THe homeschool liberation league

The Homeschool Liberation League ©2009

  “Too wrong to bear” is how thirteen-year-old Katya describes her    standard education at Martin Van Buren Middle School. After an      eye-opening summer at camp, Katya has discovered a passion for    science and the natural world and hopes that homeschooling          will help her pursue her interests. She wants the freedom to            learn on her own (which includes rescuing beavers trapped under    trees, researching plants’ medicinal qualities, and taking violin        lessons from musically gifted—and cute—homeschooled Milo).        Her parents agree to try it, but they make Katya complete                worksheets, assist in her mom’s salon,     and follow a Daily              Instructional Matrix. And so the Homeschool      Liberation                League, dedicated to “doing whatever it takes...so that your              curiosity and imagination stay alive,” is born. Katya’s determination and enthusiasm are refreshing—she works hard to accomplish her goal, and fights for Milo to accomplish his. Her parents are sympathetic characters, too, in their struggle to figure out what’s right for their daughter. While Frank presents “unschooling” as best for independent Katya, she doesn’t denigrate traditional school: Milo’s sister is happy at MVB Middle, for example. Frank depicts education in its purest form—an unencumbered, joyful quest for knowledge." --Horn Book

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