Has anyone read this .99 cent book by Joyce Swann, HS mom?

[Halcyon]

Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Looking-Backward-Twenty-Five-Homeschooling-Mother/dp/1456505904/ref=cm_cr_pr_sims_t

She's the mom whose daughter got her Master's at 15 or something like that? It's so cheap, I thought it might be a fun quick read.

 

Has anyone read it?

[Mommy22alyns]

:lurk5: Let us know how it is!

[Mothersweets]

I haven't read this book but I have read her dd's book - No Regrets:How Homeschooling Earned Me a Master's Degree at Age 16. I enjoyed it.

 

Where is it 99 cents? Or did you already buy the 99 cent copy? :)

 

Oh - never mind - I see that it is the Kindle edition that is 99 cents. :o Durr. Oooh, I see that the No Regrets book is .99, too.

Edited November 9, 2011 by Mothersweets

[sahm99]

Yes.

 

 

 

 

 

...I think it is overprized.:tongue_smilie:

[GoVanGogh]

I bought it, after seeing your post last night. I'm only about 20 percent through the book and have enjoyed it enough. I don't like her writing style. But she did say a few things that I needed to hear, so worth the 99 cents so far.

She did express fear over the Mormon church, which shocked me, but it was in passing so I glazed over that part.

I do wonder about the school five days a week, year-round. We school year-round, but take breaks. They didn't, which is why they could graduate early. I'm all for graduating early, as I think we hold our teenagers as children for far too long. But I don't know if I could deal with school year-round. (All short days, though. That would be nice.)

I liked that she stressed that homeschooling is your vocation - your calling - it is your priority during these years.

And I liked that she said to - gasp! - write in your textbooks and books. I only have one student and we write in our books. I got tired early on of making photocopies and trying to keep up with all the papers. I love writing in the books. :D

[sunflowerlady]

I have not read it , but would like to.:) I read the book written by her daughter, "No Regrets".

 

 

I don't have a Kindle, so would need a regular "book".

 

Off to check it out.:auto:

[amey311]

I don't have a Kindle, so would need a regular "book".

 

You can also read Kindle books on your computer. DH does that. You don't need anything special, I don't think.

[kiana]

I dunno, .99 cents is awfully cheap ... :D

 

(gentle ribbing tone intended)

[Plucky]

I haven't, but I have read a lot of articles by her and her dd. I think her methods are one option. It isn't one that I wanted to follow though. I'm one that treasures childhood. I don't want my kids to rush through it (although my oldest tends to be an overachiever- but I'm not pushing him).

[momee]

I was just thinking about her the other day. She is the one who had all her children sit at the dining room table with her from 9 to 3 or something like that and they moved through Calvert grades as they finished them?

 

I was wondering if I'm ruining my kids because they can't sit still for half an hour without needing a drink, cookie or bathroom and here this woman has all these children sit still all day. No crafts, no read alouds by the fire. What a different homeschool than mine!!!

[GoVanGogh]

Okay. I bought the book last night and just finished it.

Meh. Not worth the 99 cents.

There were a few good quotes at the start of the book, then she totally goes off-track. Whole sections were not even related to homeschooling. And she makes the comment: "While a number of the congregants did hold conservative Christian values, the majority supported a liberal agenda that embraced many practices that are not consistent with true Christianity." I don't get where bashing a certain church fits in with a homeschooling book?

And she goes out of her way (I think) to show her children's purity: "When the pastor pronounced them man and wife, the bride and groom shared their first kiss. It was Victoria's first kiss ever." and... "He was thirty-six years old, and it was a first marriage for both of them."

Again not really needed - expected - wanted in a homeschooling book.

The first few chapters held some good nuggets of information, but it went downhill from there. I didn't need chapters of detailed information regarding her son's digestive problems. It added nothing to the book. Ironically, she talks about telling her daughter how to write a book without adding in unneeded information, yet she adds in plenty in this book. Ex: She shares that one of her sons was embarrassed to fold his sisters' underwear.