The Old Schoolhouse, Summer 2004
The following is a review done on behalf of Mind & Media. The copy of the book magazine I reviewed was donated by the publisher, through Mind & Media for the purpose of this review.
Good to their word, the people at The Old Schoolhouse sent last years back issues to my wife. (...instead of me since I'm such a grouch, remember) We both read through the first one, I'm including Linda's review below.
First of all the magazine has a very polished and professional look. Glossy, four-color printing. Professional layout. They did a really nice job. There are a lot of articles. Much more than I expected. While the ad to article page ratio leans a bit more to the ad side than the average news magazine, it leans more to the article side than your typical women's magazine, and of course much more to the article side than what you'd find in most computer magazines.
The writing in the articles lacks that gripping quality that you'd find in most national magazines, but on the other hand the content of the articles more than makes up for it. Some professional writers have learned that writing skills can often replace real content. The Old Schoolhouse definitely hasn't made that mistake. In fact, it's really a good thing that the magazine is quarterly rather than monthly, because it gives the reader more time to read, study and absorb the wealth of information being delivered. It was refreshing to read articles that focused on useful content rather than making you think it said something, when it really didn't.
By now, if you've read any of my other reviews, you'll know I'm not overly lavish with praise for those that haven't earned it. At $39 for a two-year subscription (roughly $5 an issue ) I'd say it's more than worth it. I called the publishers and found out that back issues can also be ordered, but they don't currently have a way of doing it online. You can order back issues by calling 1-888-718-HOME or 530-889-1698. If you do order by phone, mention my blog. I won't get anything from it other than to let them know that some times grouches can be a more reliable source. ...and no, I forgot to ask how much copies of back issues cost, and by the time I remembered their office had closed.
Linda's Review
Just recently Danny and I were sent a magazine called The Old Schoolhouse. It's for homeschoolers. We were asked to critique it. It's a glossy thick magazine. It has a variety of writers from all over America who write the articles. It also is busy with many advertisements selling resources that homeschoolers can really use. The magazine is packed full from cover to cover with a wide variety of information. This magazine is a good one for the coffee table or where it is easily available because one read can't cover everything.
We were sent four magazine. So far I've only had the opportunity to go through one. It was the Summer 2004 edition. An important subject to me that I saw discussed throughout the magazine is morality. A major topic which is mostly left out in the public school setting. This magazine offers support, inspiration and encouragement to help parents do better in their teaching.
I enjoyed the article about Ronald Reagan. There was also a wide range of pictures from his life and good quotes. I also liked other articles about Judge Roy Moore and Laura Ingalls. Since my husband has read the series of "Little House" books to our family it was great to see a real picture of the Ingalls family.
When I went through the magazine Ginny, my seven year old, looked at it with me. We liked the drawing contest in the back. This magazine can also be used with your homeschoolers and you can teach them about history from looking at the articles with them.
This magazine is the type of magazine you don't want to get rid of even after you've read it because the articles give good information. If you have an interest in knowing more about this magazine they have a website: www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com.
Partially cross posted at: Linda's Thoughts
Posted by Danny Carlton at July 9, 2005 05:42 PM