Join Julie Ross and special guest, Amber Johnston, as they uncover the transformative power of diverse children's literature, exploring how books serve as both mirrors and windows for young minds. In the episode, host Julie Ross interviews Amber O'Neill Johnston, the author of 'A Place to Belong: Celebrating Diversity and Kinship in the Home and Beyond'. Amber discusses her unique approach to homeschooling, focusing on creating a faith-based learning environment that celebrates diversity and embraces the philosophy of Charlotte Mason. She shares her experiences of being a part of the African American homeschooling community and emphasizes the importance of diversifying the home education. They discuss the concepts of Mirrors (a child seeing themselves in books) and Windows (a child seeing others in books), promoting self-identity, cultural awareness, and fostering empathy and understanding. The conversation also touches on the power of personal narratives and the value of an intergenerational self in the development of a child's identity. In this episode, you will learn: The importance of diverse children's literature as both mirrors and windows for young readers. How to foster empathy and understanding through storytelling and shared experiences. Practical strategies for incorporating diverse books into your family's reading routine, from pre-order incentives to heritage packs. Prefer video or closed captions? Watch all our episodes on YouTube. http://youtube.com/@TheFeastLife Read the blog and get your Freebie: https://www.thefeastlife.me/blog/16 Join our facebook community: http://www.facebook.com/thefeastlifecommunity Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agentlefeast/ Today’s episode is sponsored by the award winning Charlotte Mason curriculum A Gentle Feast. Get started with smooth and easy days at https://www.agentlefeast.com. “ I love Julie and the Feast Life.” If this sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing the show on Apple Podcasts. This helps more people- just like you- find out about the show. CLICK HERE AND SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM to leave a five star reviews. Also, please subscribe so you never miss an episode. FOLLOW NOW You can connect with Amber at any of these places: Heritage Mom: https://heritagemom.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeritageMomBlog Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heritagemomblog/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HeritageMomBlog/_created/ A Place to Belong: https://heritagemom.com/belong/