Product Review-The Complete Home Learning Source Book

The Complete Home Learning Source Book: The Essential Resource Guide for Homeschoolers, Parents and Educators Covering Every Subject from Arithmetic to Zoology, Rebecca Rupp, 1998, New York: Three Rivers Press, ISBN-10: 0609801090, ISBN-13: 978-0609801093, 880 pages

Medium: Paperback book

Age/Grade: Adult/Educator

Secular/Religious: Inclusive-contains references to both secular and religious material without proselytizing or espousing any particular beliefs

Rating: ****

* I hate it
** I don’t like it
*** It’s about average
**** I like it
***** I love it

The Complete Home Learning Source Book is big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it’s a lot of reading to get through War and Peace, but that’s just peanuts to The Complete Home Learning Source Book. All right, so that may not be strictly true (and it’s a blatant rip-off from Douglas Adams, I know), but really, this is a book that lives up to its name.

Rebecca Rupp has compiled all kinds of resources, from print to video to computer software, and listed it by subject. As if this wasn’t enough, she has included addresses, phone numbers, websites and information about all of the resources she lists, and in many cases, bases her information on personal experiences with the products in question from her own homeschooling program. This book really is a wealth of information. In fact, my only complaint is that I found it a bit overwhelming.

I like the format-divided by subject, and further subdivided by type of media, with clear markings as to the age/grade level of the material. She starts with the title, type and age, and then gives a brief review, often followed by purchasing information.

While I have found this book extremely helpful, I consider it best used paired up with Rupp’s Home Learning Year by Year. This book provides the resources needed to follow the curriculum outline in Home Learning Year by Year. Beginning homeschoolers like me may find it difficult to know where to start without the latter book, but be unsure where to turn for materials without the former.

I “like” this book, rather than “love” it because I am not one who enjoys books of lists-even when they are as useful and well done as is this one-but I would still highly recommend it for its utility.