With thanks, adapted from:

• Homefires — The Journal of Homeschooling Online
• Homeschool Association of California

• Learning At Home: A Mother's Guide To Homeschooling, Revised Edition — Marty Layne Reviewed by Diane Flynn Keith.
  

  Do yourself a favor and read this book. The title is a misnomer. This isn't another book about "how to homeschool." This is a book filled with the wisdom of a mother who has children's best interests for education, growth and development at heart. Marty Layne identifies 11 criteria for what makes a successful homeschool and she gives clear, demonstrative examples of what she means along with advice for how to develop these traits. She also addresses "burn-out." The author acknowledges its occurrence in homeschooling as a normal part of life and suggests ideas for combating it with wisdom and lightheartedness.

• Teach Your Own A Hopeful Path for Education — John Caldwell Holt.
  

  First edition inspired many to homeschool in 1981. This edition omits dated information about legal issues. Holt writes how homeschooling is different than just school at home. Holt was an educational and social critic, and a pioneering homeschooling advocate. His captivating books and gentle empathy with children introduced deeply insightful observations about how learning works. 1997 Paperback

• Family Matters Why Homeschooling Makes Sense — David Guterson.
  

  The best book for fathers to read, for it's very man-to-man. Guterson is a teacher, yet homeschools his own children. A former high school English teacher, and now a best-selling novelist, Guterson explains why he chose to homeschool his own kids, even while still teaching. 1993 Paperback

• The Homeschooling Book of Answers — Linda Dobson.
  

  More than thirty seasoned homeschooling writers respond to 88 important and frequently asked questions about homeschooling.This book has many thoughtful suggestions. 1998 Paperback

• The Homeschooling Handbook From Preschool to High School, a Parent's Guide — Mary Griffith.
  

  A thorough overview of homeschooling, with thought-provoking comments from many experienced homeschoolers. Takes you through all the steps to a complete lifestyle change. 1999 Paperback

• The Unschooling Handbook How to Use the Whole World As Your Child's Classroom — Mary Griffith.
  

  Called natural learning by some, unschooling utilizes a child's natural curiousity to propel him to love learning. 1998 Paperback

• Home School: Taking the First Step — Borg Hendrickson.
  

  Resources to help you get started and get organized in a step-by-step fashion. 1994 Paperback

• Dumbing Us Down The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling — John Taylor Gatto.
  

  How the heart is stolen out of our children by compulsory education. The former NY State Teacher of the Year discusses the nature of education, and urges parents to re-engage their families in their culture, economy and society. 1991 Paperback

• The Exhausted School The First National Grassroots Speakout on the Right to School Choice — John Taylor Gatto. 1993 Paperback
• Homeschooling for Excellence — David & Micki Colfax.
  

  Classic book about that inspires many to homeschool. Story of the Goat Boy who went to Harvard. 1988 Paperback

• Hard Times in Paradise An American Family's Struggle to Carve Out a Homestead in California's Redwood Mountains — David & Micki Colfax.
  

  How challenging the good life can be! How a boy's business raising prize goats led to his entry into Harvard. The story of how the Colfaxes (see Homeschooling for Excellence) learned together while struggling to build their homestead — an interesting perspective on real education.1992 Hardcover

• The Teenage Liberation Handbook How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education — Grace Llewellyn.
  

  Written primarily for teens who need to convince their parents they can teach themselves. 1997 Paperback

• Real Lives Eleven Teenagers Who Don't Go to School — Grace Llewellyn (Editor)
  

  Accounts from teens who got a real life and education. 1993 Paperback

• Awakening Your Child's Natural Genius Enhancing Curiosity, Creativity, and Learning Ability — Thomas Armstrong Ph.D.
  

  Author suggests ways you can help your child reach their full potential. 1991 Paperback

• Trust the Children A Manual and Activity Guide for Homeschooling and Alternative Learning — by Anna Kealoha.
  

  A book full of wondrous projects to inspire your homeschool. 1995 Paperback

• And What About College? How Homeschooling Can Lead to Admissions to the Best Colleges & Universities — by Cafi Cohen.
  

  This author has reassured many of us that we CAN homeschool through high school and enter college. 1997 Paperback

• No More Nagging, Nit-Picking, and Nudging — by Jim Wiltens.
  

  Successful methods used by families, teachers, and coaches for inspiring, motivating, and influencing kids.

• Homeschooling on a Shoestring: A Jam-Packed Guide — by Melissa L. Morgan and Judith Waite Allee.
  

  If you need ideas for cheap, inexpensive, free, and fabulous resources for curriculum, here is the answer! The authors not only target educational issues but give advice on financial planning, budgeting, and home-based businesses to supplement income. They present ideas and resources for low-tech and high tech learning. They tackle all grade levels including high school -- and even devote a chapter to budgeting for the college-bound.

• Living Joyfully With Children — by Win & Bill Sweet.
  

