Book Hearth Guides
LEARN TOGETHER AS A FAMILY
Bring Your Homeschool to Life ~ ONE Beautiful Book at a Time
Feeling burnt out juggling different lessons for each child?
With our Book Hearth Guides, you can teach all your kiddos together ~ through one powerful story and a simple, joyful structure.
You choose one rich book.
We guide you in turning it into meaningful, multi-age lessons grounded in connection and creativity.
Each guide centers on our 5 anchors: story, self, senses, strengths, and sharing ~ designed to:
spark deep conversations,
build real-world skills, and
create lasting family memories.
No more piecing together scattered resources. Just one guide, one story, and a rhythm that fits real life.
➡️ Ready to simplify your homeschool ~ and fall in love with learning again?
Gather Round the Book Hearth
You gather your children around...
Pour warm tea into your favorite mugs...
And sink into the couch beneath a cozy blanket.
At the center? One beloved story. 📖
Ready to guide your days, spark your lessons, and kindle moments you’ll remember long after the book ends.
This is the heart of the Book Hearth approach.
One story ~ shared together ~ unfolding into a rich, holistic learning experience.
Choose Your Book Hearth Guide
Browse through our Book Hearth Guides below and choose the story that will spark imagination and connection in your homeschool.
Each guide includes age recommendations to help you get started ~ but remember, those are simply suggestions. Many of these stories delight both older and younger children alike!
Our guides are designed for mixed ages so that your whole family can learn, play, and explore together.
✨Which story will you choose?
⬇️⬇️⬇️
The Gardener ~ Book Hearth Guide | $12
For children in grades 1-4, The Gardener is the story of a young girl whose parents have both lost their jobs. Lydia Grace Finch brings a suitcase full of seeds to the big gray city, where she goes to stay with her Uncle Jim, a cantankerous baker. There she initiates a gradual transformation, bit by bit brightening the shop and bringing smiles to customers' faces with the flowers she grows. But it is in a secret place that Lydia Grace works on her masterpiece - an ambitious rooftop garden - which she hopes will make even Uncle Jim smile.
Heartwood Hotel ~ Book Hearth Guide | $12
For children in Grades 1-4, Heartwood Hotel: A True Home (Book 1) is the charming story of a small mouse named Mona who finds refuge in a quirky hotel for animals hidden deep in the Fernwood Forest. This enchanting story will captivate young children (and their parents!) from the get go. Moss-covered beds, acorn cups of honey tea, and walnut-shell lanterns await your arrival!
Coo ~ Book Hearth Guide | $9
For children in grades 3-7, Coo is the story of a young girl's determination to save the flock she calls family. This story will pull you in from the opening line, exploring the bonds of family, friendship, and the importance of being true to oneself.
Echo Mountain ~ Book Hearth Guide | $12
For children in grades 5-8, Echo Mountain is a celebration of finding your own path and becoming your truest self. After losing almost everything in the Great Depression, Ellie’s family is forced to leave their home in town and start over in the untamed wilderness of nearby Echo Mountain. Ellie has found a welcome freedom, and a love of the natural world, in her new life on the mountain. A family accident sends Ellie up the mountain in search of the healing secrets of a woman known only as “the hag.” But the hag, and the mountain, still have many untold stories left to reveal.
A Single Shard ~ Book Hearth Guide | $12
For children in grades 4-7, this beautiful adventure story tells of a young potter in Ancient Korea who is determined to become a master potter even if it means going on a dangerous journey. Tree-ear, the young potter, travels to present Min’s work in the hopes of a royal commission but arrives at the royal court with nothing but a single celadon shard.
A Place to Hang the Moon ~ A Book Hearth Guide | $12
For children in grades 4-7, this heartwarming story tells of three siblings, evacuated from London during WWII to live in the countryside, looking for a permanent home and a new meaning for family. They find comfort at the village library ~ a cozy shelter from the harshness of everyday life, filled with favorite stories and the quiet company of a kind librarian.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond ~ Book Hearth Guide | $12
For children in grades 5-8, The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a young adult novel that takes us into the harsh and rule-bound world of Puritan New England in the years immediately preceding the Salem Witch Trials. This story is infused with compelling historical detail and coming-of-age themes, engaging characters, and descriptive scenes of the marshland and rivers of the East Coast.
