Brook Farm Books

Pocket Oxford American Dictionary and Thesaurus. This won’t fit in your regular pockets. It’s packed with more than 150,000 entries, synonyms (listed very conveniently under the main entry), and hundreds of new words and meanings. It’s not as thorough as Roget’s Thesaurus, but I think it’s perfect for high school and college students. Handy to have the dictionary and thesaurus together. 928 pages. Cover price $13.95. $12.50 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.”

Homeschooling THE TEENAGE LIBERATION HANDBOOK: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education, by Grace Llewellyn. Probably the best, most accurate review of this book was in Bloomsbury Review: “This is a very dangerous book. It contradicts all the conventional wisdom about dropouts and the importance of a formal education. It is funny and inspiring. Do not, under any circumstances, share this book with a bright, frustrated high-schooler being ground into mind-fudge by the school system. The writer cannot be responsible for the happiness and sense of personal responsibility that might come from reading this book.” Grace Llewellyn has compiled a fantastic array of ideas and resources for a very comprehensive unschooling education, in all the standard subjects and scores of non-standard ones — science, math, social sciences, English, languages, the arts, sports and athletics, outdoor jobs and activities, travel — through books, personal contacts, jobs, apprenticeships and internships, volunteering, social and political activism, and more. She offers very encouraging advice throughout the book, and illustrates her arguments with dozens of real-life stories (many borrowed from Growing Without Schooling) of kids who have done it. Even a homeschool with more structure than Grace advocates will find the numerous ideas and resources invaluable; for the truly unschooled teenager who is serious about doing more than watching TV, it will be an invaluable guidebook.

I have one major reservation, and a few minor ones. Like many unschoolers, Grace seems to think that any and all resources (people, places, etc.) are good — except the child’s own parents. The first thing to do after making the decision to quit school, Grace advises the teenaged reader, is “celebrate your audacity with deep chocolate ice cream” and then, step two, “consult your parents.” Some parents might feel they should have something to say about such a momentous decision, but Grace doesn’t seem to have much sympathy for them. “You might get this over with after dinner tonight,” she says, “or you might acclimate them slowly to the idea.” At least she realizes that some old fogies may be a little slow. “Fortunately,” she adds, “with a little care and planning, you will probably be able to help them see the light.” Ah, yes, we remember it well — our kids, at the age of 13 or 14, suddenly wise and mature, trying to help us see the light — and we, stubborn and over-protective, always in the way of their freedom and happiness, trying to keep them from frying their brains or wrapping themselves around a tree. Our own “fortunately” is that they soon saw the light and grew out of this phase almost as quickly as they had grown into it, and we continued our lives together as friends and family. Overprotective or not, we still think that most kids of 13 or 14, and even some of 16 or 17, are not ready to take on the entire world on their own terms alone, with no consideration for their parents’ opinions, guidance — and yes, even a few rules now and then. There are exceptions, of course, but even for them there is seldom any excuse for presenting parents with ultimatums and sudden declarations of independence.

My minor reservations about the book have to do with some of Grace’s recommended reading for the newly liberated teenager. We happen to agree with most of her choices, but a few of them seem to encourage a “liberation” with which we cannot agree. Poe, Gibran, Thoreau, the Bible, Blake, Shakespeare — excellent choices. But Grace also recommends Rubyfruit Jungle, by Rita Mae Brown, with the parenthetical note that it’s “sexually explicit, offends a lot of people,” which is putting it very mildly. She recommends The Color Purple, by Alice Walker, without mentioning that it’s largely about incestuous rape, sexual promiscuity, and infidelity. She does admit that Tom Robbins’ Even Cowgirls Get the Blues is “rated R — some sex, some drugs,” but her idea of some is a long way from the book’s nearly total preoccupation with random promiscuity and constant drug use. Grace’s list of “poetry” looks okay, except “poetry by Sappho,” which is of course explicitly lesbian. In what she calls “a short list especially tailored for searching teenagers,” I think she could have made better choices than these.

