Benefitting from Bibliotherapy In Our Homeschool: Celebrating Black History Month with Moments in Black History that Changed the World
A few years ago, I indulged my kiddo’s love of books and building blocks by helping him create a one-of-a-kind book club, Book N Bricks: A Hands-On Book Club for Kids.
Part passion project and part homeschool learning accommodation for our son’s dysgraphia, this new twist on an old familiar favorite was our family’s fun solution to the traditional book report. Our little book club began as a way to connect with friends and share our love of reading during the pandemic but soon took on a life all its own.
Through the course of a little over a year, our son read voraciously. He learned to think critically about the books he chose to feature each month. We selected the books with great care, wanting to feature stories that would appeal to a diverse body of readers who may read at different levels and come from varying backgrounds.
Beyond the standard ELA lessons of character, plot, and setting, he learned to appreciate diversity in a new way by immersing himself in heartfelt stories with different characters and cultures Book picks included Sugar by Jewell Parker Rhodes, a post-civil-war era historical fiction novel about a young orphaned, spirited recently freed slave girl named Sugar and the trials and triumphs she faced working on the River Road sugar plantation along the banks of the Mississippi River, and A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold, a heartfelt middle-grades novel about an autistic boy named Bixby and how his desire to care for an orphaned skunk kit helped him learn to how connect with and care for others.
He learned about the resilience and endurance that emerges after surviving the heartbreak of loss like the characters who grappled with grief in The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole by Michelle Cuevas. He learned about the struggles of hunger and homelessness, common challenges among the working poor, as we read about the main character Jackson and his family in author Katherine Applegate’s Crenshaw. He learned to love deeply and give generously (The Wild Robot by Peter Brown), to be slow to anger and quick to forgive, (Frankenstein by Mary Shelley), and to choose our words and actions with care as none of us are exempt from the consequences of our choices (The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes) and all are worthy of grace.
More than just words on a page, the characters and their stories came alive and taught our family lessons we continue to learn.
Here are just a few:
- Compassion
- Freedom
- Appreciation for diversity including neurodiversity
- Friendship
- Emotional Intelligence
- The Power of the Bystander
- Acceptance and Tolerance
- Courage in the Face of Fear
- Life Afer Loss
- Generosity
While we have moved on to new homeschool adventures, we cherish the memories and the lessons we learned reading these wonderful books. One of our favorite books was not a novel but rather a nonfiction picture book celebrating heroes of Black History, 28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World by Charles R. Smith and illustrated by Shane W. Evans.
In honor of Black History Month, we decided to take a trip down memory lane and share some of our family’s building block creations from our sister website, It’s Only Homeschooling. While Books N Bricks Book Club is no longer active, the lessons linger.
We hope your family enjoys reading this wonderful book as you celebrate Black History Month in your homeschool. We’d love to have you share your building block creations with us!
What is Bibliotherapy?
If bibliophiles are lovers of books, I’ll bet you can guess what bibliotherapy is!
You nailed it! Using books as a medium to help facilitate the healing process in therapy.
Bibliotherapy is a form of creative arts therapy that uses literature to help you improve your life by providing information, support, and guidance through reading books and stories. Books and other written material can influence human emotions and provide wisdom, emotional connection, insight, and comfort. Bibliotherapy: Definition, Types, Techniques, and Efficacy (verywellmind.com)
How It Works
At HCN, we believe in the benefits of bibliotherapy. Join us monthly in our private Facebook group as we chat with authors here to help support you in your homeschool.
Each month, HCN will choose a reading selection. The book choice will be announced at the beginning of the month in our private Facebook group. Group posts will feature author interviews for the featured month’s reading recommendation.
We hope to encourage healthy discussion and dialogue among members to offer encouragement and support. Members are also encouraged to recommend and discuss various bibliotherapy suggestions.
Author Recommendations
Do you have an author you would like to submit for consideration?
Perhaps YOU are a homeschool parent who is also an author?
Do you have some hard-earned wisdom to share with fellow homeschool parents?
How about teaching tips, personal growth stories, or words of encouragement?
Would you like to be considered as a candidate?
Then reach out and tell me a little bit about yourself!
A copy of your book must be submitted for consideration. Digital format is welcome.
Please note, this is not a book review or critique, but rather an opportunity to share your experience as a homeschool parent with other homeschool families to encourage and inspire.
Email me to submit your book for consideration: [email protected]
Keep In Touch
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Blessings,
Kimberly Bennett, LPC
Founder/CEO, Homeschool Counseling Network Inc.
This website is not a professional counseling website and nothing here should be construed as professional counseling advice. Although Kimberly Bennett, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor, she is not your counselor, and no counselor-client relationship is established unless she has signed an agreement with you. All information provided through this website is for informational and educational purposes only.
