Book Sharing - Life without school

I just have to share this book with you today.  I know this Mama has also chosen it as her book of the week, but I make no apology for doing likewise -  Life without School: the quiet revolution, by Veronika Sophia Robinson, Eliza Serena Robinson, Bethany A Robinson, Paul Robinson is a beautiful and inspiring story of an unschooled family's life. It gently takes us through their story, telling us their thoughts, hopes, dreams and the reality of their daily lives.  It never preaches or tries to make shrill, clever arguments for their way of life, yet it certainly gives plenty food for thought (as well as delicious recipes)  We are welcomed into their home, beside the cosy wood fire,  and soon slip into their rhythm..  A magical book, and though I didn't want it to end, I nevertheless read it almost non-stop - even while stir frying vegetables for Saturday night dinner!   Here is a sample.

Life without school is a scrapbook of my family's memories: snapshots of our life.  If you can imagine this book as a patchwork quilt full of different ideas and images, in no particular order, yet all sewn together, you'll get a picture of our unschooling life.

It's 8pm on a deep dark and snowy December evening in 2008.  I'm perched just inches from the wood fire, writing up notes for this book.  Bethany is knitting a Christmas gift beneath the light of the lamp, a cat snoozing upon her lap.  Eliza, deep in thought, is writing a story about a home-educated girl; and Paul is reading.  On the piano rests a piece of music called Tingalaya that Eliza composed earlier in the day in honour of a Sun Goddess she'd created during her story writing.

Such a scene couldn't be further removed from what most people consider to be education, and yet, here, by the hearth of our home, lies the heart of our family's journey of home education.

I just wanted to be there, and I was so glad to be part of it for a short while.

Book sharing monday is graciously hosted by Alex at Canadian Home Learning.

Life without school is available from Starflower Press 

Veronika and Paul Robinson edit The Mother Magazine