Advent 2009

We've posted Cay's first meditation on this page on the Hillside website. This week's meditation features the children's picture book Angela and the Child Jesus by Frank McCourt. This is a true story adapted for children from the stories about the author's mother and beautifully illustrated by Raul Colon. The free meditation is intended for you, the adult reader, but the picture book can then be shared with your family. We have limited copies of each book featured in Cay's meditations available on the website as well.

Check back each week to download the new meditation!

Little Advent Treat from Cay Gibson

Please hop over to Cay's blog and check out what she has planned as a gift for moms and families this Advent. She will be offering for free a set of meditations to accompany four Advent/Christmas-themed picture books. We will make the meditations available for free download from the Hillside website starting the first week of Advent. (First week available now! Nov. 25)

Wishing you a blessed Advent as you prepare for the coming of the King.
Margot

Thoughts on Literature and the Publishing Business

I've been taking a class to maintain my teacher certification in the state of PA, and it has been so interesting. It's on children's literature and looks at all the cultural and social factors in books for children. This week we're focusing on commercialization and what it does to the content of children's books. And you know, it's something I've always known, but to be hit with it so explicitly has been somewhat startling. How much of what is "sold" as children's literature is merely advertising for other things (like movies)? How many books are based purely on what will sell or will encourage sales of other things instead of on ideas that are good for children to think about? Some people in education circles call these commercialized books "twaddle," but to my mind that's not half a strong enough word to describe the insipid diet of consumerism we feed our children through licensed characters and inane stories.

One of the articles I read this week traced the history of book publishing and it's track to "fast" capitalism. It explains why publishing houses no longer keep rich backlists, why some of the best books for children are out of print and most likely to stay that way: they have no cross product potential. The 5 largest children's book publishers are now owned by huge media conglomerates who no longer have the "Idea" as the main criteria for whether a book gets published, but the dollar value instead. No longer is literature held aloft from the market and so able to pursue and debate ideas. The market now rules literature and naturally this has limited what gets published. (Of course there are still some great books being published, but look at any bookstore and you'll see what's really being promoted.) I heard that publishers must attend expensive conferences put on by one of the big bookstores chains just to get books on their shelves. A small, very small, publisher like me doesn't stand a chance in a system like that.

This has made me reflect seriously on what we are doing at Hillside. We began just publishing study guides for different time periods in history. But when I couldn't find books for particular historical periods in print, I decided to jump into publishing out-of-print novels. It has been an incredibly creative and exciting process. I love every single one of the books we have published. They are all great stories . . . and they are not part of some multinational corporation's scheme to make money by any and every means conceivable. They have great ideas for kids to think about and leave open the possibility for hope. And yet, I can hardly stay in business; 2009 was a particularly difficult year.

Nevertheless, stupid though it may be, or certainly outside of conventional business sense, I have 3 novels scanned and almost ready to print, and I'm reading 3 others that I hope to prepare as well. What is the matter with me? Am I crazy? How can I possible stay in business much less compete with Sponge Bob Squarepants or everything Harry Potter? How can I get a business loan when my business plan shows that huge sales are not likely? And yet, how can I walk away from these truly great books that have been discarded by the market?

My only hope is that other people out there are looking for something other than the diet the mega-publishers put out. And if I can't compete in a crazy market, at least in my little corner of the publishing world, we'll still have great things to talk about.

Lingua Mater Americana

AKA Lingua Mater 8, is now available. We decided to keep costs down by just offering it as a 3-hole punch copy that you can pop into a binder. 

We are printing it on-demand and have just a few copies in stock right now. All copies ordered at conferences will go out this week. 

For details on what's in it, visit the Hillside website.

Michigan Conference

If you placed an order at the Michigan conference June 19 and 20, please contact us at

sales@hillsideeducation.com.

We've filled orders for all conferences except a few remaining from the SCCHE conference (Alhambra, CA),  and those who ordered Lingua Mater 8 at the IHM conference. So, if you ordered something at a conference and haven't received it yet - please do contact us!

We will have a table at the Tampa, FL conference this weekend and the Dallas, TX and Lancaster PA conferences next weekend. See you there!!

It's been an incredible summer getting to (or orchestrating a Hillside/mater et magistra presence at) almost every conference! I have enjoyed meeting people and hearing about heroic home educating adventures. But, I am now ready to kick back and can 50 quarts of beans and make 20 loaves of zucchini bread! Sitting in the sun with a glass of lemonade (well, I'd probably really be drinking water, but lemonade sounds more romantic) while the kids play softball sounds pretty good, too.

Happy summer!

