I discovered Sonlight 16 years ago and boy, am I glad I did! The high interest level of Sonlight books have given my active boys (and my more tranquil daughter) the opportunity to hear and learn from great books even if they couldn't sit still very long. Even in high school, we choose some books to read aloud because we enjoy books together and it has become part of our DNA. Although this photo is staged, 17-year-old Nathaniel really can maneuver a soccer ball while he reads or listens to Christie read. He is studying Core 300 and British Literature in his twelfth and final year of Sonlight. His three older siblings all used Sonlight from 6th grade through high school, graduated college, and are now working.  

Sonlight has been a life-changing curriculum for our family. Five of our children have graduated and our younger children are fortunate to have older siblings who can relate and fellowship over the books they're using. They have a bond through Sonlight books that will last when their families someday visit each other. My 22-year-old daughter recently said, 'Mom, make sure the kids take care of those [books], I want them for my kids one day.' What powerful words; I've never heard any of my children say that about the dry, daunting texts we previously used! Isaiah's (9, Core D+E) interest in and knowledge of railroads broadened immensely through The Landmark History of the American People.

"Learning through literature enables my kids to feel like they know the characters and to gain a deeper understanding of the past and the world around them. We considered going back to a textbook approach for high school, but after one tedious chapter in a history book, we were reminded what a difference Sonlight makes. My younger kids could answer the test questions better than my high schooler who read the textbook because they'd been reading about the same period in The Story of the World. Making history come alive is a much better way to learn!" In their family's ninth year of Sonlight, Anna (11, Level 100) and Ellie (8, Level D) are eager to open their Box Day treasure.– Bethany N of Yorktown, TX