Many times, it seems we feel a very simple thing is not enough, or we’re temporarily diverted into just checking boxes. Books are an awesome part of unschooling. But even with the books, it’s really about relationships. We decided to record a partner episode to the last one, where we aim to share how books (unapologetically in all their forms—digital, print, audio, etc) are appreciated anchors in our unschooling.

“It never ceases to amaze me how much the kids remember characters like they were friends; it’s like someone they know. And so they share this relationship [among siblings & family]. Every so often, they recall, ‘oh, this is like when such-and-such happened to this person.’ And everyone can relate to this, because it’s a shared relationship. Without even leaving the house. Over the years, I’m like, that’s why I’m not trying to claim books have a hallowed place in our world or society, but it seems something that’s so accessible that we tend to overlook because we have all these other things. But the power that lies within those pages gets forgotten and lost. We shouldn’t forget.” —Lara

Episode recorded January 30, 2021

Producer: Brian Lane-Karnas