Haystack Full of Needles

A Catholic Home Educator's Guide to Socialization

by Alice Gunther

with a Foreword by Laura Berquist

Most of us at one time or another have had to wrestle with the issue of socialization, either when dealing with friends and family members who question our decision to home educate, or when in our own hearts we worry about our children's hopes for friendship. In this book Alice shows that "Socialization is not the weakness of home education—it is its strength and joy."

Alice chronicles her own path from skepticism about home educating's ability to provide sufficient social experiences for her children, to the flowering of a local home school group that provides its members with meaningful social experiences within the context of home educating.

Full of examples and practical suggestions, this will be an extremely uplifting addition to your cache of home education resources. 

From the "Foreword" by Laura Berquist:

“It is a book about charity. It is a book about how to love your fellow homeschoolers, and how to demonstrate that love. It is a book about how to model the virtues of hospitality, kindness and patience for your children. It gives many excellent suggestions on how to find other homeschoolers, but, most importantly, it gives instruction in how to build a community . . .

I homeschooled my own children for 23 years. I loved those days, and I can honestly say we had a very good time. Nonetheless, I wish I had had this book . . . 

I love this book and I don’t say that lightly. It is truly wonderful."

More reviews:

http://alice.typepad.com/cottage_blessings/my-book.html