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Summary: Better info in this book than in the next 10
Review: To date I've just borrowed this book from the local Public Library, but I've come to depend on it so much that I'm here today to buy a copy to keep at home. This book is worth the next 10 homeschooling books put together. This book covers how to start and where to buy instructional material, and proceedes all the way to how to get your homeschooled child into the college you desire. Mrs. Bell's compedium of references on various topics are, alone, worth the price of the book. Those who prefer to forgo her excellent advice due to her "Christian Orientation" are foolish, at best, in ignoring the excellent information in this volume. Advice to Agnostics: Grit your teeth and buy this book; you'll be better for it.
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Summary: this book cemented our decision to homeschool.
Review: We have finally made the decision to homeschool and thanks to Debra Bell, we feel great about it. She lists the pros and cons in an easy-to-read format. Mrs. Bell doesn't hide the scary issues of homeschooling, just to make sure you understand exactly what you're getting into. The up-side of this issue is put in an upbeat and uplifting format that answers any and all questions you might have concerning homeschooling. Mrs. Bell has written chapters on reasons to choose homeschooling, religious convictions, curriculum, finding the learning habits of your children, dealing with state legal issues, building a support group and much more. I recommend this book to anyone who is deciding whether or not to homeschool. It has truly been a blessing for us find this book at the beginning of our "homeschool" adventure
Rating: 
Summary: Unless you're fundamentalist Christian, this book is useless
Review: We're seriously considering homeschooling our son, and I've been reading every book about homeschooling that I can lay hands on. This book looked terrific -- but I couldn't get through it. There is no indication on the front or back covers that the author's approach is infused with fundamentalist Christianity, but the book was so chock full of it that despite my best attempts to winnow out some useful nuggets of information, I ended up throwing it down in disgust.Some examples: "It's been my experience that families who elect to home-educate meet with varying degrees of success. But that success has little to do with teaching certificates or college degrees. Rather, it has a lot to do with Christian character." "Our conviction [to homeschool] must be born out of prayer, study of God's word, and godly counsel." "When you are discouraged or unmotivated . . . Find a mature Christian woman who is obviously succeeding with her children and ask her advice." "Toddlers are in desperate need of training if they are to grow up to bow their knee to the Lordship of Jesus Christ." ". . . often the heartaches we face with our reluctant learners are rooted in the undealt-with sin in their lives. When I discern that sin is the root of resistence in one of our kids, I don't sugarcoat the truth by dreaming up fun and games to entice them into cooperating. . . [my daughter] wants to please us and to please the Lord. She also knew we would follow through with discipline if she continued to disregard her schoolwork." I suppose if you're already attuned that way, this book might be useful, but for the rest of us, it's most emphatically not!
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Summary: An all inclusive guide for any homeschooling family.
Review: When my husband and I made the decision to homeschool our three daughters, this was the first book I read all the way through. It answered all my questions, helped build faith in my ability as a homeschool mom, and gave me much in the areas of the whys, hows, and whats of homeschooling. I would recommend this book as a starting point for anyone thinking about homeschooling. It is a one of a kind.
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