Kathleen Desmarais

I know it’s been awhile since I last posted. But while it’s been quiet here, it’s been crazy everywhere else for Pandia Press. So much to tell…

As you know, I have been on a quest to get more science books written. Well in my zeal, I secured not one, but two science writers! I can’t say enough about these two great ladies. They not only have the background, time, and strong desire to write the courses, they have firsthand experience with homeschooling and the talent to capture your children’s attention and make science fun. The courses that are being produced are exceeding all of my high expectations. These will be far from fluff courses. Serious, core science topics are taught and presented in a way that even the most science-phobic Mom will look like she knows it all! In the works are chemistry, physics, and biology. (Go ahead, dance around the room, I’ll wait.) Awesome isn’t it? That’s all the info I can give right now. No release dates yet but I promise that as soon as I know, you will know. It’s always been a feast or famine situation with REAL Science, and now it appears dinner is served!

In between writer contract negotiations, I have managed to release the first three Pandia Press eBooks. History Odyssey Ancients 1, Ancients 2, and REAL Science Life are now available as eBooks directly from Pandia Press. The history eBooks have been very popular, the science a little slower but it was just added. I am curious to hear customer feedback about how they use their eBooks and which courses are conducive to this format. Next to be released will be Ancients 3 and Earth and Space.

And in between writers and eBooks, I have stolen a minute or two to work on Modern Times 2. I love this time period! The amount of information for good writing assignments is overwhelming. My challenge has been to limit the course to being only a year long and it not taking the rest of your child’s life to complete! I have decided to add a year-long assignment to the course–writing a research paper. This will be a big assignment but there are plenty of instructions, reminders, and help along the way. I want 8th graders to be able to have these writing skills under their belts in preparation for thesis papers in high school and college. I think this course will provide that in a way that is nonthreatening and hopefully enjoyable. I am working my way through Around the World in Eighty Days. This classic by Jules Verne will provide a great overview of Modern Times and world geography. Students will follow along with Phileas Fogg and Passeportout as they circumnavigate the globe by train, boat, and even elephant! What a fun way to learn about different cultures and geography.

I’ll spare you all the personal drama and home-life updates. But they have been happening too. I love my crazy life! It is an honor to be able to provide home school materials to the most fabulous families on the planet and to be able to stay at home with my own fabulous family. “I would stand in line for this!” –Kathleen