t until I reached my mid-teens that I found the right instrument for me (the guitar), one I felt could help me express what I couldn’t put into words, one that vibrated with my inner being and gave it expression. I think every child should have the opportunity to learn at least one instrument. Speaking from my own experience I would not, as a parent, be discouraged if a child starts and stops music lessons or changes instruments over a period of years. Many people try various instruments before they find the one that’s right for them, and many adults who had music lessons as children and stopped playing start again later in life.

Children love music. They feel it and move to it; they love lullabies and story songs. (They even respond to music in utero.) There’s lots of great children’s music available to listen to, and there are thousands of good songs to sing and learn. Don’t let the language of music — the notes, the musical alphabet — discourage you. It’s very simple in its basic form, much simpler than learning English or French. It is a gift you can give your children that will last long after the lessons are forgotten.

If you’ve never played an instrument, I suggest you start with a recorder. It’s inexpensive and not complicated to play. A piano is also a good beginning instrument, because the keyboard is very logical and it is easy to relate to the written notes. If a piano is beyond your means, don’t give up! Get an electronic keyboard, which is much cheaper. They usually come with instructions for beginners.

Warning: Your dog may howl. Gus had definite musical preferences. He groaned and muttered when I played in the key of D minor on the guitar, but only with some pieces. It always puzzled me. He was completely intolerant (as in howling mad) of the recorder and the flute when I played them, but not at all bothered by a recording of these instruments. I tried not to take this personally. If you love classical music and/or the recorder, listen to Souvenir, an RCA CD recording of Michala Petri on recorder with Lars Hannibal on lute and guitar, and if I had only one CD to listen to for the rest of my life it would be Paul Galbraith playing Bach on his eight-string guitar.

After comparing the globes from several different manufacturers, we have chosen those made by Replogle, the world’s largest manufacturer of globes, as being the best in quality, attractiveness, durability, accuracy, and price. They all have sturdy bases. All but the Moon globe and illuminated globes have raised relief.

If you’re on a tight budget you can get a globe at Wal-Mart. Check to be sure it is up-to-date and not old stock. The only problem with their globes is you have to buy a new one to keep up with all the changes.

All political globes listed below come with a half-price update certificate. Whenever there is a major political change, such as the breakup of the Soviet Union, you can send your globe to Replogle and get an updated globe for half-price.

Keep in mind that globes make very nice gifts. The fastest way to order is to use your credit card and call our toll-free number: 1-877-375-4680.

	THE GEOGRAPHER: Reinvent the world! This sturdy write-on, wipe-off 12-inch globe is a great educational tool — not to mention a lot of fun. Designed for classroom or home use, this globe creates an environment for interactive learning. Dry erase marker included. The only drawback I see in this globe is that it does not have raised relief. $56.99 plus $6 shipping.
The ATLANTIS: This is our favorite. Both raised and indented geographical relief enhance the globe’s geographical features — and children love to feel the ups and downs. The political boundaries and names are clear and easy to read. We particularly like the coloring, which is light and has a subtle blending in with the realistic coloration of land and water areas, including deserts, mountain ranges, forests, and undersea physical features. The Atlantis most resembles the earth as it appears from space. 12-inch globe, 17 inches high, double-meridian gyrosphere mounting (which means you can turn the globe a full 360 degrees in any direction for easy viewing of any region). $66.99 plus $6 shipping.
	THE EXPLORER: A 12-inch globe with bold colors and more than 4,000 political markings, with raised relief. Clear place names. Single-meridian mount that turns on the earth’s axis. Sturdy gold-colored metal mounting. 16 inches high. This globe is also available with French or Spanish text. $39.99 plus $6 shipping.
THE FRANKLIN: Identical to The Explorer (above), except that the oceans are “antique” (light tan parchment) instead of blue and the base has an antique finish. $39.99 plus $6 shipping.
	THE LIVINGSTON: A 12-inch single-meridian illuminated globe on a hardwood base. Two-way, raised-relief map of the physical world, or turn on its light and see political boundaries. Two globes in one! $74.99 plus $6 shipping.
THE CARLYLE: All the most sought-after features are here in this 12" globe: illumination, antique-ocean design, and 12-inch diameter. Walnut-finish base; die-cast semi-meridian. $74.99 plus $6 shipping.
	THE MOON: Accurately depicts the geographical features of the moon, including craters, “seas,” and mountain ranges. NASA approved. 12-inch globe, 15 inches high on stand. $52.99 plus $6 shipping.
THE CONSTELLATION: 12-inch diameter and 16 inches high. Provoke the imagination in new ways. This illuminated globe shows stars, constellations, and nebulae when not lit. Turn the light on and witness the luminous beauty of approximately 70 celestial images. Features molded black base and smoke semi-meridian. $66.99 plus $6 shipping.
	THE PIONEER: Get a closer look at the world with this 12-inch globe. Thanks to the gyro-matic mounting that swings up or down you can bring any area into closer view. Vivid map to help easily distinguish political boundaries. Numbered full-meridian and gyro assembly. $55.99 plus $6 shipping.
THE TALLINN: A sleek finish lends an air of modern opulence to the crisp metallic blue and gold of the Tallinn 12-inch globe ball, while the textured pewter-finish base and full brass meridian offer classical contrast. $150 plus $6 shipping.
	THE CHARLESTON: This distinctive 12-inch globe blends function with an exotic feel. The elegant, clean-lined base forms the perfect foundation for the graceful rattan yoke. The yoke and mahogany base share a rich walnut finish that complements the traditional antique-ocean globe ball. $169 plus $8 shipping.

