Awaking Wonder

Love this book! I have often said that I want to instill in my children a love of learning and a sense of wonder, so I very much appreciated this book. It got me thinking on what my parents did for me and my siblings.

I think I own just about every book Sally Clarkson, as well as her family, has written. In "Awaking Wonder," Sally continues to encourage parents to not set down your ideals just because no one else around you might have them. They are worth fighting for, even when you feel ill-equipped and exhausted. She's honest, inspirational and her guidance is doable.

A fun, but useful encouragement to all parents, teachers and others about how to enhance and upgrade your child's learning environment. It is chock-full of comforting traditions, ideas for adventures for the entire family and creating a warm and loving learning environment for children to challenge their minds through directed learning as well as outdoor adventures, arts and crafts, discipleship, family time, reading, travel and learning how the education component applies to cooking, decorating, mechanical, scientific. It creates a well-rounded child with a warm, loving, positive, encouraging, yet challenging life off learning through direct educational activities and taking those activities into real life. It is a call to action, an encouragement with a big warm hug from Sally and Clay Clarkson. It is a must-read!

Just finished this. Every single word spoke to my heart... this should be required reading for Christian parents ♥️

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC!

In this book, homeschool education pioneer Sally Clarkson shares wisdom for parents who want to create a secure, wonder-filled home environment for their children. She emphasizes the importance of cultivating children's sense of wonder, and explains that even though many people have asked her to share her "secret," or have wanted her to tell them what school curriculum to buy, her homeschooling journey was driven by a philosophy, not a formula. She encourages parents to consider their situation and their family's needs to find solutiaons that work for them, and shares personal anecdotes to show how she fostered wonder for her children and helped them learn. Whether a parent is just starting out or is trying to maintain consistency over the long haul, Clarkson's perspective can help them take a deep breath, let go of impossible standards, and find what is best for their children.

Vision-Casting Hope

Even though this book focuses on homeschooling, Clarkson does not promote her education choice in a superior or exclusive way. She acknowledges from the very beginning that her core messages apply to parents who choose other educational methods, and shares general parenting advice and encouragement that applies regardless of someone's family situation or schooling approach. She shares lots of advice for how parents can deal with their own frustrations and fears of inadequacy, and encourages them to pursue their child's development in a holistic way, instead of emphasizing legalistic rules or rote learning. Interwoven with these points are stories about her own children, and even though she makes it clear that she does not have a magical formula to offer, and that her children are still Christians because of God, not her, she is able to encourage parents to not give up.

Clarkson's Christian faith comes through clearly throughout the entire book, and some chapters specifically address children's spiritual lives and Christian moral development. However, even though she has primarily targeted this book towards her following among Christians, parents who do not share her worldview can still benefit from this book's emphasis on creating engaging, loving, and wonder-filled home and educational environments. Clarkson shares reflections and stories from her adult children about what they found meaningful about their home life, and this retrospective view can encourage parents who despair of ever measuring up to their own standards or cultural views of success. I would encourage parents to consider this resource regardless of religious affiliation, because anyone can appreciate Clarkson's core emphases, even when they do not share all of her values.

Meaningful Encouragement

This is a great book for people who are just starting out with parenting or homeschooling, or who need a mentor's reminder that their sacrifices are worthwhile, that their children will be okay, and that it is possible for them to succeed even when everything feels like a muddle in the moment. This book may be less practical than some readers would expect or desire, since only some of the sections deal with advice for specific homeschooling methods and educational approaches, but "Awaking Wonder" captures Sally Clarkson's parenting philosophies in an encouraging way, helping other parents see that they can do this too.

This is a great book for parents who want to foster a sense of wonder for their children, and who want to clarify their vision for the home environment that they want to create. Clarkson writes with sensitivity to people's different backgrounds, and because her educational philosophy goes against a one-size-fits-all approach, this is a great option for parents who feel burned out on narrowly applicable advice and need a joyful reminder of why they chose to homeschool in the first place, or what they love most about raising their children.

