A book review The Brainy Bunch: The Harding Family’s Method to College Ready by Age Twelve by Kip and Mona Lisa Harding
Stars: ****
Gallery Books (2020)
Memoir>Homeschooling
248 pages
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Summary: Having six out of ten kids go to college is no small feat on its own, but having six kids in college before their teens—that’s nothing short of incredible. “Never judgmental and not without humor,” this “fascinating read” (Library Journal) is Kip and Mona Lisa Harding’s story of producing exactly those extraordinary results. Kip and Mona Lisa are parents to an engineer (who earned her BS in mathematics at seventeen), an architect (who became the youngest member of the American Institute of Architects), a Navy physician (who earned her biology degree at seventeen), an entrepreneur (who earned an MS in computer science at seventeen), a sixteen-year-old college senior studying music theory and performance, a thirteen-year-old Middle Ages scholar with the highest average in his college class, and four others who are following fast in their siblings’ footsteps! No wonder the family is so used to being asked: How did you do it?
In an “impressive” (Publishers Weekly), down-to-earth narrative, Kip and Mona Lisa reveal with warmth and humility the strategies behind their family’s amazing educational accomplishments. Filled with daily regimens, advice for providing children with fulfilling experiences that go beyond the home, and tips for making the transition to college, theirs is an inspirational real-life success story that anyone can achieve—whether you homeschool your children or not.
Featured on the Today show and FOX, The Brainy Bunch is uplifting and ultimately relatable proof of what any family can accomplish through dedication, love, faith, and hard work.
The Brainy Brunch
I picked up this book from the library because I was so shocked by the idea of college by twelve. I just had to read it. I feel like although college by twelve is not my personal goal with my homeschooled kids, I learned some things. I was worried that colleges wouldn’t accept my homeschooled kids as well as my public schooled kids. I know that every province/territory/state/country is different but if twelve year olds can be accepted into college with a homemade transcript, so can my kids.
If you do feel like this option is for you after reading some of their book, they include the how to. If you decide it’s not for you, it’s still an interesting read. Quotes from the kids are included and the authors include ideas for encouraging your children to find what they are drawn to and/or good at and run with it.
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