If you are looking for a larger floor model globe or something more ornate, please call our toll-free number (1-877-375-4680) or email customerservice@brookfarmbooks.com and ask us about our selection.

THE COMPLETE HOME LEARNING SOURCE BOOK: The Essential Resource Guide for Homeschoolers, Parents, and Educators Covering Every Subject From Arithmetic to Zoology, by Rebecca Rupp. Rebecca has spent years finding resources and sharing them through her column for Home Education Magazine and in her earlier books. This is a mind-boggling collection of the good learning tools. As Donn said in the last Home School Source Book, “It’s a little difficult for the author of a resource guide to review someone else’s resource guide, unless there are major disagreements in subject matter or philosophy. … I don’t think I disagree with any of her choices, although only a small number of them appear in this book. That means you can consult both books with little chance of duplicated reviews.” $29.95.

Homeschooling THE UNSCHOOLING HANDBOOK: How to Use the Whole World as Your Child’s Classroom, by Mary Griffith. This book kept me awake even at a very late hour. I enjoyed and learned from the creative ideas presented by her many contributors about how they expanded their children’s knowledge and enjoyment in their learning activities. I liked her broad definition of a classroom. This book begins with suggestions and thoughts about unschooling that can help you decide if it’s something you want to do — and can do. It continues on to cover all the subjects expected by schools and interesting unschooling approaches used by her contributors. The variety of approaches adds depth and interest and offers good suggestions. At the end of each chapter is an example of how that chapter’s subject would be covered throughout an unschooling day, along with a list of very good resource books. $16.95.

Homeschooling HAVE FUN. LEARN STUFF. GROW. is also by David Albert. When I first picked up this book I thought it was another homeschooling book when I read the title. Well it is, and then again it isn’t, and then again, it is. It begins with a glass-half-full–half-empty metaphor. This should make you stop and think right there. We all develop, consciously or not, an outlook on life and relationships, and the fact that this challenge is right up front is appropriate. Those with the (half) empty outlook will either think more about it or retreat.
This book is a delightful mix of philosophy, metaphor, storytelling, and how to homeschool in freedom, and it’s not just about freedom for the kids.

The chapters about math and spelling should be mandatory for all parents and teachers. As a self-confessed math phobic I dearly wish someone had figured out the “best” way to not teach math when I was “doing time” in the public school system. I’m going to have to try the unspelling myself. If it will work with me it will work with anyone. I have always learned best from my failures.

