Builder Books
Chronicle Books
Concrete Jungle Press
Don Aslett's Books
Mott Media
Laurelwood Books
One More Story
Orca Book Publishers

Builder Books-Building a Strong Educational Foundation

By Linda Pliagas

With so many web-based stores selling educational materials, how does a parent know which curriculum fits best into their homeschool setting?

This important question is just one that Patty Alberg, owner of Builder Books, answers on a regular basis from homeschool parents.

When asked what separates Builder Books, www.bbhomeschoolcatalog.com, from other online book stores, Alberg immediately replies: “Customer service”.

“We’ve been homeschooling for many years,” Alberg says, “We can answer questions parents have about which books fit best into their program.”

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Chronicle Books

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Would you like to teach your homeschooler in a new way, without having to plop a bulky, intimidating textbook on the table? If you’re looking for a way to bring back the fun in learning, then it’s time to close those word-only books shut and instead flip through colorful card decks.

Card decks offer a creative, portable and fun way for your child to learn. One of the best features of educational card decks is that they can be easily slipped into a purse or bag and…viola…now you can teach your homeschooler in a whole new environment…in your yard, at the park, or even at the beach. With educational card decks, you and your homeschooler can make any location your makeshift school.

Finding the perfect educational cards is easy now that Chronicle Books, an award-winning publishing company in San Francisco (founded in 1967), have published a variety of educational cards for all ages and disciplines.

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Concrete Jungle Books

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The Carpenter Has Arrived

“The Carpenter of Auguliere” is a charming fable that engages and enthralls.

“The Carpenter of Auguliere,” D. Wayne Dworsky’s latest work, engages readers from the start by the author’s ability to pen such descriptive details and vivid exchanges which invite the reader into the story. The book immerses you in another time. His style of writing brings characters, locations and animals to life, making them leap off the page.

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Homeschooling families -- especially those whose children have been in school ---quickly realize that homeschooling becomes home-living. We focus on home-centered life as a natural outgrowth of home "schooling" and soon we are living somewhat as our grandparents did -- cooking at home, entertaining ourselves in the "living" room (!) and caring more for our dwellings far more than when we were only in them to sleep.

So, living with home as the center soon brings each family to a confrontation with clutter, junk-collecting and untidiness in general. A family can't be in an environment for 24/7 and not mess it up! And even the cleanest person in the world is not necessarily organized and neat. It is conceivable that one person could spend almost as much time cleaning up as it takes two or three people to make the mess. In our world, so centered on consumption, often we are not in touch with what we need vs. what we have. Before we become buried under our stuff, help is needed -- and help exists in the form of Mr. Don Aslett.

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One of the greatest advantages of homeschooling is being able to develop a course of study that fits your child's individual needs, talents, and interests. Homeschooling allows you to build on a child's natural curiosity and develop a love for learning that lasts a lifetime. But, oh, the choices we now have!
There are so many opportunities for learning...so many curriculum options...so many hands-on resources...so many projects and activities available.

How do we choose?
How do we put it all together?
Where do we start?
Or where do we go from here?

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Laurelwood Books
Review by Linda K. Foster

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Shopping for standard issue textbooks can, and usually is, a very trying experience. “So many sites, so little time” pretty much summarizes my previous experiences. Shopping for books appropriate for, and geared toward, the homeschool market is an even bigger challenge. Laurelwood Books (www.laurelwoodbooks.com), provider of new and used textbooks and other homeschool-related curricula, has met the homeschool book shopping challenge and has proven to be a “lifesaver” for countless homeschool families.

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One More Story
Review by Linda Pliagasr

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The internet has revolutionized education. Thanks to the World Wide Web, learning is now an interactive activity, one that adults and children alike can partake in the comfort and convenience of home.

One More Story is an example of an educational website that fosters a love of learning and reading in children. Forget about having to drive miles with kids asking, “Are we there yet?” in order to visit the nearest library. One More Story provides a wide array of beautifully-illustrated, popular children’s titles with just a click of a mouse.

The website was developed to provide children, ages two through nine, with the best of both classic and contemporary literature. One More Story collaborates with top national publishers, such as Random House, Penguin Putnam, Harper/Collins, and others, and for a minimal annual fee makes their prized collection available at any time, day or night.

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Orca Book Publishers
Review by by Linda Pliagas

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Some young adults may need a little bit of motivation for them to pick up a book. Preconceived notions or one bad reading experience may turn a child off for years from the joy of reading.
But parents take note: it’s never too late for your older child to rediscover books. Teens who were not naturally strong child readers can still play catch-up. Older readers are now opening up books and getting lost in the fantasy of fiction thanks to series fiction from Orca Book Publishers. Popular series include Orca Soundings, teen novels for reluctant readers; Orca Currents, a series of novels for middle-school readers; and Orca Sports, mystery-themed sports novels for readers aged 10 and up (www.orcabook.com).

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