Margot

In His Image

We're pleased to announce the publication of our latest title:

In His Image: Nurturing Creativity in the Heart of Your Home

by Mary C. Gildersleeve.

Mary explains that by letting our children and ourselves "create" we participate in the life of Our Divine Creator and cultivate many positive skills and habits. In addition, the book is full of resource recommendations and project ideas.

From the back cover:

Nurturing creativity in our children and in ourselves is a critical need today. We all know that research has shown that art and music are good for fostering healthy brain development, but they are good for our souls, too. Through creativity, we imitate the Divine Creator and practice the skills needed to battle the despair produced by a pre-made, manufactured, cookie-cutter world.

Made in the image of God, there is a creative desire placed in all of us. Nurturing this desire in our children is not only thoroughly satisfying, but an essential part of our parenting duty. By instilling in our children a love for the good, the true, and the beautiful, we can help to reshape our world for the good of all.

From the foreword by Elizabeth Foss

Education in the arts is no less important than academic education. Creativity will launch our children beyond the boundaries of their intelligence. A creative child knows how to think outside the box—to seek fresh approaches and novel ways of understanding things. More importantly, a creative child will have a greater, deeper, truer understanding of God. There can be no understanding of philosophy or theology without imagination and creativity. 

You can preorder this book now. Ship date is approximately June 15.

Conference Season

The homeschool conference season has begun!!! Last week Cay Gibson represented Hillside and mater et magistra magazine for us at the Louisiana conference in Covington last weekend, and she had a great time meeting folks and hearing what everyone is up to for the coming school year. 

We look forward to meeting you all in the coming weeks, so if you live in any of these areas, please check out our table at the following conferences:

Acworth/Atlanta April 17 and 18

Harrisburg, PA April 18

CHAPLET in Berlin NJ April 25

ARCH in Houston TX April 24 and 25

GMCHE in Milwaukee, WI April 24 and 25

Northwest (Tukwila, WA) May 1 and 2

Chicago May 8 and 9

Minnesota May 29 and 30

Kansas City June 5 and 6

New England (Chicopee, MA) June 6

IHM in Chantilly, VA June 12 and 13

Lansing, MI June 19 and 20

Sacred HEART in Orange NJ June 20

Cleveland, OH June 26 and 27

SCCHE (Southern California)  June 25, 26, 27

Tampa FL July 17 and 18

Family Centered Conference July 25

Dallas/Fort Worth July 24 and 25

We will have samples of all the Hillside products, samples of the magazine, and some things for sale!

Hope to see you!

Margot

It's Spring

We welcome the coming of spring with a big sigh!! It's been a long hard winter, but in the midst of the commemoration of Our Lord's passion, we get slivers of hope in the light (and warmth) to come. We hope you and your families have a Blessed Triduum and Holy Easter!!

Margot

Important Errata Notice for Haystack Full of Needles

For everyone who wants to try the scone recipe in the back of Alice's book Haystack Full of Needles, please take note: There is a typo.

Sigh!

The recipe ought to list 2/3 cups of sugar.

Please keep in mind as well, that you add the buttermilk gradually, only as much as is needed (which will vary based on the humidity and the kind of flour you use). You may not need all that is listed.

Haystack Stories

I have been amazed and edified by the range of stories that I'm hearing from people who have read Alice Gunther's Haystack Full of Needles. We have found out that socialization for the moms is very important!!! People are sharing how their groups work and what true charity can do in a community of homeschoolers. We are also hearing how people have been inspired by the book to try and heal their groups that fell apart either because of lack of charity or lack of interest. I'm sure we'll hear more!!! Please feel free to respond in the comment section of this email if you want to share a story about your homeschool friendships.

I want to share one of mine. When I first moved to our present house, I was expecting number 5 and number 1 had just turned 7. I was a bit apprehensive about the move: one more time we moved to a totally new area where I knew no one, one more time I left behind a kindred spirit, and one more time I would have to try and put aside my introvert tendancies and reach out to other people.

Our new parish had many homeschoolers but a recent falling out had splintered the group and bad feelings abounded. I was content to be pregnant and hunker down with the family and not try to get in the middle of the divisiveness. When I took my children to CCD, there was a group of moms who hung out during CCD time, and I got to know a few of them. I was astounded when one of them, who had from the beginning been encouraging me to call and come over to her house for a visit, brought me a dinner when I had the baby. She didn't really even know me!! It was so sweet, and she was so generous and laid back about it. It still took me two months to get the courage to call her and say, "Hey, I'd like to take you up on your offer to bring the kids over and visit." Her enthusiastic response was a balm to me.

