By Grace N.
Welcome to A Homeschooler’s Perspective! The goal of this column is to explore the unique and interesting aspects of growing up homeschooled and how those things are represented in the media. Come here to find book reviews and recommendations, as well as information about topics related to the homeschooling community.
To start things off, I decided to share some of the best books I’ve found featuring homeschooled teens. To be clear, I mean “best” in terms of homeschooling representation, not that these are the greatest books I’ve ever read. With that being said, here are some entertaining stories with characters who are homeschooled for most or all of the action.
Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass
- astronomy, friendship, and life changes
Three young teens from very different backgrounds meet due to a solar eclipse, which turns out to be a transformative event for all. Ally has grown up at the isolated Moon Shadow Campground, where eclipse-watchers are now gathering. She loves astronomy and has been anticipating this event for years. Bree is an aspiring model from a large city and resents her parents’ decision to become the new managers of the campground. Jack is a lonely kid who just needs extra credit to avoid failing a science class. As the eclipse approaches, all three must learn to cope with their own fears and insecurities. Afterwards, each character has the strength to face a future full of possibilities they may have never before imagined.
Every Soul a Star is a feel-good type of book with strong characters. I also like how the author incorporates quite a bit of astronomy knowledge into the story. Although the portrayal of isolated homeschoolers is a little bit stereotypical, the author shows unusual lifestyles as a positive thing.
The Tethered World by Heather FitzGerald
- a big family, adventure, and a magical underground world
Sadie Larcen’s definition of normal is a bit different than that of most. At sixteen, she is the oldest of six siblings in a Christian, homeschooling family. Her parents are obsessed with mythical creatures, which Sadie finds annoying- until the night her parents disappear. Suddenly the Larcen siblings must face the reality of the underground Tethered World, inhabited by creatures from the garden of Eden. Their family has a special connection to this world, but also powerful enemies. Despite her fear and hesitation Sadie has no choice but to lead her siblings into the Tethered World on a rescue mission. The lives of her parents, and the future of the Tethered World are at stake. The Tethered World book is the first of a series.
This book is most memorable to me not even because of the story itself, but because at the age of fifteen, it was one of the first books I ever encountered about a family sort of similar to mine. It felt strange to read about another teen who didn’t attend school, who had several siblings, and who was also Christian. Those are three things you rarely see portrayed in YA literature at all, let alone in a positive light! It is not surprising that the author herself is a homeschooling mother.
Lucky Few by Kathryn Ormsbee
- quirky homeschoolers, romance, friendship, and humor
Homeschooled sixteen-year-old Stevie doesn’t care if others think her lifestyle is weird. She and her best friend Sanger are always having their own adventures. This summer Stevie is campaigning to save her favorite park from developers. Her life is also complicated by the arrival an odd (yet attractive) new neighbor, Max, who convinces Stevie and Sanger to help him complete his bucket list. That is, a list of ways to fake his own death. This leads to plenty of humorous situations as well as some more serious ones that make Stevie question her attitude towards life.
Kathryn Ormsbee grew up homeschooled and it shows in her work. Her depiction of the details of homeschool life ring true, from getting schoolwork done, to attending co-op, to using the extra free time. However, I do find her portrayal of the religious homeschoolers in Stevie’s co-op a bit uncharitable. I would also recommend Lucky Few for older teens due to some mature language and topics.
The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway by Ashley Schumacher
- renaissance faires, romance, and grief
Seventeen-year-old Maddie (nicknamed Gwen) has grown up homeschooled on the renaissance faire circuit. She is content with this lifestyle, which her loving parents chose. She does not feel the need to attend traditional school, despite her father having given her this option. For the past year, Maddie has been struggling to cope with her mother’s death due to cancer. Now her mother’s favorite location has new managers- and their teenage son, Arthur is interested in Maddie. Over the summer a romance predictably develops between the two, while Maddie also begins to find healing for her grief.
I was pleasantly surprised to find this YA book that portrays homeschooling in a mostly positive way. It is good for someone looking for a romance-focused read that includes difficult topics without being too heavy. However, I would still give this book a content warning due to some mature language that was a bit jarring given how tame the story is otherwise.
In conclusion, I hope you have enjoyed this list. If you have thoughts about this post or would like to share your own favorite books, please leave a comment. I will always appreciate new ideas!
Grace was homeschooled for her entire K-12 education, and lived all over the United States as part of a military family. Having graduated in 2023, she is now a college student living in the Rocky Mountain region. Her interests include literature, earth science, biology, and flute. It was her love of reading and experiences with being homeschooled that inspired her to write for Homeschooling Teen.
