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BLACK CULTURE, HOMESCHOOLING, TRAVEL (AND OTHER THINGS FROM MY SWEET, IMPERFECT LIFE)
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I’m Amber
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My name is Amber O’Neal Johnston, and I started this website to document and discuss the joys and trials of raising my kids to love themselves and others.
The Latest Posts
When Your Kids Don’t Seem to Enjoy Anything You Try in Your Homeschool
One of the most frustrating feelings as a homeschool parent is pouring your heart into creating lessons and experiences for your children, only to...
Wokeness, Distractions, and Racism, or Why I Do This Work
When I create and share, my focus is unwavering: it’s all about our kids. Period. Every word I write, every resource I craft, and every conversation...
How I Balance Homeschooling, Work, and Life
How do you do it all? This is one of the most common questions I’m asked. Running a business, leading a nonprofit homeschool group, and writing...
Black History Lesson Plans: A Year-Round Journey
Every year, I share my family’s Black history book selections as a resource for the homeschooling and classroom communities, and the response has...
Frederick Douglass on Chinese Immigration: The Composite Nation Speech
This guest post was written by Essie Wu from Resilient Panda. When my husband and I started to learn about Chinese American history, we never...
The Missing Stories in Black YA Literature
As I was selecting and organizing the book titles for Soul School, I was moving along smoothly—until I reached the high school selections. Suddenly,...
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Homeschool Coaching: Tailored Guidance for Every Stage of Learning
Homeschooling is an incredible journey, but it’s no secret that it can feel overwhelming at times. Whether you’re just starting out, looking to make...
Why Mama Culture Matters
In the hustle and bustle of motherhood, where days often blur into a cycle of tasks, responsibilities, and care for others, it’s easy for mothers to...
Our Back-to-School Getaway
As summer draws to a close and we prepare to dive into a more structured homeschooling season, our annual camping trip has always been our family’s...
Building a Reading List Using a Bibliography
When I connected with Melinda Borda, a fellow homeschooling mom who shares insightful book reviews on Instagram, I was thrilled to learn that she...
Announcing Soul School: Preorder Now for Exclusive Bonuses!
Today, I'm thrilled to give you a sneak peek of my latest book, SOUL SCHOOL: Taking Kids On a Joy-Filled Journey Through the Heart of Black American...
Pierce Freelon: Artist. Author. Dad.
When I think of whose work I want my children to swim in, Pierce Freelon always comes to mind. He's a GRAMMY® nominated artist, picture book author,...
One Big Open Sky: Black Homesteaders
Without hesitation, I'm boldly proclaiming the novel-in-verse One Big Open Sky as one of my top picks for 2024. In this captivating story,...
Picture Books of Black Musicians
Nearly every genre of American music has been influenced by or has roots in African American music, and these picture books of Black musicians will...
Viva Durant and the Mystery at the Masquerade Ball
Viva Durant is an ordinary teenager who becomes an amateur detective while visiting her grandmother in New Orleans. In the series opener, she...
Warrior on the Mound: A Pitch-Perfect Book Celebrating Negro Leagues Baseball
I'm excited to share Warrior on the Mound, a brand-new middle-grade novel! Today is just a regular day for most, but for the mom of a baseball fan,...
Children’s Books About Black Artists
A few years ago, I shared 17 Picture Books Featuring Black Artists, which are still some of my favorite children's books about Black artists. Since...
Library Book Sale Haul
I need more books like I need a hole in my head, yet... I continue to purchase them. Part of my excuse is that I'm homeschooling four children, and...
Black Verse Novels for Young People
I adore poetry, and in recent years, I've clung to Black verse novels for myself, my children, and the kiddos in my book club. Narrative poetry is...
HBCU Made: A Celebration of the Black College Experience
Attending an HBCU changed my life, and the new book HBCU Made: A Celebration of the Black College Experience reminded me of how profound the...
Why Race Matters in Children’s Literature
If I had a dollar for every time someone tells me that race shouldn’t matter when it comes to choosing children’s books, I’d be writing this post...
Historic Home Field Trips: Frederick Douglass’ Cedar Hill
I love taking historic home field trips with my family. Scroll to the end to check out the article I wrote for Simple Homeschool to learn more about...