Since that time there have been many chances for mutual generosity, (my number 5 is now 8 years old and she now has 10 children) but it was that simple reaching out by her that turned the tide for me and helped me to come out of myself a bit. I've been thinking a lot about that with regard to Haystack Full of Needles. It doesn't take much to make someone feel like an outsider, and not much to make her feel welcome as well. I am filled with gratitude for this friend of mine . . . and I thought I better tell her:

Happy Birthday, Kathleen, and thanks for being a great friend over the years, opening your home and heart to whomever you meet!
Love,
Margot

Fenestrae Fidei

Revisiting this gem . . .

I found this lovely idea for using Fenestrae Fidei . . . and it reminded what a delightful book this is.

Margot

Haystacks Full of Needles

We've been getting a lot of absolutely lovely reviews of this book. Please visit the author's blog to read them all.

Unfortunately, we have had yet another setback at the printers and the book will be delayed about another two weeks. We appreciate the patience of those of you who have placed preorders. Please pray with us that whatever obstacles remain can be overcome quickly. We are so anxious to get it out, and we have never had as many delays getting a book printed. I hate to be so Catholic (well not really, I actually love it), but perhaps the devil isn't so happy about this book.

It's a book about charity, first and foremost, and being open to the friendships in Christ that God has planned for us.

We'll post again when we have the book in hand.
Blessings,
Margot

Lingua Mater Americana

I was so gratified to read this post and learn that I am not the only one who takes on too much and then can't get it all done. Last December I posted a pretty ambitious publishing schedule. Of the items listed, we have only brought 2 to complete fruition. One more is ready to go this week and the rest . . . well, who knows what I will be able to accomplish. We are still working on these projects in various stages of production:

Lives of Plutarch: The Modern Edition of Twelve Lives edited and abridged with an introduction by John W. McFarland. This is a reprint of a version recommended in the MODG syllabus for 7th grade. It has been out of print for quite some time and can be very costly to buy used. We are sending it to the printer this week. Hooray!!

The King's Thane by Charles Brady. This is by the same author as Sword of Clontarf and was part of the Clarion series published by Doubleday in the 1960s. We have it typeset and will perhaps have it to the printer by end of the summer.

Mass Book for Children. Originally published by Benzinger Bros, this little gem includes stories and devotional explanations of the parts of the Latin Mass. We hope it have it done by Christmas time . . . . we'll see!

And now that brings me to Lingua Mater Americana, which is the follow up to Lingua Mater 7 and can be used for 8th or 9th grade. I have been working on this one in my head since the day that Lingua Mater 7 was published and at least 10 people wrote and said, "Don't you have one for 8th grade?" That was 3 years ago. Since then I have been listening to what people/users have said about Lingua Mater and what they think is best for language arts for the bridge to high school. I think I finally have a handle on the approach I want to take with it and have found an answer to my quandary over including grammar in it. Will it be done by the 2008-2009 school year? . . . sadly no.

However, I will be completing the writing of it this year as I work with a group of 8th graders who did Lingua Mater in 7th grade last year. They are my experiment group. If you'd like to participate, we can arrange to get you the lessons about a week ahead (oh sometimes a day ahead since I usually prepare for the week on Sunday night or early Monday morning). Actually, the first unit will be done before the first day of school. Please email me at sales@hillsideeducation.com if you are interested in getting the lessons by pdf as I go along. I only ask that you give me feedback at the end of the week or unit on how the lesson went and if everything made sense or got results. There were a few families who did this with me on Lingua Mater 7 and I am deeply grateful for their honest feedback.

So, what's in this volume?
The first nine weeks is a review of Lingua Mater 7 (modes of writing, basic grammar). The second nine weeks is work on sentence combining and voice, the third nine weeks focuses on the expository essay, and the last nine weeks is a kind of short story unit - many lessons based on one short story. The grammar lessons will be on that which is important to the writing BUT we will also have a really unique grammar supplement . . . mysterious, heh? More details on that will be revealed as we go along.

It's called "Americana" because it is meant to integrate with studies of American history which are done in 8th or 9th grade depending on what curriculum you follow. So all the literature pieces are written by American authors, all the paintings are by American painters, and all the poems are by American poets. It features the work of two contemporary authors: Elaine Woodfield and Suchi Myjak. Elaine is the author of the Stories of the Saints series from Catholic Heritage Curricula, and she has written two original stories about American saints for the book. Suchi is the author of Behold and See, also published by Catholic Heritage curricula, and she contributes two essays on science topics particular to America: the beaver and the life of Thomas Edison. The short story we use in Unit 4 will be reproduced in full in the book.

Perhaps by working through it during the year I will have it ready for printing next summer - depending on the length of the editing process. Lingua Mater 7 took one year to write and one year to edit (and it still had many mistakes).

