Karen Andreola's Pocketful of Pinecones: Nature Study with the Gentle Art of Learning: A Story for Motherculture

This book is what I would call "gentle encouragement for the homeschooling mother." The book presents the philosophy of Charlotte Mason in the form of a story. The story is of Carol, a stay at home wife/mother/homeschooler in the 1930's. Through the writings of Carol in her diary we follow she and her family during their first year of home education. This book also encorporates the topic of nature study Charlotte Mason style. I found this book to be of gentle encouragment as our family travels the road of home education together.

I really enjoyed this book. It is written as a diary by the main character Carol. Based on Charlotte Mason's teachings, the book gives an idea of how to study nature in the most natural way, whether you live in the city or country. Nature study can be turned into a science and art lesson, and even a writing lesson if you keep a nature journal. At first the book was a little boring, but as I read on I just hated to put it down. As a mother of 5, I appreciate that the book is broken down into short chapters so I can snatch a few minutes here and there to read. This book is unique. It may be a bit far fetched as to how perfectly wonderful the people seem, but honestly that's the reason I read books like this. I enjoy being "taken away" from the stress of everyday life and into another time and place. What inspired me most about this book is that I was reminded to slow down, enjoy exploring nature with my children, and even turn it into a learning experience for all of us. In this day and age of fast-paced high-tech living, I think everyone would benefit from a reminder like this to "stop and smell (and even draw!) the flowers". Highly recommended.

I just thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I so appreciate Karen Andreola's short chapters for those of us who can barely get through a paragraph uninterrupted. I would read a tiny section here and there and before I knew it I had read the whole book.I had been thinking about beginning nature journals with my young children, and Pocketful of Pinecones gave this city-girl a realistic and do-able approach for getting started! I am excited about seeing God's creation in more detail. I will keep this book handy for inspiration once we start our journey.

I waited six months to get this book through interlibrary loan because I couldn't tell from the description whether it would be something I'd want to own. I read the book straight through and I am now going to buy it so that I can refer back to it.As a child, I got much more excited about a new subject if I read fiction about a character who was excited about it than if I only read nonfiction on the topic. Reading this book got me engaged in the idea of doing nature study and adjusting my view of homeschooling in a way that the three or four "straight" books on Charlotte Mason education I've read haven't done.I would recommend this for any homeschooler, whether he/she is interested in the Charlotte Mason approach or not, who is interested in incorporating more nature study into his/her children's education--or for any homeschooler who is feeling burned out and in need of a fresh perspective.

With some books reading is a chore. I abhor the clutter of unnecessary words, repetitive phrases and even paragraphs that waste my time and only distract from an important message. Too many words in too many works, both old and new, seem to have been written just to fill the page, - and perhaps the pocketbook. Pocketful of Pinecones was easy to read, and a pleasure to read. It is the fictional account of Carol, a mother living in the 1930s, and using Charlotte Mason's methods, particularly her nature study methods. Yet, the book is based on Karen Andreola's experiences with her own children. It is a book that you will continue to pick up until you have reached the last pages telling of the Andreola's life in Maine. I enjoyed the book, and felt i got to know Karen a little better. She is an extremely soft spoken person and this gentleness is evident in Pinecones. The temptations are there, but Carol thinks before speaking so as not to be harsh to her family. In all our educating we should remember as Carol-Karen tells us, "...that not all of what they will learn about God's creation will conveniently fit into my lessons. My students have a lifetime ahead of them in which to observe and discover - to become self educated in their leisure, so to speak. My job is to allow their feet to walk the paths of wonder, to see that they form relations to various things, so that when the habit is formed, they will carry an appreciation for nature with them throughout their lives."As a lover of nature and nature's God, as well as inclined to sketching, Pocketful of Pinecones was a delightful read. I laughed and I cried. I sang hymns. It is inspiring and not just toward nature study. It encourages toward more gentle motherhood and even to humility before our husbands. It inspires God-ward with the many hymn lyrics and the lifestyle portrayed. "My devotions gave the day its energy... It is proof that I remember Him, depend on His mercy, which is so thankfully new every morning. It is evidence that I trust Him. It is because my days are so busy that I have kept myself from the God-can-wait syndrome. I need my heavenly Father and so I seek Him early. Prayers are the wings of the soul. They bear the Christian far from earth, out of its cares, its woes and its perplexities, into glorious serenity. It is the first God-ward step that the soul takes."...Pinecones would be an especially appropriate gift for a new mother, a young mother or someone contemplating homeschooling. It gives a gentle introduction to easy methods by way of the example set forth in the story line. It was written for the busy mother, yet I can envision a mother reading it to her children as well.There are some atypical words for the 30s and even the fact that the family is homeschooling in the United States seems quite unusual for that time period. Karen has included recommended resources and excerpts from Charlotte Mason's book, Home Education.