Today we are talking to Michelle Miller Howard, author of TruthQuest History.

For over 20 years, Michelle has been a librarian, home-education consultant, author, columnist, and speaker, specializing in top-quality living books, educational vision, and history instruction.  It began in 1985, when she pioneered, funded, and acquired a library of such rare children’s literature, which has been thriving ever since; her Children’s Preservation Library (in Michigan) now houses over 20,000 valuable volumes, serving patrons in several counties.  A second library, Living Learning Libraries, is underway in Florida, with plans for additional libraries, and thousands more rare books already acquired.

Michelle is considered a national leader/expert on living books libraries and literature, and helps others around the nation found and operate such libraries as well. She has also developed a massive database on specialized youth literature.  She is a regular contributing columnist to various national magazines and educational websites, as well as a sought-after speaker and consultant.

Michelle wrote the multiple award-winning TruthQuest History curriculum, which steers families through American and world history with deep, engaging, spiritually-probing commentary, and which embeds her vast knowledge of topic-specific living book recommendations throughout.

Here is what I asked Michelle on this episode:

• So, you and I have never met personally, but we’ve interacted online as part of Rhea Perry’s Educating for Success group. I love all the books you recommend and you have so much knowledge in this area! Have you always loved books? Tell us why good books are so foundational to education.
• What are some of your favorite books and how did you incorporate them into your homeschooling?
• Tell us more about your homeschooling journey and how did you come to write TruthQuest History?
• Is there anything in particular that helped shape your educational philosophy?
• The definition of lifeschooling is “the individualized process of discovering your child’s God-given gifts and talents primarily through real life experiences that happen within the context of your family’s unique situations and missions.” Is there a part of that definition that particularly speaks to you and share with us a bit more about how your family lifeschooled?
• How did homeschooling strengthen your relationships with your children?
• How did you fit homeschooling with your family’s unique situation and responsibilities?
• Was your family ever tempted to quit homeschooling and how did you navigate through that time?
• What are some of the gifts that you saw in your children and how did you tailor their education around the development of those gifts?

And that’s Life as a Lifeschooler! Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss an episode. Hope you’ll join us next time!

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