This was such an encouraging book! As a homeschooling mom, learning through books is a huge part of the educational life for my children and I. In Mothering By the Book, Jennifer teaches us as moms so much about mothering and educating through some of her favourite literature. What an inspiring and refreshing book!

An awesome read on motherhood, why God is so important in motherhood/parenting, and why forgiveness is so important for our overall well-being. This book was my first read from Jennifer Pepito. But I really enjoyed how she broke everything down, included God's word (scripture) and had questions for the readers along the way. For moms or soon to be moms this book is for you.

Thank you Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers for the advanced review copy.

Mothering by the Book is a unique book that combines parenting and homeschooling encouragement with a reading list that has inspired the author in those respective areas of life.

Each chapter addresses common fears (failure, the future, not having enough) with literary companions and how the author has learned from them.

I enjoyed this, but it was different than I expected based on the title. It seems to me it was less about reading aloud per say, and more about how books in general can help us face our fears. Perhaps that is a bit nit picky, but it was just different than I was expecting. There was also a decent amount about homeschooling. Not a bad thing, but again, not what I expected.

Kudos for this book adding to my TBR and offering a unique perspective. Recommended for homeschooling moms, or moms who place a lot of importance on reading in their families.

In her book, Mothering by the Book, Jennifer Pepito gives anecdotal wisdom she has learned during her time raising and homeschooling her seven children. Each chapter showcases a different book she has read and the lessons in overcoming fear in the different areas of her life those books have taught her. I can relate to the worries of not being loved, and my children being behind in school, and Jennifer's wisdom in these chapters help get to the heart of those fears and why we have them.

This is not a book directed at homeschoolers however. That is merely her own experience as a mother. But this book is for mother's in general and the wisdom applies to everyone in the season of motherhood.

I loved every chapter and highly recommend picking it up when it comes out.

Thank you to Bethany house for sending me the advanced reader copy of this book for free through Netgalley.

Thanks to Bethany House for the free book.
In this book, Pepito shares her struggles with fear with vulnerability and openness. Each chapter focuses on a lesson she learned through a book as she was going through various seasons of fear, depression, and anxiety. Also, she relies on the Bible heavily for pointing the reader back to what scripture says about fear. I think I expected something a bit different from this book, and I was not expecting such a heavy book and wasn't in the right place to sit with so much fear, and it took me a couple weeks to get through. I also have only read two of the books that accompany a chapter, which made it hard for me to connect with the lessons from these books at times. I think I thought that this book was going to be more focused on the reading aloud aspect over the memoir aspect, and that's where I feel like I'm missing something. I am also a mom of an only child and have no idea what schooling will look like. I think this book might be a bit more relatable in niche areas like bigger families and homeschooling. Overall, it was a read that pointed me back to Jesus, so I will take the nuggets I learned and add the books I'm interested t0 my TBR shelf.

I have followed Jennifer on Instagram for a while and have always enjoyed her encouragement. This book is no different, it is full of real life from a mom of 7. Sharing her highs and lows of homeschooling and getting a peek behind the curtain so to speak is just what I needed in my current season of homeschooling.
Not only does she recommend some great books, she gives real examples and applications of the principals.
She breaks down a lot of books and her take aways from them. In the chapter on Endurance there was the following quote
“Fear led me to abdicate my role as a parent, to reject the authority of the Bible as a guide, and to begin a haphazard search for answers.” This quote stopped me in my tracks, literally this is the place I am right now. In my mind though, I have a hard time imagining anyone else going through this type of fear. She breaks down the ways she was able to break the fear mentality in a relatable way.
Such a breath of fresh air !

I recommend this book to any homeschool mom needing to hear that she isn’t alone in her struggles (whatever they might be) and you don’t have to stay there. Jennifer is real and doesn’t hold anything back.
It’s like having a Mom mentor !

As an additional bonus each chapter ends with a list of read aloud suggestions and also mom book suggestions.

I started this book at a bad time: a couple of weeks before the longest road trip my husband and I have taken with our four children. This book put fear and anxiety at the forefront of my mind when I struggled with anxiety about this trip. I wish I could say this book helped me through it, but I just ended up having more panic attacks. I ended up having to take a break from this book until after our trip.

While Mothering by the Book did not help me with my anxiety, I did still learn from it. This book reiterated the importance of reading aloud. During my first two years of homeschooling, I have neglected to include reading aloud books to my third child. She cannot sit through the chapter books her older brothers like to have me read to them.

I do like to use literature to teach my children. However, I think this book neglects to balance fictional role models with flesh and blood ones. We can learn much from literary heroines, but they cannot replace the role of godly mentors.

Overall, I think this book does a good job of portraying the importance of reading aloud for both mamas and children. However, I recommend The Read-Aloud Family over this book.

I really like the whole concept of the book: how it uses popular literature and pinpoint the main messages in her own life when raising children. As a mother with a full time job, sometimes I personally could not connect with the stress and burden of being a full time mom. Nevertheless, I would recommend this book for full time mothers, especially for those who home-school their children. I believe some of the advices in this book are more relevant to them.