David sorted out for me the roots of the “video” obsession some kids have. It’s bothered me for some time but I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around it. Control is the issue. It makes sense. I am grateful that he put it all in perspective too. Who wants their kids playing violent games, even if they are “only” games? It’s an oxymoron, but I am fiercely opposed to teaching or supporting violence (should we add intolerance here too?) in any way.

In reading this book I came away feeling that as a parent, homeschooling or otherwise, one of the best teaching/learning tools available is how to learn within the context of your own life. $14.95.

Homeschooling AND THE SKYLARK SINGS WITH ME: Adventures in Homeschooling and Community-Based Education, by David H. Albert. David’s astute observations and comments about modern educational methods used in the public schools are important, but they aren’t what impressed me most. The Alberts, more than the families in any other homeschooling accounts I’ve read, integrated their freestyle homeschooling with other people and resources in their surrounding community. This called for a change in lifestyle, and David calls that “hard work.” Their striving to connect their children with people who were passionate about what they were doing, and who were willing to share and foster the interest of young children, demanded that they expand their network of friends and acquaintances and explore options through newspapers and by calling strangers. This wasn’t always easy, but the results were immensely rewarding. The children’s interests were respected and their horizons expanded. Their intellectual growth flourished, and because this learning took place within the family and expanded into the community at large, the children formed relationships with people of all ages based on common interests and needs, as opposed to the public school standard of peers based solely on age. Many books emphasize “values,” but mostly within the family. David and his wife talk about imparting the values of community interaction — not just for social contact with people outside the family, but because this interaction makes activities outside the family more than just isolated incidents: They become a foundation and model for the future.

While David is cognizant of the precocity of his own children (and you will be well aware of this too), you will quickly see that the most important aspect of his story is how he and his wife labored to observe, respect, encourage, and only occasionally direct their children. The observations, ideas, and suggestions given for encouraging personal and intellectual growth are worthy models for all of us.

You’ll find insightful comments about how children learn throughout the book. I heartily endorse his suggestion that you read James Loewen’s Lies My Teacher Told Me and Howard Zinn’s People’s History of the United States so that you can incorporate varied perspectives about history and its depiction into your own presentation of the subject. I agree with David’s idea of repeatedly making math relevant to young children, thereby enabling them to discover its usefulness in making sense of their world. I particularly liked his statements about encouraging early reading and the use of phonics: “Having kids read at ever-younger ages may be high on the agenda of parents with heady images of escorting their sons and daughters off to Harvard, but given the content of most young children’s reading material, learning to read is small potatoes compared with the fascination of an anthill.” He goes on to point out that the choice of whether to use a whole-language or phonics approach to reading should be determined by each child’s need at the time — and that this may change over time. He points out that his daughter Meera was not interested in having a word sounded out phonetically, but wanted the word said and explained (if necessary). She would then memorize it if it was useful. “What I am cautiously suggesting is that heavy emphasis on phonics might get some children to read earlier, but not necessarily better, provided ‘late’ readers are not stigmatized and their self-confidence damaged for not reading on someone else’s time schedule. The problem with either phonics or whole language approaches to reading is that they are each all too often tied to both a timetable and a content not of the child’s own devising.”

David disagrees with using E.D. Hirsch’s cultural literacy and Core Knowledge books as standards for yearly content, and while I feel strongly that a common cultural knowledge is important, I agree that these books can become simply another set of artificial standards with emphasized data unrelated to a child’s life, which makes the content just something to be regurgitated, not an integrated relevant set of useful knowledge.

At the end of the book he concludes that “to educate a child well is to enable her to find her destiny as well as our own. This can only be accomplished successfully, I am persuaded, by allowing her to find the freedom to listen to and be exhilarated by the harmony of her own inner voices and those of the world around her so that, like Blake’s schoolboy, she comes to know that ‘the skylark sings with me.’”

