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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
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...
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Finding Good Books on Biblioguides
People often ask me where I find the books that I read with my kids, and the best answer is "here, there, and everywhere," but I do have a few...
Juneteenth Books for Kids
I'm totally pumped about Juneteenth National Independence Day because our favorite community event is back in person after two years of virtual...
A Place to Belong is Here!
I'm so excited to announce that my book, A PLACE TO BELONG, has officially launched! Many thanks to all of you who preordered, those who have...
Join My Book Launch Team!
I’ve got some exciting news: It’s almost time for my first book to be published! It’s called A Place to Belong: Celebrating Diversity and Kinship in...
Middle Grade Books: Black Boys and Everyday Life
I've been promising this booklist for longer than I care to admit. As soon as I shared 20 Middle Grade Books: Black Girls Living Life, I started...
Is It Ever Okay to Read Twaddle?
In a recent interview, I shared my thoughts about the use of twaddle in a Charlotte Mason home (or any home, for that matter). I've linked to the...
1800s Black History Books
My family will be studying the 19th century in the fall, and I’m excited to share my 1800s Black history books on enslavement, the Civil War, and...
My Charlotte Mason Homeschool Schedule
A while back, I wrote about Scheduling My Charlotte Mason Homeschool Day, and much of what I shared then still applies. We tweak things each term...
Our Morning Time Booklist
Morning time can mean many things to different people, but one aspect that I find consistent is that it's an important and well-loved time of day in...
Diversity in a Charlotte Mason Education
Some people feel that a Charlotte Mason education lacks diversity, and I understand where that idea is coming from. There are those who feel that...
African American Historical Fiction: Stories of the 1800s
Of all the elements of our Black history studies, African American historical fiction is a runaway favorite for my children (and for me too!). These...
Black History Books: Nonfiction Covering the 1800s
These nonfiction Black history books covering the 1800s are part of our broader history plans for the time period. The selections shared below cover...
African American Biographies: Life in the 1800s
These African American biographies covering the lives of people from the 1800s are part of a series of posts on this time period. In my book, A...
Paul Laurence Dunbar Poetry Study
Paul Laurence Dunbar (June 27, 1872 – February 9, 1906) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer of the late 19th and early 20th...
Picture Books About Slavery and Freedom
I’ll be reading these picture books about slavery and freedom aloud to all of my children during our family morning time next school year, right...
Middle Grade Leisure Reading: An Insider’s View
I'm often asked about what my kids like to read in their free time, and it's always a bit difficult to say because each child prefers different...