I have loved Sally Clarkson since the day I read the first chapter of The Mission of Motherhood. I was in the weeds and trenches of raising 4 children under the age of 7--including one newborn and one with specials needs. I was a wreck. And that opening chapter allowed me to feel seen and heard and normal. She understood me. I remember crying on pages of that book, so grateful.
Well, I'm not in the weeds of the same season of motherhood. Now I have young teens and young elementary kids, all of whom I am homeschooling. Thus my immediate reaction to pick up this book. Because, while it's not exclusively geared toward home educators, I knew it would help me to again feel seen, heard and normal.
This is Clarkson's gift.
Now I am not of the belief that every single person should homeschool. But I also do not believe that every child learns the same way...thus my reasoning for homeschooling. My four children all learn different ways at different paces, and love different subjects for differing reasons. However, toward the beginning of this book, even I felt like she was trying to sway my belief system toward homeschooling.
While I don't believe that was the author's intention whatsoever, I can see how readers who do not currently homeschool could feel judged or inadequate while reading the author's own convictions. Even I felt a little judged and a lot inadequate reading through portions of the book.
BUT....
And here is the part that I loved...
She does express that on the page, everything sounds so much easier and she clarifies that even her experience was not without feelings of inadequacy or disturbances from her children.
I loved that she discusses the importance of each family finding their own rhythm and their own "curriculum" for learning. Not just following hers. In fact, she refuses to answer the question she is often posed with what curriculum they used, because she acknowledges that the entire point of the educating the wholehearted child and home education is to do what is best for your child and your family.
Along with that, though, she gives many examples of the schedule that they kept and the way they learned without using curriculum. Gah. I love how much emphasis she puts on reading and how much learning can be done---regardless of age or reading level---but reading together as a family. I love that she spent 30-90 minutes of their schooling time just reading aloud AND discussing the lessons and themes and passages of the book that was read.
As a writer and a mom of two children who enjoy writing, I love the quote from the book that says, "There is no curriculum that can make someone into a great writer if they have not filled their brains with great writing." Ugh. That is so true!
I could go on and on. I could express all of my favorite points and my favorite. But Clarkson says it so well when she says, "your personal story is where you need to live confidently." Ultimately, this is a pep talk that you--yes, you, Mom, Dad--can wholeheartedly educate your child if you put in the time and effort. And that IT IS WORTH IT. That is the question that every parent asks at the end of the day. Is it worth it? She goes to great length to express that it is. Very much. And that by doing the things that just because the Clarkson way of life, they not only raised children into successful adults, but also created relationship and friendships that are longstanding and long lasting. And that is ultimately my goal. So I continue to love Sally Clarkson. She continues to understand me and speak to the depths of my mothering soul.

Like many parents, I’ve had lots of anxiety about the upcoming school year, which will be a combo of online and homeschool for us. This book was exactly what I needed to give me the confidence that I could successfully teach my kids. It gives so many practical ideas and encouragement that don’t involve technology or fancy, expensive curriculums. This books was such a gift and so affirming that my kids didn't need "more," they just needed to be able to learn in the ways that were best for them and supported loving learning, not just getting good grades.

What a book! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars.

I am not a mother yet, but this book spoke to me deeply since I'm a middle school and high school teacher. It's motivating and inspiring, reminding us that every child has the capacity to learn and also the inherent desire to learn. Often the way we teach in schools (and I can testify to that) kills that desire in children, because they are forced to sit still for hours and hours and mostly listen to another person telling them stuff, they will only study for a test and then forget again. This was also my experience as a pupil and university student.

What we must do instead, according to Clarkson, is to awaken wonder in a child's heart, inspire their hearts and souls by the magnificence of nature, art and worthy literature. We must set before them examples of greatness and kindness and use our influence, especially as parents, so that children can grow up as whole people with whole and full hearts. So often we miss the potential in children, because nobody takes the time and care to unearth it. I especially love her focus on the arts in this and again in my own experience growing up it was mostly good books and stories (and the influence of my parents) that filled my heart and taught me how to think and inspired in me the values I hold onto today.

Though this book is more of an overview and I would say an entry to the topic, it offers some good and practial advice such as incorporating reading, routines and quiet times to get your thoughts and ideas going. But educating children will always be an individual thing too since all children are different and will need different handling. Clarkson is very well balanced I think and stresses the importance of taking enough time for yourself as a homeschooling mom in order to rest and recharge.

The most important advice though is to let your children understand that they are created for a purpose and that they are deeply loved and cherished by God. It will be their guiding light throughout their lives.

I thank Netgalley and Bethany House for an ARC to read and review.

I really enjoyed this book. Sally has a good writing style and it translates well to .listening as I listened to a good chunk of this book in audio. Her philosophy is interesting and while all of what she said may not work for my house, I came away with several good tidbits of things that could improve my parenting and teaching of my children. Recommended.

I just adore Sally Clarkson and have enjoyed every book I’ve read by her. This one is no exception and I appreciated and connected with it in a unique way compared to her other books. Being a homeschooling momma can feel lonely and “out of the box”, but reading the encouraging and wise words of Sally on these pages made me feel seen and honestly solidified why we’ve chosen this path for our family. All about creating a warm and wonder-filled learning environment for our children. Sally’s writing is honest here and unapologetic, but is met with gentle love and guidance. I so enjoyed how full this book was of the Clarkson’s own traditions and ideas for creating this atmosphere in your home, and how I wasn’t left with that all too common, “now what” feeling when I set this book down. Instead I felt invigorated and inspired. This isn’t a book you read and just think about, it’s a book you read and do! It’s a call, and a worthwhile one at that. While definitely geared to the homeschooling family, I truly believe families that don’t go this route will also find so much here in these pages to impart in their own homes.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for the gifted e-copy!

"In a world rampant with secularism and philosophies that negate belief in God, life requires that those of us who live by our belief in God must be focused and intentional in passing on wisdom, reality, foundations, truth, and purpose to our children."

This is one of the most hope-giving, encouraging, and beautifully challenging books I have ever read. I have highlights on almost every page. Sally's experience is wonderfully encouraging, especially to many of us who don't have mentors in our own lives.

She's honest about the hard parts of life and parenting, but firm on staying in the Word, filling your own cup from the Lord so you can keep pouring into your children, and walking so they will see Him in your example every day. There are also great practical ideas about wonder-filled resources, routines for a peaceful home, and building relationships in your family.

I can't recommend this book enough to all parents and future parents.

[I was provided an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]

This book is delightful, encouraging, and inspiring. A must read for all parents, especially homeschoolers.