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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
NEW! A Place to Belong Paperbook
I'm thrilled to announce that A Place to Belong is now out in paperback with a gorgeous new cover! The new edition is lighter-weight and more...
Delighting in the Days by Wild+Free
I'm excited to be featured in Delighting in the Days, a new 132-page book of some of Wild+Free's best articles on childhood over the past few years....
Books & Things: Agreeing to Disagree
I’ve made a point not to disparage curricula, books, services, or products that fellow homeschool moms have created for this community. In fact,...
Including #OwnVoices Books
Q: Amber, how do you feel about books featuring Black characters or people written by non-Black authors? My answer: Writer Corinne Duyvis...
7 Benefits of Launching a Kids’ Book Club
When I launched Heritage Book Club nearly seven years ago, I had no idea that it would grow to be such an incredible blessing to my family and...
Stories From Modern Day Africa
For world history and geography studies, I like for my kids to read plenty of stories from modern-day Africa. I've shared picture books and chapter...
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Hymn Study in a Charlotte Mason Home
One of the hesitations I've heard from some moms who are considering a Charlotte Mason education is the sheer number of subjects being covered. They...
African American Christmas Books We Love
I am not sure whether to break out in a version of "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things" or "Deck the Halls" because this list is both: all of our...
Charlotte Mason Handicrafts: Clay Modeling
I had (most of) the equipment ready to go for clay modeling last Friday. Admittedly, I had to google "armature" and decided we were going to be...
Setting the Spark: Podcast Interview
I recently had so much fun speaking to a couple of homeschool mamas from my own neck of the woods. I chatted Lorien Magnus and Destiny Kosarick, the...
Book Club Notes: Ansley’s Big Bake Off
Our local homeschool support group has read a variety of books over the years, and we're always on the hunt for something fun and interesting to...
How I Teach My Kids to Read
One of the questions I often get from new homeschooling moms is, "How did you teach your children to read?" On one hand, I love answering this...
Multicultural Holiday Gift Guide: Diverse Book-inspired Gift Ideas For Children
In the midst of the holiday frenzy, I work hard to keep our home environment peaceful and focused on the "reason for the season." Rather than shun...
Charlotte Mason Poetry Series
Over the past few months, I've taken a deep dive into poetry study and its application in our homeschool. Fortunately, Charlotte Mason researcher,...
Homeschooling Outside the Box Podcast: The Importance of Heritage
My daughter advocated for herself when she wasn’t getting what she needed, and she taught me that what may look like “acting out” could just be...
Charlotte Mason for All Podcast: Parallel Narratives
“Charlotte Mason for All” is not only the name of a new podcast. It’s a rallying cry! In fact, the concept of Charlotte Mason for...
Modern Miss Mason Podcast: “Where Charlotte Mason Wears an Afro” Interview
What price will I pay if I choose to be vulnerable? That question has threatened me into silence so many times. But then I’m prompted to push...
The Charlotte Mason Show Podcast – Heritage Matters: How to Incorporate Heritage into Your Own Homeschool Journey
My journey to a culturally-rich homeschooling environment started with a single question: Was I more committed to my ideals or to the little girl...
African American Poetry Books for Children: Selections from Black Poets for Poetry Teatime and Charlotte Mason Poetry Study
Poetry holds a special place in my heart. Admittedly, I was a reluctant lover of verse, but my personal path to poetry has mirrored my entire...
Gladiola Garden: My Most Cherished Volume of Children’s Poetry
When I began to introduce my children to poetry as a daily practice within our homeschool, I was struck by the homogeneity of the sweet images...
Book Club Notes: Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson
Our local homeschool support group runs five age-based book club meetings each month (teens meet weekly), and I lead the Juniors which roughly...
Tween Devotionals and Fun Novels I Can Trust
When my girls were younger, I read everything to them. As they became independent readers, I handed books over for them to read on their own, but...