I was homeschooled from K-12, so when my mom recommended this title to me, I knew there was plenty of opportunity for hilarity!
The Year of Learning Dangerously:
Adventures in Homeschooling
By Quinn Cummings
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| Check it out on Amazon |
Looks accurate!
What's Going On:
Preteen Alice is a bright kid that hates math, and is underachieving her way through the school system. Her mother, Quinn Cummings (the author) decides to take matters into her own hands, and thus begins a journey into the weird and wonderful world of homeschooling. As she begins to research the different approaches to education, she discovers surprising and sometimes shocking subcultures among the likes of libertarian "Unschoolers", and conservative Fundamentalists, to name a few.
Cummings recounts her experiences with laugh-out-loud humor and honesty, even as she is confronted with her own fears, inadequacies, and insecurities.
Optimal Reading Scenario: Surrounded by Friends
At first your friends are going to take a skeptical glance at the title and maybe think you're off your rocker. And then you'll start chuckling to yourself as you read, and they'll shoot you a sideways look. Then you'll read them a funny excerpt and they will laugh along, and a seed of jealousy will be planted. They will want your book, but its yours and you get to read it first. Make sure you laugh out loud a lot to keep them envious. They shouldn't have judged you.
Crack it Open:
"...these people might be on to something useful. Maybe we should be encouraging our children to be brave and individualistic learners, unbowed by traditional classroom roles or bedtimes, solving the problems of the world with unique minds covered by blissfully unbrushed hair. Maybe these people will become my brethren, my Radical homeschooling tribe."
There are four authors on the back cover that each use the word "hilarious" in connection with this book, so I think it's pretty safe to say it's not just an inside joke among homeschoolers. In fact, it might even be funnier if you are unfamiliar with homeschooling; I'm not sure. Though I've never homeschooled any kids myself, I've been on Alice's end of things and that meant there were some relateable moments.
Quinn's undercover missions to different homeschool conventions, with their specific dress code and alibis, were a definite highlight!
In the end though, I felt bad that she never found a "tribe" of average un-extreme homeschoolers like herself, and I especially wish she had been able to connect with some supportive parents who felt her same doubts about homeschooling. Contrary to her perception that they are all uber-prepared and super confident in their decision to homeschool, there are a lot of them out there that feel just as lost as she did (trust me, I've overheard enough of my mom's over-the-phone pep talks with new initiates)! However, I did feel that she concluded on a positive note, and it was an amusing and informative read.
Regis Reads Rating: ***
Mischievous Monkey Rating: 0
Some mild language, but nothing shocking.
Have you ever wondered why people choose to homeschool? What are your experiences with homeschoolers? Do you think this book is an accurate portrayal?
Disclaimer: These are my own opinions, and I am not receiving compensation of any kind for reviewing this book. Dangit.
This book was definitely laugh-out-loud funny in places. I really enjoyed it, although I thought her opinions (not necessarily based on fact) were a bit harsh at times. But generally, really liked it!