Taking on the old saying, “the smell of the greasepaint and the roar of the crowds” concerning the theater, one can also take the same saying for a homeschool book fair.

The smell of the books — oh wondrous smell! Fresh ink on fresh page:  there is nothing like it! On one hand, there are a lot of bookstores that are starting to carry homeschool materials as well as many actual homeschool stores opening across the country. It is always better if at all possible to actually handle, leaf through, and read some of any book or curricula that you are drawn to. When there are bookstores available, they can be a good resource to do just that. When they aren’t, or when they aren’t able to carry the book or materials you are looking for, a book fair is ideal. Of course, there are the print and online catalogs to look at also, but again, you are only able to read what that particular company or store offers. It’s often an incomplete picture. Catalogs are indeed written for the purpose of swaying you into buying. And it’s easy to be swayed into buying from a catalog blurb, but that small paragraph and sample isn’t always enough information for you to make the best and wisest decision for your child’s own needs.

The roar of the crowds… not always a “happy” thought! A crowd brings on thoughts of bodies thrust against each other, jostling for the best position to look at a particular booth’s offerings. But there is a flip side, a good side of crowds. Where else can you be so totally aware that you are not in this homeschooling journey alone? There is a positive energy within the aisles of the exhibit hall. Where else do strangers pipe up in conversations telling you of great books or warning you of certain problems they have found with some materials? Some workshops may be full while others are small, but both kinds provide wonderful information and camaraderie.

If you’ve never gone to a book fair or homeschool convention, please take advantage of the opportunity if there is any way possible. Some parents make it a weekend away, staying in a motel for one or two nights. Others will make it a day or two-day date, coming home in the evening. Others allow one parent to go one day and the other on the other day. First day can be a fact-finding mission as the parents meet together that night and compare notes, making plans for purchases to be made the second day. For some families, this can be where the father makes his major contribution in their family’s homeschooling journey, making the “tie-breaking” decisions where the mother is not sure which program to choose. For other families all decisions are made jointly before going into the book fair. Some moms and dads will attend all workshops together, while others “divide and conquer,” splitting up and covering more seminar territory.

Enjoy your homeschool convention or book fair! It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when confronted by a very full exhibit hall, full of materials and crowds of people. Breathe through the experience and take it one aisle at a time! By and large, your first experience will be a positive one and you will look forward to your weekend away, buying materials for the coming year, obtaining helpful information to use in your day-to-day homeschool, or to protect youself in how to respond to queries by strangers or officials.

Donna Conner lives in Fort Worth, TX with her husband, Glenn, their son, Mike, Donna's mother, Charlotte, and their dog, Lucia. Donna and Glenn have been homeschooling their son since the beginning of his education. Mike completed his homeschooling in the fall of 2008. Donna is an artist and has always enjoyed writing. She wrote Homeschooling Only One in 2003, after discovering that there were many other families homeschooling only one child. Her website is devoted to those with only one student in their homeschool, with listings of online resources. You can visit her website at  http://donnac.com and read her blog at: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/DonnaC

copyright © 2009 Donna Conner ~~ All rights reserved. Content may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of author, except in the case of brief passages embodied in critical reviews and articles where the title and author are listed.