These reservations are concerned with a tiny part of the book, and shouldn’t keep you from buying it and using it, but keep in mind that the author has her own orientation and opinions, and you may not always agree with her.

P.S. A reader recently pointed out that Grace has no children of her own. Our reader wondered if Grace would be as liberal with her own children at the expense of parental judgment. Me too. $20.

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 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.

For parents of children 10 to 18 years-old. THE QUESTION IS COLLEGE, by Herbert Kohl. It’s fair to wonder why I’m putting college before kindergarten in this next review when the only thing you may be concerned with right now is clean diapers. I am doing it because whether we actually discuss our philosophy of living and goals in relation to our children’s education or not, our everyday actions have a direct effect on our children’s future. This first book will help you form an overview of living and education that will help guide you through the years.

Before considering specific resources it’s important to think about where you want your homeschool journey to take you and your children. You need some idea of your long-term goals or you’ll waste time and effort and encounter more obstacles than necessary. The Question Is College will stimulate and help clarify your thinking. Kohl is more concerned with the attitudes toward living you would like your child to end up with than about academic skills and college attendance.

This book is not against college, but questions whether there is a genuine need for it. It was written primarily for high school students, not parents, but in a homeschooling family, the concerns of one affect the other. This book isn’t intended for parents of young children, but reading it while your children are young will help you create a philosophy about learning and living that will be of enormous benefit. The preface to Kohl’s new edition begins:

Donn and I have always felt the journey from childhood through adulthood should be enjoyed in and of itself, progressing into a satisfying way of life and personally meaningful work. Unfortunately, when parents first think of homeschooling they are all too often thinking of the skills they’ve been conditioned by upbringing and society to accept as needed to succeed in life. The skills we teach our children are, all too often, a reflection of what we think we needed to succeed in life. We should remember that our children’s needs will be different. To fulfill their dreams we should strive to give them the most versatile tools possible along with the confidence to know they can learn whatever is necessary along the way. Our culture equates a college degree with success. Kohl’s book will give you good reasons to look beyond the common equation: college = success = money = happiness. He does not accept the premise that your life’s work need be dull. Therefore, in homeschooling, we should seek out the greatest opportunities for exploration and discovery possible. I think a copy of this book should magically appear with the birth of every first child. Available only on Amazon $4.39.

MATHEMATICS

PLAY AND FIND OUT ABOUT MATH: Easy Activities for Young Children, by Janice VanCleave. How long is five seconds? How can I draw a star? How much is one-half of something? Is my foot a foot long? I wonder … How can I do a math trick? These are just a few of the questions to be explored and learned about in this book. Your children may not know the words fraction and symmetry, but they will discover the concepts from these easy-to-do projects — and they’ll have fun doing it. Concepts covered are counting, numbers, addition and subtraction from 1 to 10, fractions (the concept of one-half), time, shapes, patterns, measurements, and quantities. All measurements are in given in standard and metric. (Why not learn both and be mathematically bilingual?) The projects use household materials and are designed for parent participation, but many activities can be just started by you. Easy, clear directions. Great illustrations. 50 simple activities. This book is part of an early-learning series that includes similar learning activities about science, nature, and the human body. $12.95. A 10.36

PATTERNS IN ARITHMETIC, by Suki Glenn, is the best introduction to mathematics and arithmetic I’ve seen. I like the Usborne math books and they are very good for children to work with, but I would start with this one first and use the Usborne books for practice and reinforcement if it’s needed. This book was developed at the Farm School, a development and research school affiliated with the University of California at Irvine. The book is about the exploration of mathematical concepts. Its approach is to encourage the child to do the discovering, as opposed to the normal approach of “teaching” concepts. Glenn’s method is very hands-on, and her excellent understanding of child development makes each lesson, game, or concept a process that happens very naturally. Her excellent ideas for exploring concepts with your child will make it fun for you too. You already have many of the materials needed, but you will need to purchase Cuisenaire rods and a set of base-ten blocks. Ages 5 to 8. Pattern Press, P.O. Box 2737, Fallbrook, CA 92088; members.aol.com/patternpr. Also found used for better prices on Amazon.

