Deciding on a method of education for a child can sometimes feel as frustrating as blindly throwing darts at a wall. While the decision of how to educate your child is one that should be pondered, discussed and researched, it can quickly become overwhelming.There’s so much you want to know–need to know– yet you’re unsure of where to get this information. Do you trust the meddling family member who swears your homeschooled child will be ruined for life? How about the neighbors down the street who homeschool? Should you believe that everything is always peaches and cream?

No. You need to learn for yourself and there’s no better place than the world of books. Here’s a list to help you get started on your journey.

Homeschooling for Excellence by David Colfax: Wondering if it is possible to homeschool your children to the Ivy League? David and Micki Colfax did just that with their three sons. The Colfaxes detail how they started homeschooling and show how their children were able to go from their California ranch all the way to Harvard. An interesting look at homeschool by a family who is out of the trenches.

Homeschoolers Success Stories by Linda Dobson: Want to feel inspired? Homeschoolers Success Stories will make you feel as if anything is possible. What’s great about this book is that success is measured in the homeschoolers growing up to do what they love.

The Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace Llewellyn: This isn’t a book for Mom and Dad…it’s a book for the kids! It can be really hard to be a teeanger…now imagine going against everything you’ve known (school) and deciding to homeschool. Sound scary? It doesn’t need to be. This handbook is a bit tongue in cheek at the beginning (throw darts at a picture of your school, if needed!) but offers good advice on how to give yourself a real education during the teen years.

Teach Your Own by John Holt: You can’t write about homeschooling books without mentioning John Holt. Holt, often considered the “grandfather” of homeschooling, writes about how you can teach your own child at home without setting up a mini-school.

The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise: You won’t get far in homeschooling without hearing about Classical Education. This extensive book covers how to classically homeschool your child from Kindergarten through High School. With so many books about unschooling out there, this book is an interesting (and detailed) book on the method many homeschoolers use.

Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp: Often considered the “go-to” book when one has questions about how to do curriculum– cursive in first or second, when do you start algebra– Home Learning Year by Year is an invaluable book to keep on your shelf. It helps make sense of all the different topics you could cover, without overwhelming you.

The Well-Adjusted Child by Rachel Gathercole: This is the question that comes up more than anything else…what about “socialization?” (What about it, really?) Gathercole, a mother of three who homeschooled her children for ten years, helps dispel many of the myths about homeschooled children and social issues.

Radical Unschooling by Dayna Martin: When it comes to homeschooling, there’s about as many different ways to do it as there are homeschoolers. Radical Unschooling is about as far as one can get from “school at home;” this gives an insightful look into this parenting and educational philosophy that one might not otherwise have.

College Without High School by Blake Boles: So sure, you’re wanting to homeschool…but what about high school or college? Can a child really get to college? This inspiring book by Boles, who previously spoke with Everyday Learning, says “yes!”  A great look on finding your passion and using it to get to the school of your choice, with interviews and examples of real kids who did make it to college without spending four years in a high school.

(Photo courtesy of Juhansonin at Flickr! Thanks!)