Read-at-Home Mom Report: September 2025

September Favorites

Overdue by Stephanie Perkins
The romance in this is not completely closed door, but the descriptions are tame compared to a lot of what's out there. I gave it five stars despite a few things I didn't like because the writing was impeccable, I loved the library setting, and I was deeply invested in the slow burn romance.  

Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande 
My writing friend Jenn recommended this to me, and I listened to the audiobook. I will never write in the morning as the author suggests, but a lot of her other advice was very practical and no-nonsense. I would read this again. 

Pumpkin Patch Proposal by Susanne Ash
I especially liked this cozy little fall romance from the Alphabet Sweethearts series.

Family Reading Lists 

M. (girl, 11 years, 10 months)
*she provided the star rating 

• We Alcotts by Aileen Fisher and Olive Rabe ⭐⭐

C. (girl, 10 years)

• The Moved-Outers by Florence Crannell Means 
• Staying Nine by Pam Conrad 

E. (girl, 7 years, 11 months)

• The King's Beard by Leonard Wibberly 
• The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum

*The twins have been reading so many books, I can't keep track of them all. But here are some highlights.  

R. (boy, 5 years, 7 months)

• Elisa series by Johanna Hurwitz
• Tree House Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner 
• Snowbound Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner 
• Caboose Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner 

A. (girl, 5 years, 7 months)

• Arnold Lobel easy readers
• Mildred and Sam easy readers
• Johnny Lion easy readers 

My husband 

• A Few Fair Days by Jane Gardam 

Homeschool Summer Session 2025

Because we moved right at the end of the summer, I am behind on homeschool updates, so there will be a few posts in a row as I play catch-up. 

Our summer session this year ran from June to mid-August, and it included history, science, math, Latin, reading, writing, and P.E. 

For history, each of the three older girls had an assigned American history book or series to read. M. (11) read Story of America by John A. Garraty, C. (9) read the Drama of American History series by Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier and E. (7) read the American Story picture book series by Betsy and Giulio Maestro. Together with me they watched Early American History: Native Americans Through the Forty-Niners with Linwood Thompson from the Great Courses.

For science, everyone, including R. (5) and A. (5), listened to me read aloud Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick, and we watched a series called Full Proof through a service offered by the public library.  

M. and I worked our way through some lessons from Jensen's Format Writing to help her learn to write well organized paragraphs. 

All three girls watched videos and did exercises from So You Really Want to Learn Latin? 

All five kids went to the pool a lot and everyone is now a capable swimmer.