The Trivium is a rigorous and utterly delightful presentation of the three areas that form the basis for all learning: logic, grammar, and rhetoric. Sister Miriam Joseph Rauh, a professor of English at St. Mary's College for thirty years, helps you see the unity and harmony of these three areas as she gives you solid and easily-grasped explanations of even their most abstruse elements: not just general grammar, but also propositions, syllogisms, enthymemes, fallacies, poetics, figurative language, and metrical discourse! Attractively laid out to maximize clarity, this book is also packed with lively examples, exercises, and illustrations drawn from the works of Shakespeare, Milton, Plato, and others. The examples are so rich that they're a literary education in themselves. read more

In this handy guide you’ll find all you need to know to make a scientific expedition to the beach (or to a rocky shore, a salt marsh, and more). The author, science professor Elizabeth Lawlor, is completely practical: along with guidelines about what to take along in order to perform mini-scientific experiments right at the beach, she includes advice about how to dress and other ways you can be prepared for anything that might arise. read more

Many parents believe they can't homeschool because they lack some quality or skill successful homeschoolers have. But believe it or not, you don't have to be a certified teacher, a former academic whiz, or even a particularly well-organized person to homeschool well. The truth is that homeschooling can be done, and done well, by most ordinary people. In Homeschooling: Take a Deep Breath -- You Can Do This!, Terrie Lynn Bittner takes you by the hand and shows you how.

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Jam-packed with firsthand narratives, diary entries, personal letters, and patriotic songs and poems, the "Source-Readers in American History" series truly lives up to its ambitious title. Originally published at the turn of the century as a 4-volume set, here, back in print and available to Club members ONLY are volumes 3 & 4: How Our Grandfathers Lived and The Romance of the Civil War.

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No one knows grammar like Michael Strumpf. For 25 years, as founder of the National Grammar Hotline, he has helped thousands of callers tackle the thorniest issues of English grammar. Now, in The Grammar Bible, Strumpf addresses the most common and perplexing questions he was asked by students, teachers, editors, lawyers, copywriters, journalists, and writers of all stripes.

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There are plenty of guides to homeschooling available now, but it would be hard to find one as comprehensive as The Unofficial Guide to Homeschooling. It manages to cover virtually all the ground that other guides deal with piecemeal or not at all. And it gives you a refreshing new perspective on issues you may think you have completely covered — from a panel of experts including Maureen McCaffrey of Homeschooling Today magazine, Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute, and others who know homeschooling issues inside and out. read more

In too many English classes across America, good grammar is in bad repute. Modern "educators" view the study of grammar as an unnecessary dogma only slightly related to the skills of a writer. Far more important, they say, are such vagaries as "passion," "sincerity," and "knowing what you want to say." Baloney, responds professional writing instructor C. Edward Good. Good grammar is to good writing as good bone structure is to beauty. If you want your prose to be readable and effective, you must master the rules of grammar. In this compact yet comprehensive guide, Good explains everything you need to know -including the eight parts of speech and how to use them ... the do's and don'ts of tenses, voices, and moods ... the rules of sentence structure and punctuation ... common grammatical mistakes ... and important questions of style. read more

The Confederate soldier was revered by Northerners and Southerners alike long after the war ended for what Philip A. Bruce calls “the high, the gallant, and the romantic aspects” of his character. Examples of character traits like these are rare in public life nowadays, but they abound on the pages of Brave Deeds of Confederate Soldiers. Bruce’s vivid account of numerous deeds of daring, bravado, cunning, and selfless courage by Confederate partisans during the great conflict will fire your children’s imaginations — and impress upon them the all-important lesson that some causes are worth risking everything to advance. read more

This volume ranks as a publishing feat, with 3,677 famous lines and short selections covering the whole sweep of Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, arranged by subject for easy reference. Shakespeare had something to say, invariably something fresh and unexpected, on just about everything. read more

When Robert E. Lee died, the London Standard wrote that “A country that has given birth to men like him, and those who followed him, may look the chivalry of Europe in the face without shame; for [England and the American North] never produced a nobler soldier, gentleman, and Christian than Gen. Robert E. Lee.” read more

With these two volumes of At Home with Science, you can satisfy young kids’ curiosity about the way things work — and give them an inviting introduction to basic science in the process. Guided by Archie the elephant, Frank the flamingo, Marie the monkey and Dot the kangaroo, your children will learn how to perform twenty-four easy experiments using household objects — experiments which will give them answers to everyday science questions that they’re probably already asking you! read more

Have your children ever wondered how the early settlers of America lived? Now they can discover what life was like before modern cities. 10 early settlements are highlighted with an in-depth look the lives of settlers. Each profile includes color photos, maps, and historical facts. read more

Somewhere along the Interstate, where the highway is 19 lanes wide, stands a sign that reads, "MathZone: Exit 11101101." From parking space 12358, a fractal-lined footpath leads to the MathZone amusement park. There, children 10 and older discover that learning mathematics can be as much fun as a roller coaster ride. read more

For generations, parents in China have taught their children "brain games." These delightful amusements challenge and sharpen the intellect of young people, who keep coming back for more because of the sheer fun of it all. read more

Here's the kind of book kids 12 and older pore over. Almost effortlessly, they learn the rudiments of the founding era -- and your job as their teacher gets oh-so-much easier. Historian Jonathan Hall covers both well-known and little-known incidents from the French and Indian War, American Revolution, and the War of 1812, including political, social, and military history. Organized chronologically, the question and answer format lets you test your knowledge before reading Hall's comprehensive answers. read more

Science Time is Family Time

Haven't we all wondered why flat soda tastes sweeter than fresh, how Alka-Seltzer settles your stomach, or how copy machines work? Here are 52 experiments that focus on answering questions such as these, brought to you by the world-famous Exploratorium science museum in San Francisco. read more

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The events and people surrounding the Louisiana Purchase extended far beyond the United States and France and Jefferson and Napoleon to include the hero of the tiny French colony of St. Domingue, an outbreak of yellow fever, even storms off the coast of Holland. This amazing book captures it all. read more