  We wrote this book to share the wealth of experiences and insights about children and families that we have been gathering for over thirty years. What a joy it has been to share this wealth! We are gratified to see the favorable reviews and comments the book is receiving; for example, the highly regarded author, Joseph Chilton Pearce, wrote: "Living Joyfully with Children is a gem in every respect, one of the best how-to books for parents I have read: lucid, unpretentious, straightforward, admirably easy to read, and absolutely invaluable. I was truly surprised at its depth and wisdom and think I shall lug boxes of it along on my speaking trips. I am thankful that such works do come along."

• And The Skylark Sings With Me — by David Albert.
  

  Offers an inspiring and uniquely thought-provoking perspective on learning. Sample chapter at http://www.skylarksings.com/

• The Beginner's Guide to Homeschooling — by Patrick Farenga.
  

  An introduction to homeschooling, with a FAQ, suggestions for curriculum, resource lists, and much more.

• Better Late Than Early, and School Can Wait (a more scholarly version of the same research) — by Raymond and Dorothy Moore.
  

  Discussion of the large body of research proving the dangers of early formal schooling (includes their own Christian-based perspectives as well).

• The Book of Learning and Forgetting — by Frank Smith.
  

  Eloquently contrasts the "official theory" that learning is work with a view that learning is a social process that can occur naturally and continually through collaborative activities.

• Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the Child with Learning Differences — by Lenore Colacion Hayes.
  

  Insights on the challenges and joys of homeschooling special-needs children with challenges ranging from autism or ADD to other learning disabilities or who simply march to the beat of a different drummer.

• The Complete Home Learning Source Book — by Rebecca Rupp.
  

  An enormous, well-organized resource with reviews and essays on learning resources of every kind, for all subjects.

• The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child: Your Complete Guide to Getting Off to the Right Start — by Linda Dobson.
  

  The synthesis of countless years of educational inquiry and experiment, from many contributing homeschoolers.

• Freedom Challenge: African American Homeschoolers — edited by Grace Llewellyn.
  

  Inspiring observations from the experiences of 20 families who span the globe.

• Getting Started on Home Learning — by Rebecca Rupp.
  

  A small companion book to The Complete Home Learning Source Book, this includes an inspiring discussion of her own experience of homeschooling three sons.

• Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High School — by Rebecca Rupp.
  

  A detailed guide to standard subjects generally covered by schools, with suggestions for good books and resources that can be used.

• The Home School Source Book, 3rd Edition — by Jean and Donn Reed.
  

  Reviews a huge assortment of resources, with thought-provoking commentaries about homeschooling. It's also a catalog.

• The Homeschool Reader — by Mark and Helen Hegener.
  

  spectrum of homeschooling topics.

• Homeschooling Our Children Unschooling Ourselves — by Alison McKee.
  

  A gifted teacher with wide experience in traditional education describes her family's journey into homeschooling and the challenging, but rewarding, process of learning to trust her own children to show her the way.

• Homeschooling, the Early Years — by Linda Dobson.
  

  Although these years, 3-8, are early for formal study, the book offers encouragement and inspiration about the ways in which young children continually learn naturally.

• Homeschooling the Middle Years — by Shari Henry.
  

  Lots of helpful ideas and inspiration about homeschooling the 8-12 year old, from many families.

• How Your Child IS Smart: A Life-Changing Approach to Learning — by Dawna Markova.
  

  Written by a learning and comprehension specialist, this is a clear and reassuring book on how to recognize individual learning styles and empower the child.

• Morning by Morning: How we Home-Schooled our African-American Sons to the Ivy League — by Paula Penn-Nabrit.
  

  Focuses on a families' decision to homeschool in order to address the children's holistic development as spiritual, intellectual and physical beings.

• The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas — by Linda Dobson.
  

  A categorized collection of over 500 tried-and-true educational activities for all subjects, submitted by many homeschooling families.

• The Underground History of American Education: A Schoolteacher's Intimate Investigation Into the Problem of Modern Schooling — by John Taylor Gatto.
  

  A fascinating and opinionated history of how practices and principles of schooling have come to be.

• The Unprocessed Child: Living Without School — by Valerie Fitzenreiter.
  

  "The Unprocessed Child is not so much a book about how to raise our children without school, but a book about respect, dignity and honor of the very nature of childhood." -Tracy Million Simmons

• Homeschooling Almanac 2000-2001 — Mary and Michael Leppert.
  

  Expect the unexpected from Homeschooling Almanac 2000-2001. Mary and Michael Leppert, the publishers of The Link Home-school Newspaper and producers of the The Link Homeschool Conference, have taken most of the knowledge currently available on homeschooling nationwide and condensed it into a digest that covers the why's and how's of homeschooling in every state, provides answers to frequently asked questions, and a directory of contacts for support groups and helpful homeschool organizations. In addition there are descriptions of different learning styles, information on varying methodologies, and personal interviews with homeschool parents. 1999 Paperback

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