This wasn't exactly what I was expecting however, I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to mothers who are looking to instill a love of learning and literature to the next generation. This has depth and, because of that, it took me a while to get through this. Good read.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley; all opinions are my own.

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Faith based book on mothering, through perilous times.. Reading aloud to her children helped in various ways. She is a Charlotte Mason homeschooling parent so books come from that list. Interesting and helpful for all mothers struggling to do it all or do it well.

Mothering by the Book: The Power of Reading Aloud to Overcome Fear and Recapture Joy by Jennifer Pepito is a beautifully written literary memoir. This book was not exactly what I expected, since it was much more memoir than inspiration for the reader. Still, it is an interesting and worthwhile read. Readers who love books will enjoy this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

"We will open our senses to the twinkle in our child’s eyes, the smell of fresh laundry on the line, the feel of a baby’s warm body pressed close to ours as they take their nourishment. We won’t squander this season with worry; we’ll wring every bit of joy out of each moment. We will learn how to take our thoughts captive and reject the lies that keep us afraid and incapacitated. We will learn how to be present and experience the presence of God. We will learn how to be free."

When I spotted Mothering by the Book in netgalley, I jumped on it solely because I LOVE books about books. I had no idea how Jennifer Pepito is and I didn't even realize the premise of the book really. Fast forward a few weeks and I got so excited to hear the author on a 1000 hours outside podcast episode! Timing aligned perfectly and I got a chance to finish Mothering by the Book on our recent camping trip. I felt both Ginny and Jennifer's voices in my head as I got the chance to read a great book and make memories with my kids outdoors 😍

Mothering by the Book is a literary journey through Jennifer's life as a mom. With vulnerability, she describes different seasons of life and motherhood, and how reading aloud taught not only her children but her as well. Books like Understood Betsy, All-of-a-Kind Family, The Railway Children, Little Britches and many more are explored through the lens of a seasoned mom who is willing to be open and honest about fear and forgiveness. Each chapter ends with a questionnaire, scripture, and recommended reading for mamas and for read aloud time. Needless to say I finished this one with a big smile and a whole new TBR! I really enjoyed Mothering by the Book and think soooo many will, too!

Will update with link to IG post at a later date. Will copy review to GoodReads.

As someone who loves to read and as someone who just had a baby, the premise of this book definitely caught my attention! The author recounts her own experiences as a mother and lessons she's learned throughout motherhood by focusing on one children's book per chapter. Each of the books she selected, including favorites like Little House on the Prairie, Cheaper By the Dozen, and Charlotte's Web, were books that she read aloud to her children and she encourages her readers to do the same. Each chapter closes with a series of questions for reflection as well as recommended reading for the children and for mom. Overall I enjoyed the book, though it reads more like a memoir than I was initially anticipating, I look forward to reading some of the books that the author recommended!


I received a free digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited about this book because I love everything Jennifer Pepito puts her hand to but unfortunately this book wasn't my favorite. I was hoping for more inspiration and less memoir. It was still good, just not what I had been hoping for.

I requested this book for review from the publisher who kindly provided me a dARC. After reading the introduction and the first chapter, I was hooked! I knew right away that I wanted to make notes in the margin, tab it and be able to refer back to it over and over. That is difficult to do with a digital copy of a book.
So I went and pre-ordered it. I can't wait for it to arrive and dive even further into this book.
From the brief reading, which is my first introduction to Jennifer Pepito, she seems to have a mothering philosophy that seeks to create a space for her children to thrive.

It took me a little while to get through this one because I read it devotional style but the title itself is what made me want to pick it up!
Books absolutely have power and they can help change our mindsets positively if we let them. They are definitely my go-to when facing stress and fear of the unknown so it makes sense that they help us overcome fear and bring joy in the process.
She referenced some fantastic books as part of her read aloud arsenal over the years (several I added to my TBR) and even though I’m not a homeschool momma myself, I still gleaned much wisdom and encouragement from this book. It’s full of my highlights and I for sure would read it again.

Mothering By the Book contains Jennifer Pepito’s reflections on parenting- and homeschooling- seven children. Her reflections are structured around twelve different fears she has experienced in her life, and she shares her valuable lessons of how to overcome the fears. Each chapter also weaves in the power of reading aloud to ones children, and what she specifically learned from a different book that relates to overcoming fear.

Pepito shares honestly about many challenges she has faced along the journey of parenting, and she offers encouragement to the reader as well as resources of scripture and recommended books for further reading at the end of each chapter. Reflection questions are also provided at the end of every chapter. For parents interested in reading aloud to their children, this book provides a valuable compilation of recommended reads.

While I appreciated Pepito’s Biblical rootedness and her heart for loving God and her family, I found this a somewhat challenging book to read. I only have two children of my own, live in a densely urban setting, and I do not homeschool. It felt hard to relate to an entire book about homeschooling seven children in a more rural context. I felt judged— like if I am not homeschooling then I am not choosing what is best for my children. I also found the focus on twelve different fears extremely repetitive.