Classical Conversations has published a school story that will connect with many homeschoolers who have trouble relating to the sea of children’s picture books about starting traditional school. Lily Stays for School by Robert Bortins (son of Classical Conversations founder Leigh Bortins) is about a four-year old girl just starting out her learning journey in a C.C. Community. (Although never mentioned specifically in the text, one illustration does feature a banner reading “Welcome, Classical Conversations!”) The 26-page board book ($10.99) starts by talking about Lily’s life at home, and some of the things she has learned in life so far. It mentions how some of her friends are getting ready to go off to school but her parents have decided to homeschool, and Lily gets to go to a three-day “summer camp” while her mom learns more about homeschooling. When the first day of school arrives, they go to a homeschool group that meets once a week and the book tells a little about what they do there as well as what the rest of their week looks like at home.

For families involved in a C.C. Community, this story will be delightfully familiar. From the three-day experience at Practicum to singing and chanting the weekly “grammar” in subjects like Latin and history, to looking at places on maps, sharing a presentation each week and singing the Timeline song in the car on the way home, Lily Stays for School is full of details that are a part of every Classical Conversations child’s life. Such specific details may not fit every homeschool family’s experience, but things like finishing schoolwork by lunchtime and spending the afternoon playing are probably things most homeschoolers can relate to at Lily’s age.

I am excited to have Lily Stays for School to share with my younger children. We were part of a C.C. Community last year and my three-year old was sad to miss out on the fun. He’s looking forward to joining us next year when we return to C.C., and I love having a story that can help our little ones know what to expect and that will feel so familiar once they start attending classes with the rest of the family. 

-Product review by Deanna Jasper, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, October, 2017