Welcome
CM Seminar
Charlotte Mason 
 Study Guide
Charlotte Mason 
 Approach to Ed.
Nature  
 Journaling
Art  
 Appreciation
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 Book Lists
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Book Reviews of Wild Days

nature journaling book“It was a perfect fall day. I sat on our porch in the morning quiet while birds sang and the train softly whistled miles away. It was a perfect day for reading WILD DAYS. I like this book very much! It is a practical guide and charmingly illustrated with the writer’s family’s works and some photos, too. Most importantly it gets one out there!
     Wild Days will not only motivate you to get out of your house, it gives clear tips and suggested materials. John Ruskin said, ‘If you can paint a leaf, you can paint the whole world.’” --Lorraine Curry, author of
Easy Homeschooling Techniques

Read a review by Mary Leggewie and Martha Robinson at Homeschool Christian.

“I have been using Charlotte Mason style learning with my children for several years. I looked with longing at the beautiful nature notebooks others had put together. I was having a hard time getting the motivation to do ours, and didn't have the knowledge to do a good job. My son has a deep interest in science and nature. I always felt that a nature notebook would help him 'connect' with nature. I just didn't know how to start, and didn't think I was "artistic" enough.    
     I picked up Wild Days and didn't put it down for three days later. I read the book on our way to Lake Powell with the family and was thrilled! When we arrived, I immediately set out helping them with their nature books. I had new ideas, new enthusiasm, and new confidence. The book is very easy to read, and packed with wonderful ideas and motivators. I may even take a drawing class some day! I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in doing nature notebooks, or wanting to have a more personal experience with nature.”
--Juline Lambert,
LearningWare Reviewsnature walks

“A wonderful resource from beginning to end! This book is exactly what I was looking for -- and I didn't even know it. I thought the book would be basic explanations of keeping a nature notebook with the bonus of having the authors (and her children's) sketches in it. I was VERY pleased to find that it was that, plus a whole lot more. A homeschooling mom has written the book and she very articulately shows how using journals can incorporate into more than just art or nature study. In the book, I found a brief history of different people who have kept journals through the ages and the various reasons why. (This alone has given me many ideas in helping to introduce journals to my children.) She goes on to give suggestions on how to get started and what supplies are needed. Five different chapters are included on teaching and incorporating various subjects with your Discovery Journals. And the appendices give a list of books with examples of nature studies, and a list of famous men and women whose journals can be looked into for further study. I found this to be a wonderful resource. I have always kept journals but never ventured into keeping a nature journal. This will be an excellent resource to get me started and keep me going and its quite a bargain for all the information packed into this lovely little book.” --Homeschool mother from Iowa

“I tried a ‘Wild Day’ with my Brownie troop. They really loved it! It was so wonderful. They were so involved with their drawings and observations that the time just flew by. They didn’t even want to stop for treats.” --Elizabeth Braymen, Girl Scout Leader

“To notice the painting on a flower, the shape of a cloud, the song of a thrush and the cool smoothness of the bark on a birch tree, these are the memories captured in a nature journal.  Nature studies are an integral part of the living atmosphere of a classroom. Without them, trees become merely pictures, flowers lose their fragrance, birds are without song and movement, and life exists only outside the window. To know nature is a source of refreshment and pleasure for every person; teachers and students alike.
      Within my own classroom, nature studies have been a biweekly habit of picking up our notebooks and colored pencils and heading outside to be still, quiet and thoughtful. Afterwards, we use a field guide to identify our new discoveries. Oftentimes, these moments are the most productive of the entire day, and they serve to provide the much needed mind-food for other academic disciplines.” -- Jennifer Brownlee, classroom teacher

Go back to Wild Days page. Go back to Nature page. Read the introduction to Wild Days or excerpt.
See
sample journal pages; table of contents ; nature-related links and books; and read about Karen Rackliffe .