The Teenage Liberation Handbook, by Grace Llewellyn

glyph 137: book, Grace Llewellyn, education, unschooling, deschooling, homeschooling ... self-motivated learning, independent learning, personal initiative ... how to begin a life in pursuit of what's important ... personal responsibility ... glorious generalists, explorers

The Teenage Liberation Handbook, by Grace Llewellyn

How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education

http://www.lowryhousepublishers.com/TeenageLiberationHandbook.htm

Written by a former English teacher, this personable, irreverent, practical, inspiring, funny, and information-packed cult classic is the only complete guide to homeschooling for teenagers. It covers everything from why to consider self-directed education, to convincing parents that quitting school is a marvelous idea, to "getting a social life without proms," to designing a "tailor-made educational extravaganza" (curriculum), to finding mentors, apprenticeships, and meaningful volunteer positions. Vivid examples from the lives of dozens of unschooled teenagers illustrate the author's suggestions. Fans of the Handbook include not only teenagers but many college students, parents, teachers, and school counselors.

"This is a very dangerous book. It contradicts all the conventional wisdom about dropouts and the importance of a formal education. It is funny and inspiring. Do not, under any circumstances, share this book with a bright, frustrated high-schooler being ground into mind fudge by the school system. This writer cannot be responsible for the happiness and sense of personal responsibility that might [result]." —Pat Wagner, Bloomsbury Review

good reasons to think about quitting school
how to reclaim your natural ability to learn and teach yourself.
how to get your parents' support, keep your friends, and stay out of legal trouble.
how to design a personalized education you can get excited about.
how to go to college without going to high school.
how to find volunteer positions, apprenticeships, and other work opportunities.
how other unschooled teenagers live and learn.

Review at Amazon, by Jodi Mailander Farrell

ISBN 0-9629591-7-0, $20, 448 pages, 6"x9" paperback, 1998

In Education of a Wandering Man, Lois L'Amour, said, "I quit school when I was 15 because it was interfering with my education." L'Amour is an excellent example of someone who sought and found his own education, and his book contains good advice for the young person and parent considering such a path.

Grace Llewellyn's links to homeschooling/unschooling resources
http://www.gracellewellyn.com/links.htm

Grace Llewellyn's home page
http://www.gracellewellyn.com

Review of and quotation from the book, Steve Alexander, 29 August 2007

I am reading The Teenage Liberation Handbook, by Grace Llewellyn. Chapter 20 is entitled "The Glorious Generalst."

She says, "He starts with faith that the universe has meaning. This faith comes in two varieties — he can trust that a God, or an otherwise entitled Ultimate Reality, exists and created all this or guided it into place. Or, he can trust himself and other humans enough to believe that he can make sense of it all, that even if there is no actual collaboration between the pattern of a spider's web and the lyrics to that Led Zeppelin song, he can still weave it together in his mind so that it has harmony and order, like a stained glass window in a French cathedral."

The book is supposedly written for teenagers who want to drop out of school (she's for it), and it covers a lot more territory. I recommend it for any Glorious Generalist.

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entered before July 9, 2006; edited/updated December 16, 2009