Pajama School – stories from the life of a homeschool graduate

By Natalie Wickham
Sibro Publishing, $14.99, 334 pages

Parents choose to homeschool for a variety of reasons and through a variety of means. In Pajama School – stories from the life of a homeschool graduate, Natalie Wickham makes clear her family’s motivation: “Homeschooling often results in a higher quality education, less exposure to negative influences, and a better-rounded social upbringing, but none of those are our primary motivation. Ultimately, my parents homeschool because they want us to fear God and keep His commandments.”  Furthermore, Wickham writes, “Mom and Dad didn’t dictate every detail of our education, or initiate every opportunity that we experienced. Instead, they sought the Lord for guidance day-by-day and encouraged us to do the same.”

Through her stories, Wickham provides details of some of her educational experiences. For example, she learned about the political process from volunteering, homemaking from her mother’s example, money sense from her father’s instruction, and how to multi-task from her time as a waitress. However, Pajama School primarily relates Wickham’s meandering experiences of conferences and activities where she sought Christ’s direction in her life by reading the Bible. For fundamentalist Christian homeschoolers interested in something akin to un-schooling, Pajama School will provide a valuable guide and source of comfort.

Reviewed by Annie Peters