I’m busy playing catch-up, trying to get ready for my next Les Miserables book discussion on Friday. That day will be very busy, so I have a proposal to make. Next week Pieter is one of several people who will be “blog-sitting” for Josh Claybourn, who will be on a trip. That gave me an idea…

I would like to invite my readers to submit guest blogs for Friday. You are welcome to send me favorite links with a little commentary (even a paragraph is fine), you can discuss an issue or a current event or you can send a recipe! Just write me at carmon(at)softanswer(dot)com anytime from now until Friday night (10pm PST) if you want to be part of my little experiment. You are welcome to include contact information with your post, or not, as you wish. As the dictator of my small domain, I reserve the right to censor any submissions.

Beautiful Feet Books
Run by Rea Berg, who used to live in the California gold country but now resides in Massachusetts. Her catalog has quality living history books. She was responsible for republishing the D’Aulaires’s excellent biographies for children as well as Genevieve Foster’s “World Of” books. The catalog is small, but filled with with excellent books as well as literature-based study guides designed by Mrs. Berg and her family.

Bluestocking Press
Run by Jane Williams who lives in my neck of the woods. She publishes Richard Maybury’s “Uncle Eric” books, which have given children and parents a well-reasoned view of economics and history, if a little more libertarian than conservative. Their catalog is full of history resources which you may not easily find other places, as well as historical crafts, toys and projects. Many audio resources, too.

Doorposts
This company is run by a reformed Christian family, and their products are Bible-based and intended to promote godly character. I’ve been most impressed with the “Polished Cornerstones” curriculum (a huge unit study guide for girls), the “Ruby Doll” kit, “A Night of Reformation” guide for having a group Reformation Night party, and the booklet “A Day of Delight” about making Sunday a day set aside for the Lord.

Elijah Company
This company has been around for a long time and offers a wide selection of quality homeschool books in a very manageable catalog. They have lots of advice about homeschooling in the catalog, as well.

Farm Country General Store
Another large catalog, filled with lots of goodies including a section on health, nutrition and home. Discounted prices.

Greenleaf Press
The Shearers were some of the first to urge homeschoolers to teach history to their children in a chronological manner, beginning with ancient times. They have provided some of the best living books for homeschooling families from all periods of history. Their reviews are always interesting to read.

Library & Educational Services, P.O. Box 146, Berrien Springs, MI 49103, (269)695-1800
They don’t have a website, but their prices can’t be beat. Their newsprint catalog is published quarterly, along with some sales supplements. They carry a lot of evangelical bestsellers and twaddle, but there are many gems, too. These include books by G.A. Henty, Focus on the Family Radio Theater, many Christian and historical biographies, creation science books and more. Their prices are wholesale, and they sell to homeschoolers, too.

Lifetime Books and Gifts
Bob and Tina Farewell (a fellow Bookroomie) publish “The Always Incomplete Resource Guide and Catalog.” According to their website, they are not printing their catalog right now, but it can be downloaded from their website and you can also view it on the internet. This is a huge catalog, and it is filled with good ideas for literature.

The Urban Homemaker
Not specifically homeschooling-oriented, but it is full of everything a homemaker-in-training (and her mother, too) would ever need or want to supply her kitchen and educate herself about cooking and nutrition. There are also books on family life, many from a reformed perspective. Lots of encouragement for us career homemakers. I bought my first grain mill and K-Tec mixer here, as well as many other quality kitchen items.

Veritas Press
This one is so ubiquitous that it’s hardly worth mentioning, but it has great articles from some of the best reformed thinkers and it is filled with books I still don’t own but would love to have! Classical approach.