For the Love of Learning
Thanks to Lainie Liberti, host of the alternative education movement webcast For the Love of Learning, for having me as a panelist on her show about unschooling fiction writers. Lainie invites a panel of guests to take on a different topic each week. Recently, she gathered several writers who have written fiction about unschooling. Sheila Baranoski, Kristi Howe, Nicole Olson, Crispin Bateman and I all talked about our experiences as authors. While the others are all active unschoolers and unschool advocates, I had the distinction of being the only author approaching the topic as an...
Read More“The Guardian” Looks at Unschooling
As the parent of a conventionally-schooled child, and the author of Azalea, Unschooled, a novel that explores the life of an unschooled child, I’ve thought a lot about the limits and potentials of different types of education. The British newspaper The Guardian today takes an interesting look at the unschooling movement, exploring both pros and cons of an entirely child-driven educational experience. Read the article...
Read MoreElizabeth Bennet, Unschooled
Elizabeth Bennet, heroine of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, was, by the standards of her day, unschooled. The daughter of a gentleman could usually expect a governess, or at least a watchful mother, to teach her the skills considered necessary to land a husband. According to Margaret C. Sullivan’s The Jane Austen Handbook, a young lady might be taught by her parents until she was ten or so. After that, a governess was hired, or, in some cases, the girl was sent off to school. Girls who remained at home with a governess might have had their studies supplemented by visiting...
Read MoreBookish Holiday Fun in Camden
The Ho Ho Holiday Children’s Book Fair in the Camden Public Library was a terrific event! I’m not just saying that because the authors were all given bags of candy. I had the great pleasure of sitting next to to author Fran Hodgkins, author of The Secret Galaxy and other books. Lots of people stopped to talk about Azalea, Unschooled, including a family of three unschooling boys who were on their way to a post-book fair Bigfoot hunt. It was like living in an episode of In Search Of. The Camden Public Library is an incredibly beautiful and unusual building that overlooks the harbor...
Read MorePortsmouth/Newington B & N
Thanks to everyone at the Portsmouth/Newington Barnes & Noble for making Saturday’s signing such a success. What a great store–and if you haven’t been to the city of Portsmouth, NH, put it on your list! It’s a beautiful town. I loved meeting all of the kids, parents, grandparents, educators, and unschoolers who stopped by my table. The two most frequently asked questions at the signing were: Q. What ages is the book for? A. Officially, 8-12, but it’s suitable for younger, precocious readers and for curious adults. Q. Is this book for boys, too? A. Yes! All...
Read MoreGold Medal for Azalea
I am very proud and honored to announce that Azalea, Unschooled has been selected as a gold medal winner for the 2015 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards. According to Independent Publisher: The Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary children’s books and their creators, and to celebrate children’s books and life-long reading. Many of our award-winning books encourage children to be generous and compassionate, to stand up to bullies, and to believe in fulfilling their dreams. The diversity of the winning publishers proves that...
Read MoreLiza Kleinman
A writer of fiction for adults and children, and a freelance writer specializing in language arts educational materials.
Liza's latest release is the children's book Azalea, Unschooled from Islandport Press.