HOW MUCH, HOW MANY, HOW FAR, HOW HEAVY, HOW LONG, HOW TALL IS 1,000?, by Helen Nolan. Nolan has made great fun out of exploring the concepts of big, small, short, tall, distance, and more. Emphasis is on estimation rather than counting. Fun! Ages 5 to 9. $6.95 or less on Amazon.

SAXON MATH. John Saxon’s now-famous math books may be the only ones making full use of an “incremental” approach to learning — the introduction of topics in bits and pieces, which permits complete assimilation of one facet of a concept before the next is introduced, along with continuous review of all material learned previously.

We first learned of “the Saxon method” in 1985 from an article in Reader’s Digest. We bought a copy of Algebra ½, tried it, and were very favorably impressed. Since then, we have used most of the other Saxon math books, with fairly remarkable results. Two of our four children, who had seemed to have almost no mathematical aptitudes, gained a basic understanding (and even a little interest) in a very short time. On the other hand, the only “advanced” math studied by our daughter Karen, the only one of our children ever to be officially tested, was in an outdated, out-of-print copy of High School Subjects Self- Taught, and later she scored very high in the national SSAT (and was accepted by a college with only our high school diploma and no other official credentials).

For mastering advanced math, especially if it will have application in sciences such as chemistry (which is emphasized in some Saxon books), or if you’re going to need a lot of math to get into college, Saxon’s method may be the best — but many people are mastering math without ever seeing a Saxon book. A $15 book that covers all the basic math principles, with enough drill and practice to know whether or not you’re going to be a nuclear physicist, may be sufficient; it’s a lot easier on the wallet, and may be a lot easier on the student.

In his last edition of The Home School Source Book, Donn said we were no longer recommending or selling the Saxon math books. I’ve had second thoughts spawned by the tutoring I’ve done.

You can’t explain math clearly to anyone if you don’t understand it yourself. In an effort to educate myself enough to tutor, I looked at a number of textbooks. I talked with math teachers and had to accord them a lot of respect; it seems that some of them, too, are victims of the system. In search of the perfect textbook, schools frequently change textbooks from year to year. The methods of explaining math, if any,
vary from text to text. As one teacher told me, many teachers have their own way of teaching various math concepts and prefer that math books be written without any specific methods. Publishers, being well aware of the large profit margin in producing textbooks, are all too happy to accommodate these teachers.

I ordered some used Saxon books, and not only did I find them helpful, but they worked miracles for my students. Yes, we had to work at the basic tables. Boring? Yes, but within a short time my students were seeing progress as well as the reasoning behind learning the tables. The explanations and examples in the books were clear to me as well as to my students. Unfortunately, they were so good that I no longer have students paying to provide me with extra goodies.

Saxon’s K-3 program, originally developed “especially for classroom use,” was very difficult to adapt to individual use, but don’t let that frighten you. The special “home study kit” for individual use in kindergarten comes with the hefty price of $55. Now add $85 for first grade, $87.50 for second grade, and $90 for third grade, and although you didn’t grow up using Saxon math, you don’t need a calculator, a degree in mathematics, or a special course in financial management to know that the Saxon folks must think homeschoolers have bottomless pockets! (Those prices do not include the recommended manipulatives.) Fortunately, the prices drop with the more advanced books.

We won’t sell the Saxon K-3 courses because I object to the pricing, and because you can find cheap workbooks and make your own manipulatives. For the remaining grades I do suggest the Saxon books if you are trying to follow a prescribed school curriculum or if your own math skills are weak. Used Saxon books are readily available on many homeschooling websites. Make sure the textbook and answer books are for the same editions. Ages 8 through high school. Also found on Amazon and www.fes.follett.com.

MAKING CENTS: Every Kid’s Guide to Making Money, by Elizabeth Wilkinson. A Brown Paper School Book. How can kids have fun making money in their spare time? By starting with this book, which gives a kid’s-eye view of money, where it started, what it represents, how it’s spent, and (best of all) how to earn it — all in a book the kids will enjoy reading. Ages 10 to 12. New and used from Amazon.