I liked the cover and how it provided an accurate visualization of keeping one's balls in the air, but I found the recommendations like "find a mental math curriculum" and "research skills are valuable" lacked specificity. I was looking for more insight on how to find a curriculum that works for your family. I can agree that research skills are valuable and something that adults also find challenging, but I did not find any suggestions on how to introduce this topic to children at any skill level. Sadly, I did not find Homeschooling and Working While Shaping Amazing Learners informative or substantive to recommend.

As a hopeful homeschool parent this book was very helpful. I'm a single mom so there are extra logistics since I don't have a second person to help with childcare but this book really helped me see how it could be done.

I’m not certain how helpful this read will turn out to be for me, but mostly because of my own ability to force my way through the rest of the year homeschooling my 4 kids. I will try to apply these things I’ve learned to my days.

This is a very handy and encouraging book to have if you are thinking to homeschool your kids. This is not an easy task but it is manageable. And this book is a great guide.

This book will be helpful for a very specific type of homeschooling parent. The title gives a good glimpse of the goal -- create very accomplished children who will go on to great academic success at college or if they return to traditional school. It's a very thorough book but almost discouraging in all the problems it sets you up to consider, and rather dry. It is very much for school-at-home type of parents as opposed to those who do unschooling, child-led learning or other types of home education. The author's children apparently went on to great academic success and she will be a good mentor for those whose main purpose is the same. Note that it's based towards a U.S. audience and does not deal with special needs. Also note that while many homeschooling books are designed to encourage and uplift, this isn't really that kind of book. This is nuts and bolts, which will be just what some are looking for but might miss the mark for others.

I read an ARC of this book for review.

Not specific on elementary or high school - looks at going through all of school if choosing to go that way in teaching. Help for parents and single parents to set up a structure for you and your kid(s). Good things to think over.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This book is absolutely fantastic! A wealth of information is inside this book to help you understand what is involved if you homeschool your children whilst you work and gives advise and information on how you can do this, what your rights are, what you need to consider etc. Even if you decide homeschooling is not for you there is still so much fantastic information and advise in this book! So keep on reading it.

The book is broken down into short chapters and over four sections which makes it easier to read, absorb and find what you need. At the back there are examples of plans, spreadsheets and Web sites you can access for different things such as resources.

This is a book I really want a paper copy of to refer back to in the future!

I’m self-employed and have home educated my 10-year-old daughter for two years. I thought this book would be relevant to our situation and that I’d probably pick up some tips and benefit from the author’s perspective.

The author’s credentials are good - lots of experience of home educating and seeing her children enjoying postgraduate level education. Who wouldn’t aspire to give their children that option? She’s also thorough and methodical, working through many practical issues that need to be overcome in order to make working and home educating feasible.

Unfortunately, there were a few issues that made it less applicable to my own experience than I had anticipated.

First, the book is written from an American perspective with no acknowledgement of the world outside of the US. I got the impression that ‘world schooling’ would make her recoil in horror. That said, for American readers, there is a good selection of resources listed to help get parents started.

Second, there is an unspoken assumption that the reader’s children are academically able, if not above average. There is no mention of children with additional needs. In the UK, there are many children being home educated because of a lack of SEND provision in schools, as is the case for my daughter. I was sorry not to see this acknowledged and addressed.

Third, the author is strongly in favour of adherence to a school-like curriculum in case the child later re-enters the school system. There is some logic here, but it is presented as a series of ‘shoulds’ rather than a consideration to factor in to the reader’s own decision-making. Unschooling is dismissed with barely-hidden horror at the idea of giving a child the opportunity to decide when they are ready for maths and English, for example.

The author is clearly very well-meaning and has achieved great things for and with her family. In others’ hands I can see how it would be very helpful and inspiring. But sadly it wasn’t a good match for my family’s circumstances.