Posted in Nature Study and Journaling

Pocketful of Pinecones by Karen Andreola is probably one of the best homeschooling books I have read in a very long time! In fact, I believe it moves up to one of the top 3! (Diana Waring's Abundant Life Homeschooling and Elizabeth Foss's Real Learning are my other top 2 favorites!)

This book is strictly about nature study, though! For those of you who are wanting to start more nature study, or for those of you who just need a little boost in this area...this book will help you out! It is a fictional story, with many short chapters. Karen wrote it in short, quick chapters purposely. She said that this way, a busy mother can take just a minute or two, read a chapter and be inspired. And I must add that you will come away inspired!

The mother in this story has 2 children that she is homeschooling in the 1930's. She tells details of her day...how she introduces a nature journal with her children...their adventures in learning about the outdoors, as well as their journey in homeschooling. The story is fictional, but it is based on events that have taken place in Karen's own life with her own children.

The sub-title of this book is Nature Study with the Gentle Art of Learning. I love this! Since learning more about Charlotte Mason and reading some of her writings I have grown to love these ideas. The idea of learning about nature in your own backyard...the idea of 'gentle' learning...these ideas go right along with what I want for our homeschool.

Happy reading!