Review: WeE-Books

If you're not familiar with The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and you need to get in-the-know and now! I tell you, this magazine has been the foundation of my encouragement through the years. Not only is it filled with delightful and practical ideas and projects for your homeschool but it offers a one-two knockout by delivering the best spiritual encouragement from some very special authors--people just like you and me, people who feel called to homeschool and that this calling is not a separate vocation but one embroidered upon the same fabric of their living faith.

But, I'm not reviewing the magazine here today! No need for that.

But, I am reviewing WeE-Books, short and sweet publications produced by the very same publisher and peeps of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and found at The Old Schoolhouse Store. I don't know about you, but this fact holds some weight with me.

In order to get a feel for the WeE-books, I tried to pick a varied lot of three from more than the thirty (30) offered. It was no easy task, to say the very least. The battery of topics include not only the many philosophies and motley of practices of homeschooling but the much more valuable topics of spiritual encouragement, including, but not limited to, topical Bible studies.

The three WeE-Books I read this week ranged from eight (8) to eleven (11) pages, written by some of the most brilliant peeps in the homeschool arena: Senior Editor of TOS, Deborah Wuehler, Dr. Ruth Beechick, and Kate Kessler, who published her interview with Classical Educator Fritz Hinrichs. I found the length of the reading was just right for its bite-sized topic as each WeE-Book was very much less a cold and practical manual and more like a personal letter of comfort or inspiring support.

And who wouldn't want to receive a letter from any one of these folks?

More importantly, the WeE-Books read reminded me that my homeschool is as unique as my family, providentially knitted together by my Creator, and yet tied to all by my calling to do my best as unto Him. By His grace, I've been doing this homeschool thang for seven years. And, although I still pretty green most days, I'm pretty grounded in my calling. I mean, I don't think it would profit me to read about why we should keep our children out of public schools--I'm totally with ya there. Nor did I find it helpful to read the practical and easy ways to build strong math reasoning with my teeny tikes--I've got that going on, too. But, as a somewhat seasoned ((think: tired)) homeschool mom, I just liberally drank in the spiritual boost I got in every word of Fall Harvest: Where's the Fruit? Probably because that's what I'm often thinking, when it comes to my kids and, more importantly and especially, me.

If you're new to homeschooling, or even considering it, these WeE-Books may help you find and pave the way to your own unique experience. Or, if you're looking for practical ways to jump-start your language arts study without shelling out major moola for a whole new writing curriculum, there's a few from which to choose. But, personally, unless I was desperate for a specific topic and found it easier to spend a couple of bucks instead of the time it takes to find some local or virtual support, I would attach myself to some like-minded and more seasoned ((think: got-it-better-together)) homeschool moms and glean, glean, glean!

So, what do you read to keep the fire burning? Where do you find the much needed support every homeschool mom needs? Pretend you're an early spring flower and tell me about your awakening to life.