I was so excited to see that Jennifer Pepito had written a book - I'm a longtime fan of her curriculum and philosophy behind homeschooling. That being said, it's a book for a very specific audience and wouldn't likely be as helpful or encouraging if you don't homeschool. I think it's a great companion or expansion to Sarah McKenzie's Family Read-Aloud Revival, and there is a lot that I'll take with me from it into my own mothering. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

This was the book I didn't know I needed. I really appreciated the thoughts on grieving (something I needed to hear), homeschooling, and embracing all the messiness that comes with mothering. This book is amazing!

This book is BRILLIANT! Each chapters theme share a literary companion… where Jennifer discusses real and raw situations she has been through and ties it together with which ever literary companion and only two chapters in I knew this book was going to be something truly special. The chapters end with a study guide as well as similar books that touch upon the chapters theme.

I took my time with this book and similar to the way I read NF I read a chapter every morning. Which was perfect it gave me the time to reflect and get excited for the next days journey.

Mothering by the Book by Jennifer Pepito was a great read. There were mixed reviews about it so I decided to read it. I think all moms, especially homeschool moms, should check out this book.

*I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

I enjoy reading books about parenting and reading combined. This one was definitely on the more conservative side of what I would normally go for, and I admit I felt a bit judgey at times, unfairly - the very idea of having 7 children is so far from what I want, let alone having 7 kids so young, and some of the situations the author found herself in were so appalling that I felt really sorry for her.
Yet the thread throughout of overcoming fear and anxiety in difficult times is applicable for a family of 9 or a family of 4, and I did think - well, if she could wrangle that chaos into some form of peace then it could be worth giving it a go when I have far less on my plate. I don’t homeschool and don’t want to, but think that those who do would find this even more applicable to them.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital review copy.

Novels and literature can teach us so much if we pay attention while we read, or if we read a book like Pepito's Mothering by the Book. She has several examples of different struggles that moms often go through and pulls examples from famous novels on how to deal with life. It was unique and now I have a few more stories that I'd like to read.

This book was so good. I loved the practical insights, the personal experiences, the wisdom shared and the recommendations of books that I can read aloud to my family or ones for myself. I really loved the reflection questions at the end of each chapter as well.

I got this book on a whim. I saw that it was about raising readers and had some interest. I knew nothing about the book going in but was actually pleasantly surprised. I liked the author and found her relatable. The different ways to turn this book into a scripture study was good to because it had verses to look up and things to learn while going through the chapters. I think it’s a good general over view and it was well done.

I was expecting this book to be similar to The Read-Aloud Handbook or The Read-Aloud Family, but it was more of a memoir instead. As a public school teacher and working mama, I was certainly not the target audience for this book. This was a DNF for me pretty early on.

I am a teacher that serves homeschooling families. I loved Mothering by the Book and will be encouraging the mothers I work with to get this book. Each chapter of the book covers a common fear for mothers and offers insight on how to deal with the fear. The best parts of each chapter are book suggestions for read aloud for the family and also for mothers to take them further into the subject matter covered. I feel that any mom will find hep in raising their children.
I received a complimentary copy of Mothering by the Book thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

Synopsis: “With the truth of Scripture…we’ll learn to take our thoughts captive and soak in the truth until it starts to transform us from the inside out…We will save childhood and freedom and fun, one read-aloud book at a time.” In Mothering by the Book, Jennifer Pepito takes a look at several different classic books and their characters and applies them and Scripture to the topic of fear. She explores a variety of fears in motherhood such as fear of failure, fear of failure, fear of being alone, and so many more. Fear has an easy tendency to take over our lives if we let it, but Jennifer guides use in fighting these fears through scripture and literature.

Analysis: When I first started this book, I had absolutely no clue what to expect, and while it took me a little while to get into, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I learned. What mom doesn’t have fears surrounding their motherhood? There are so many unknowns, and Jennifer helps us to look at literature through a Biblical perspective. She’ll walk you through well-loved books and characters and give you deep thoughts and practical tips to fight many common fears we face on an everyday basis. This was a book I didn’t know I needed and will refer back to often.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"I recaptured the magic of motherhood by fighting fear with stories and letting the truth of Scripture hammer it home. Through this book, I want to help you recapture the magic of motherhood as well. Childhood is too precious to waste, and our children need us to be present so they can be empowered to kill their own giants. Fear keeps us in our heads, imagining the worst about ourselves and our circumstances, and fear is a slippery little demon that masquerades well." - Jennifer Pepito Mothering by the Book

ALL. THE. STARS! This book is exactly what I needed right now. The Lord knew this is just what my mama heart needed! This is written from a Christian POV but I feel anyone can find encouragement, hope, and help from this book no matter your religious affiliations. She's also a homeschooler but I feel it applies to all families regardless of your education style. It's just all encompassing!

I love how Jennifer labels each fear, gives us examples from her life in how it presented, then a book and scripture that helped her face that fear. It's so well laid out! Each chapter covers one type of fear then ends with journaling questions, a scripture to memorize, read-a-loud options for your family, and books to help mom! I flew through this highlighting more than I wasn't!! I can't wait to go through again and work on the journaling questions!