What's Inside EveryBook Hearth Guide
Each guide is packed with creative, flexible teaching support ~ so you can make the most of every story.
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BOOK HEARTH BRICKS ~ Foundational activities like retelling, writing, or acting out a scene ~ designed to build a family culture of learning through literature.
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THEMES & CONNECTIONS ~ Tie the story into rich academic themes across subjects and age or grade levels.
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4 WEEK SCHEDULE ~ Follow a gentle reading rhythm with creative lesson suggestions weaving in the lively arts.
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BOOK BASKET IDEAS ~ Discover go-along books for multiple ages to deepen the learning and expand the wonder.
Why We Created the Book Hearth Guides
Hi, we’re Jean Miller and Alison Manzer ~ homeschooling moms, educators, and lifelong book lovers.
With close to 50 years of homeschooling between us, we’ve taught every age from preschool to high school, led countless workshops, and mentored hundreds of parents looking to bring more joy and ease into their teaching.
Through it all, one thing has stayed true: Stories are the most powerful way to teach.
We created the Book Hearth Guides to help you use one beautiful book as a container for lessons, creativity, and connection ~ with activities that meet children where they are and make homeschooling feel less scattered.
Whether you’re curled up on the couch, diving into history, or acting out a scene in the living room…these guides help you lead with confidence and teach with heart.
💜 Jean & Alison
What homeschoolers are saying...
“We used a Book Hearth Guide alongside a block on genealogy. Both of my kids (ages 11 and 14) said this was their favorite block of the year! Jean and Alison have many ideas and options for activities to go along with the book as well as detailed reflection questions to use alongside. Choose which activities suit you best. I highly recommend these Book Hearth Guides. They help me to infuse new energy into my lessons.”
Rebecca, homeschooling mother of four
“Open and go! I used these guides both as main lesson blocks and as supplementary material for our read-alouds. I appreciated that I didn’t need to do a ton of preparation. They were especially useful as interim blocks between larger ones in our rotation. We loved learning about the larger contexts surrounding the stories. Try one out at least once!”
Alison, homeschooling mom
“What my children loved most were the simple, sensory surprises that brought the story to life ~ fresh mint, a warm cup of tea, the wonder of a whole artichoke! Heartwood Hotel was the perfect companion to our Human and Animal block. It filled in the missing pieces and gave me the gift of ease and shared joy. These Book Hearth Guides are perfect for any season of the year and for any season of life you’re in. Enough heft and heart to stand alone as a main lesson block, yet also flexible enough to accompany an already-established block.”
A Homeschooling Mom
“My child was delighted at the prospect of fun. She loved choosing the activities she found most enjoyable. During an unexpected overnight hotel stay, she pretended to be the main character from The Heartwood Hotel book ~ exploring with wide-eyed excitement. What could have been a stressful moment turned into a magical adventure. She built a tiny model of the hotel, sketched the animal characters, and brought so much imaginative play into our week. We laughed together and truly enjoyed it. These Book Hearth Guides give me permission to have fun, too. I let go of the (self-imposed) pressure to force learning outcomes and leaned into the joy of creative connection. The guides buoyed me ~ they made our homeschooling time feel light, supported, and joyful. They’re perfect for any homeschooling season, but especially when you need a little lift.”
Rachel, homeschooling mother of one
Make Your Homeschool Days More Meaningful
One Story at a Time
You don’t need a dozen curriculum packages or complicated plans.
Just one story. One guide. One path to learning you’ll all remember.
That’s all it takes to turn ordinary days into something unforgettable.
✨Ready to begin your next chapter together?✨
📚 Bring your lessons to life with a Book Hearth Guide today.