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Homeschooling Book Hits Small Press Bestseller List

May 4, 2005 -- No longer the new kid on the educational block, homeschooling is a grassroots movement that shows no sign of slowing. The trend continues as Nettlepatch Press announces that in March of this year, "Fundamentals of Homeschooling: Notes on Successful Family Living" by Ann Lahrson Fisher, was included on the "Small Press Bestseller List" of the prestigious Library Journal.



It is no surprise that "Fundamentals of Homeschooling" has caught the imagination of librarians and the homeschooling public. Three large challenges that loom over the heads of new homeschoolers are demystified in this title's friendly can-do mix of common sense and practical tips.



One of the challenges new homeschoolers face, finding resources, is handily solved since "Fundamentals of Homeschooling" includes hundreds of carefully selected learning resources, each with a proven track record and at least one rave review from a homeschooling family. Commentary about the best use of each resource helps parents avoid the costly purchasing mistakes that can devastate a homeschooling budget.



Lahrson-Fisher speaks to the second challenge - how to adopt a successful learning lifestyle - with an approach unmatched in other homeschooling literature. In the introduction to "Fundamentals of Homeschooling," she writes that the underlying foundations of successful homeschooling are "deeply rooted in the familiar: the natural and age-old practices of successful families." Throughout the 429 pages, Lahrson-Fisher shows how those natural habits of successful families - habits such as play, conversation, togetherness, and growing up together - are the fundamentals for homeschooling success.



The third challenge new-to-homeschooling families must overcome is the school-ish model the parents carry around in their heads, a faulty model based on the outmoded premise that schooling is learning and learning is schooling. Not so, says the author. Throughout "Fundamentals of Homeschooling," Lahrson-Fisher untangles the "learning is schooling" myth to help parents let go of notions that may interfere with their children's optimal learning.



When asked about her book finding a slot on a Bestseller List, Lahrson-Fisher, who also writes a column for Home Education Magazine, said, "I am glad parents and librarians have discovered "Fundamentals of Homeschooling" - it really is a workhorse of a book, meant to be dog-eared and sticky-noted, coffee-stained and highlighted." Noting that homeschooling does require a commitment of time and energy, Lahrson-Fisher nevertheless calls homeschooling "a rewarding lifestyle, full of joy and satisfaction for the whole family. If "Fundamentals of Homeschooling" helps just one family balance sound educational practices with a realistic learning lifestyle approach, then writing the book was worth every minute I spent on it."



The Small Press Bestseller List of twenty titles, compiled by the staff at Library Journal, was published at Library Journal's website (http://www.libraryjournal.com) in March, 2005. "Fundamentals of Homeschooling" finds itself mid-list at number ten. The oldest independent national library publication, Library Journal was founded in 1876 and is read today by over 100,000 library professionals. The Small Press Bestseller announcement coincides with Small Press Month, now in its ninth year.



Nettlepatch Press made a splash in 1994 when its first title, "Homeschooling in Oregon," was snapped up by information-starved readers and librarians, both in Oregon and nationwide. At a time before homeschooling had entered the vernacular, that book went quickly into reprint.



"Successful homeschooling requires much more than a stack of schoolbooks or a computer curriculum," Lahrson-Fisher noted. "Parents know there are potential potholes and blind corners and they want to be prepared to navigate the tough spots. I wanted "Fundamentals of Homeschooling" to be a detailed and reader-friendly road map and that is just how families seem to use it."



For more information, or a free copy of Lahrson-Fisher's "The Homeschooling Emergency Kit," a collection of helpful tips for getting started with homeschooling, visit http://www.nettlepatch.net/homeschool or contact Nettlepatch Press, PO Box 1279, Carson, Washington 98610; 509-427-4771; or e-mail e-mail protected from spam bots

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