Reading this is like sitting down on your porch with lemonade chatting with Jennifer! She's open and honest and encouraging! It's like reading a conversation - so easy and flowing. Lol, but don't think she won't ask you hard questions that really make you look inside your heart to what you're carrying inside. Truly a wonderful book to add to your library!

This was such an encouraging book! As a homeschooling mom, learning through books is a huge part of the educational life for my children and I. In Mothering By the Book, Jennifer teaches us as moms so much about mothering and educating through some of her favourite literature. What an inspiring and refreshing book!

An awesome read on motherhood, why God is so important in motherhood/parenting, and why forgiveness is so important for our overall well-being. This book was my first read from Jennifer Pepito. But I really enjoyed how she broke everything down, included God's word (scripture) and had questions for the readers along the way. For moms or soon to be moms this book is for you.

Thank you Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers for the advanced review copy.

Mothering by the Book is a unique book that combines parenting and homeschooling encouragement with a reading list that has inspired the author in those respective areas of life.

Each chapter addresses common fears (failure, the future, not having enough) with literary companions and how the author has learned from them.

I enjoyed this, but it was different than I expected based on the title. It seems to me it was less about reading aloud per say, and more about how books in general can help us face our fears. Perhaps that is a bit nit picky, but it was just different than I was expecting. There was also a decent amount about homeschooling. Not a bad thing, but again, not what I expected.

Kudos for this book adding to my TBR and offering a unique perspective. Recommended for homeschooling moms, or moms who place a lot of importance on reading in their families.

In her book, Mothering by the Book, Jennifer Pepito gives anecdotal wisdom she has learned during her time raising and homeschooling her seven children. Each chapter showcases a different book she has read and the lessons in overcoming fear in the different areas of her life those books have taught her. I can relate to the worries of not being loved, and my children being behind in school, and Jennifer's wisdom in these chapters help get to the heart of those fears and why we have them.

This is not a book directed at homeschoolers however. That is merely her own experience as a mother. But this book is for mother's in general and the wisdom applies to everyone in the season of motherhood.

I loved every chapter and highly recommend picking it up when it comes out.

Thank you to Bethany house for sending me the advanced reader copy of this book for free through Netgalley.

Thanks to Bethany House for the free book.
In this book, Pepito shares her struggles with fear with vulnerability and openness. Each chapter focuses on a lesson she learned through a book as she was going through various seasons of fear, depression, and anxiety. Also, she relies on the Bible heavily for pointing the reader back to what scripture says about fear. I think I expected something a bit different from this book, and I was not expecting such a heavy book and wasn't in the right place to sit with so much fear, and it took me a couple weeks to get through. I also have only read two of the books that accompany a chapter, which made it hard for me to connect with the lessons from these books at times. I think I thought that this book was going to be more focused on the reading aloud aspect over the memoir aspect, and that's where I feel like I'm missing something. I am also a mom of an only child and have no idea what schooling will look like. I think this book might be a bit more relatable in niche areas like bigger families and homeschooling. Overall, it was a read that pointed me back to Jesus, so I will take the nuggets I learned and add the books I'm interested t0 my TBR shelf.

I have followed Jennifer on Instagram for a while and have always enjoyed her encouragement. This book is no different, it is full of real life from a mom of 7. Sharing her highs and lows of homeschooling and getting a peek behind the curtain so to speak is just what I needed in my current season of homeschooling.
Not only does she recommend some great books, she gives real examples and applications of the principals.
She breaks down a lot of books and her take aways from them. In the chapter on Endurance there was the following quote
“Fear led me to abdicate my role as a parent, to reject the authority of the Bible as a guide, and to begin a haphazard search for answers.” This quote stopped me in my tracks, literally this is the place I am right now. In my mind though, I have a hard time imagining anyone else going through this type of fear. She breaks down the ways she was able to break the fear mentality in a relatable way.
Such a breath of fresh air !

I recommend this book to any homeschool mom needing to hear that she isn’t alone in her struggles (whatever they might be) and you don’t have to stay there. Jennifer is real and doesn’t hold anything back.
It’s like having a Mom mentor !

As an additional bonus each chapter ends with a list of read aloud suggestions and also mom book suggestions.

I started this book at a bad time: a couple of weeks before the longest road trip my husband and I have taken with our four children. This book put fear and anxiety at the forefront of my mind when I struggled with anxiety about this trip. I wish I could say this book helped me through it, but I just ended up having more panic attacks. I ended up having to take a break from this book until after our trip.

While Mothering by the Book did not help me with my anxiety, I did still learn from it. This book reiterated the importance of reading aloud. During my first two years of homeschooling, I have neglected to include reading aloud books to my third child. She cannot sit through the chapter books her older brothers like to have me read to them.

I do like to use literature to teach my children. However, I think this book neglects to balance fictional role models with flesh and blood ones. We can learn much from literary heroines, but they cannot replace the role of godly mentors.

Overall, I think this book does a good job of portraying the importance of reading aloud for both mamas and children. However, I recommend The Read-Aloud Family over this book.

I really like the whole concept of the book: how it uses popular literature and pinpoint the main messages in her own life when raising children. As a mother with a full time job, sometimes I personally could not connect with the stress and burden of being a full time mom. Nevertheless, I would recommend this book for full time mothers, especially for those who home-school their children. I believe some of the advices in this book are more relevant to them.