One of the most talked-about and controversial new ebooks to hit mobile screens this year was officially released on Thursday. And parents across the globe are flocking to the title in response to the uproar that followed its publication and subsequent mobile-focused marketing campaign.
“Homeschooling without Harm” is being hailed as a first-of-its-kind work from celebrated author Michael Kenmore. In the book, the practice of homeschooling is “candidly, fairly, and intelligently assessed and debated from a veteran homeschooled student’s perspective.”
So far, the eBook in question is earning copious amounts of praise for not picking sides in the homeschooling debate and providing exactly what is promised — a balanced argument for and against homeschooling as a means to help parents on an individual basis decide is homeschooling is the right or wrong choice for their children.
The author, who was homeschooled from first through twelfth grade, is now a married, thirty-five year old father of three and a successful businessman. But despite his credentials in writing on the subject matter at hand, Kenmore is taking heat for suggesting that homeschooling, when not handled appropriately by ill-prepared parents, is tantamount to child abuse.
“I wanted to provide an insider perspective on homeschooling – not to be a cheerleader or protestor of the practice, just an advocate for the truth,” writes Kenmore. “Most books written on the subject are extreme. They either wholly embrace or flatly reject homeschooling. And I believe there is a middle ground. Homeschooling can be a beautiful, rewarding, and positive experience. And that’s saying a lot coming from someone who thoroughly loathed being homeschooled. I believe there are appropriate situations in which homeschooling makes senses and benefits both children and parents.”
Thousands of books that teach parents how to homeschool already exist, the book’s marketing materials read. This isn’t about curriculum and standards. It’s about something far more important — the right and wrong reasons to homeschool. For today’s parents, “this critical evaluation must come first,” the eBook’s Amazon page reads.
“You’ve likely seen the miraculous wonders of homeschooling. You probably haven’t seen the horrors,” the page concludes. “This experienced, comprehensive, but brief and easily digestible guide may ultimately play a key role in determining whether your child will be helped or harmed by one of the most important and consequential decisions you are likely ever going to make as a parent.”
“Homeschooling without Harm: A Homeschooling Primer from a Homeschooler’s Perspective” is available now on Amazon for $4.99. Get it here.