Thanks to all those who have been patiently accepting my "it's not ready yet" answer every year. I'm sorry to have to say it again. But I think I have finally found a way to make it happen. Best wishes for a restful and rejuvenating summer.

Haystack Full of Needles

We are close enough to take preorders on this new title:

Haystack Full of Needles

A Catholic Home Educator's Guide to Socialization

by Alice Gunther

Please visit the website for all the preordering details.

From the Foreward by Laura Berquist:

"I love this book and I don’t say that lightly. It is truly wonderful."

Conference Update

Next weekend, you may view Hillside materials and subscribe to mater et magistra magazine at Mary Gildersleeve's table at the Rocky Mountain Catholic Home Educators conference. (RMCHEC) Mary will be showcasing her knitting book and taking orders for all of our products. Be sure to attend her talk on handcrafts in the home school!! She will also have an article on handcrafts in the next issue of mater et magistra.



The following weekend I will be attending the IHM Conference in Chantilly, VA.
Please stop by my table and say hello.



Finally, I'll be speaking and vending at the Family Centered Conference in beautiful Lancaster, PA. The topic of my talk is authentic literature study: making good readers great thinkers. Alice Gunther will be the main speaker. See our next blog entry for information about her new book Haystack Full of Needles, A Catholic Home Educator's Guide to Socialization.

I hope you will consider attending one of these conferences in your area. I've found that it's so wonderful to meet other homeschoolers and feel recharged in our efforts to provide the best for our children.

A New Beginning

Hillside is the new publisher for Heart & Mind magazine. Please visit our new magazine website.

We have renamed the magazine:

mater et magistra

Educating the Heart and Mind in the Catholic Home.

If you had a subscription with Heart & Mind your subscription will continue. If you didn't, now is a great time to subscribe!! All the great features of Heart & Mind will continue in the new magazine including the unit study pull-out section, resource reviews, and columns on literature, science, the Liturgical Year, and more. There are lots of opportunities for readers to contribute, so please visit and see what's coming up!

Margot

Spring Cleaning SALE

We're having a sale!

All picture books that accompany Catholic Mosaic or Christmas Mosaic are now on sale. You will also find most of the books in the category "Books of Interest" on sale as well.

Help us clean our shelves and make way for our new titles.

Another New Title

Even though we got about 8-10 inches of snow today, it certainly feels like spring here at Hillside!

We have another new book to announce, and I can't help feeling it's something bright on the horizon of winter, like the slowly lengthening days, full of promise.

Introducing:

Great Yarns for the Close-Knit Family,

Over two dozen original hand-knit designs
inspired by one dozen fantastic family read-alouds

By Mary C. Gildersleeve

The book will be available March 12th and we're now accepting preorders on the website. Each preorder will receive a pair of birchwood knitting needles that can be used for some of the hand-knit projects.

So what are these projects and why is Hillside doing a knitting book?

Well, this book features knitting projects that accompany great works of children's literature:

Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

Canadian Summer by Hilda van Stockum

The Hobbit By J.R.R. Tolkein

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little House in the Highlands By Melissa Wiley

The Lost Island by Eilis Dillon

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle

Redwall by Brian Jacques

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Wheel on the School by Meindert de Jong

While your family enjoys reading aloud these great "yarns" you and/or your children can be knitting the projects. All the projects are original designs by Mary, the knitting guru.

Visit the Hillside website to find out more about the preorder.

The Mystery Revealed At Last

In our closing-for-Christmas post we alluded to a homeschooling resource book that we would be publishing this year. I'm very happy to announce this book to you now!

Haystack Full of Needles,

A Catholic Home Educator's Guide to Socialization

by Alice Gunther

Most of us at one time or another have had to wrestle with the issue of socialization, either in dealing with friends and family members who question our decision to home educate, or from our own hearts as we worry about our children's hopes for friendship. In this book Alice shows that "Socialization is not the weakness of home education—it is its strength and joy."

Alice chronicles her own path from skepticism about home educating's ability to provide sufficient social experiences for her children, to the flowering of a local home school group that provides its members with meaningful social experiences within the context of home educating.

Full of examples and practical suggestions, this will be an extremely uplifting addition to your cache of home education resources. We'll post more details as the book nears publication. We expect to release this book in the spring.

(Cover design by Ted Schluenderfritz)

Conference Schedule 2008

Here are the conferences where you can view Hillside material and ask questions (and meet me!):

Memphis, TN March 14 and 15

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania April 5

IHM, Chantilly, VA June 13 and 14

Family-Centered Learning, Lancaster, PA July 25 and 26
(new dates)

As dates are added we will update this post.
Margot