Karen Andreola

 Karen Andreola is another lady I'd love to meet. I wish I could sit with both her and Jamie Martin in a little corner of a Barnes & Noble somewhere and spend an entire afternoon just soaking in the wisdom. I've heard Karen's work described as unrealistic, sentimental, syrupy, corny, and saccharine. I disagree. This lady writes with a fleshed-out wisdom and winsomeness. Her books are founded on the truth of the Bible and in the common-sense philosophy of Charlotte Mason's volumes and Parent's Review articles.

What I appreciate most about the two books I've pictured here is that you don't have to read the books all the way through. The information is highly accessible to a busy mom who just needs a quick blurb on how to implement something in her school day. That's worth gold! The chapters are ordered by subject. If you need info. on how to teach Shakespeare, go to the chapter with that subject heading. If you need info. on how to make nature study or habit training happen, leaf over to those chapters.

I'm more of a "global thinker" so it's hard for me to approach any book in segments. I read both of these books cover to cover. In fact, the purple book up top was one of the very first books I read on home-educating our children. I was so thankful that I didn't have to read all of Charlotte Mason's six volumes before implementing the philosophy in our home. This book made that happen for us. We're approaching year 4 and I'm only half way through volume three. Here's hoping I'll get done reading the primary source material about the philosophy we're using before the kids actually graduate!

Having read both books now, it's easier for me to pick a chapter and go with it when I need refreshers in certain areas of our home school life. It makes this way of life not only more appealing, but also more doable. 

The Charlotte Mason Companion obviously centers more on philosophical ideas and practical approaches to a Charlotte Mason-style education. Even if you're not a purist (I'm not.), you could easily use this book to pick and choose which aspects of CM you want to use.

As far as subject matter is concerned, Mother Culture is a bit different. This is Karen's most recent offering. I finished reading it a couple days ago. Mother Culture is formatted almost exactly the same way as the Charlotte Mason Companion making it just as user-friendly. There's no need to read cover-to-cover unless you just want to. Using Scripture, Parables, and her own real-life examples, Karen Andreola encourages mothers (especially home school mamas) to find margin in their lives for pursuits that are enriching to them as mothers and wives. While this seems counter-intuitive (and maybe a little selfish too), it actually encourages us in our homemaking endeavors and encourages our children and husbands to use their gifts of creativity and ingenuity as well. We become examples to them as good stewards of the gifts God has provided.

A little background information on Karen Andreola: She and her husband, Dean, were responsible for rediscovering and publishing the highly sought after "pink" Charlotte Mason volumes. They also located and began re-publishing the Parent's Review periodical that circulated in Charlotte's day. Those periodicals can be ordered through the Andreola's website. Karen would tell you that she began her home-education career without knowing where to start. Her desire to be obedient and diligent in her learning and teaching led her and her husband to this wealth of information and this lovely "discipline, atmosphere, and life."  I'm so thankful that she and her husband were willing to share what they uncovered with the rest of us! 

Karen has several other books out as well. I've read one of them, but I'd prefer to reveiw it when I can combine that review with another book of similar subject matter. Karen is affiliated with Simply Charlotte Mason. I lean more toward Ambleside Online to plan the activities in our home school, but I use several resources from Simply Charlotte Mason to make our lives easier. You can find more of Karen's work there as well.