This is a book to inspire you throughout your homeschooling journey. An added bonus is a list, at the end of each chapter, of resources the Alberts found most useful. $16.95

Homeschooling LEARNING AT HOME: A Mother’s Guide to Homeschooling, by Marty Layne (and recently updated) mother of four homeschooled young adults. Learning at Home is a personal book. Marty’s insights about interacting with her children should be used by all parents and teachers even though it was written primarily for homeschooling parents. What makes this book exceptional are Marty’s observations about the interaction between parents and children. She has an acute awareness of how children learn best and how to help them. Marty shares her insight into how to see and work through the conditioned responses we all subconsciously carry from society, our own upbringing, and our schooling in order to create a harmonious homeschool environment. The book begins by taking a close look at the answer to the very common question “Can I do this — teach my child at home?” You’ll find Marty has the unique capacity to help you sort out your inner thoughts and motivations and recognize your fears (and learn how to deal with them), and to impart confidence. You’ll find numerous comments and suggestions for creating a learning environment to suit yourself and your children, and the emphasis is always on how to relate and respond to your children, and how to best meet their needs and your own. Yes, Mom and Dad, you have to take care of your needs too; that’s a strong part of Marty’s message. Being a good mate and parent presents many challenges. Add teaching (working with, guiding, whatever you want to call it), and you’ve added to those challenges exponentially. Unless you’re superwoman or superman you’re going to find your life, at times, more stressful than is reasonable. Marty’s chapter on burnout — how to recognize it, what to do about it, and (most constructive of all) how to prevent it — is the best I’ve seen. This is a book designed for real people. She recognizes that parents as well as kids have times when they are grumpy, that there are times when the kids get bored or are unhappy, and she offers some interesting observations about why these times happen and some ideas for improving the situation.

Along with all this sagacious writing about critical issues, you’ll find chapters about helping your child learn to read, write, and do arithmetic; the importance of including the arts (music, art, dance, and drama); and using all of life as a curriculum. Many of us have read about homeschoolers becoming accomplished musicians at a young age, going to prestigious colleges, or doing other remarkable things. Marty makes the important point that homeschooling can “allow time to pursue an interest and reveal talent but can’t create it.” Thankfully, Marty recognizes that not all children develop remarkable talents or abiding interests, and points out that there are important talents our society does not recognize: “We tend to recognize only outstanding gifts that fall in recognized categories like art, music, drama, or sports. We are not willing to recognize talent for something like happiness, listening to others, being a warm person, taking delight in a rainy day.” I particularly value this observation because more important than any talent or recognition, living well with ourselves and those around us is one of life’s true goals and rewards. There is so much depth to this book that it’s worth reading and rereading.

If you are considering homeschooling it will help you decide if this is really what you want to do and how to do it successfully. This book also has great value to those who have been homeschooling for a while, because Marty has given so much thought to issues that frequently cause problems in daily homeschooling, and clearly states ways to help you deal with them.

October, 2009: Marty has just updated her book and added a chapter about reading. Her ideas are superb. A great addition to a terrific book.

The end of the book contains several very useful appendices, with a list of read-a-loud books, a bibliography, help in setting goals, and addresses for U.S. and Canadian support. $18.95.

Homeschooling THE HOMESCHOOLING BOOK OF ANSWERS, by Linda Dobson. Amazing! A book with more answers than questions. How can that be? Read on! Drawing from years of experience homeschooling her own family, time spent helping other homeschoolers through workshops, and her extensive body of written work about homeschooling, Linda has posed more than 80 of the most important, most frequently asked questions about homeschooling and asked more than 35 of homeschooling’s most respected voices to contribute answers. Issues of structure, expense, socialization, dealing with officials, resources, and many more are answered here. Reading this book is like attending a homeschooling forum and hearing the most experienced people in the field express their ideas and opinions. Best of all, each question is answered by at least two people so you can consider differing points of view and form your own conclusions. I found it interesting to see where contributors agreed (without any consultation) and where they differed. The greatest value of this book lies not in the number of questions that are answered, but in the rich diversity of answers. You will come away from this book knowing that there are as many ways to homeschool as there are homeschooling families. These “expert” answers come from a combined total of more than 500 years of personal experience, experimentation, observation, and the courage to pursue personal dreams and values. This is a book for all homeschoolers. Reading it will empower you as you experiment and find the best learning style for you and your family. $17.95.