Happy Birthday Build Your Library!
August 1, 2024
On August 22, 2012, we set up the BuildYourLibrary.com website and Facebook.com/BYLibrary page and made Levels 1 and Level 5 available for purchase to the public. Way back 12 years ago, when you placed an order, I had to personally check my inbox, write an e-mail, attach the PDF file as an attachment, and manually click send. Our current automated system is so much better now. There is no way I’d keep up if I still did them by hand today!
I’d had the idea to design secular literature-based lesson plans for a while. It had been brewing in the back of my head for about a year and a half prior. I had no idea if anyone would buy it or if they did if they’d like it. But I knew in my heart that it was something the homeschool world needed. So, I put myself out there and went for it.
I spent the majority of our homeschooling years adjusting lesson plans to fit our family anyway—we all do it. I was so frustrated that everything I found that might fit what I was looking for was completely saturated with religion. Why hadn’t anyone written something secular? So I did. Isn’t that how we homeschool moms roll? We see a need, and we fill it the best we can.
With the debut of Level 1 and Level 5 in 2012, I adopted the wildly ambitious schedule of having the next year ready when customers need their following level. So I had to have Levels 2 and Level 6 ready by 2013 (and somehow Level 0 (K) snuck in that year also). Then I had to have Level 3 and Level 7 done in 2014, to be followed without pause, getting Level 4 and Level 8 done in 2015. Somehow this was all accomplished in the midst of homeschooling my own four children.
At this point in late 2015, full-year lesson plans were complete for Levels 0-8. We seriously contemplated stopping there. You are on your own for high school! Just kidding! After many inquiries as to whether we were going to offer a high school curriculum, work continued, and 2016 saw the completion of Level 9, Level 10 in 2017, Level 11 in 2018, and, Level 12 in 2019.
Just writing all of that out and seeing it in black and white, I have no idea how that was all accomplished. Well, I know how, but it just seems unreal. especially when you throw 14 unit studies and other projects, like Family Reading Crates and the Read Aloud Book Club!
It sounds so cliche to say it’s truly been a labor of love. But honestly, besides homeschooling my own children, this is the best thing I’ve done. Over the last twelve years, I’ve read hundreds of books, searching for the best of the best, I’ve written thousands of pages of lesson plans, I’ve written a book, created a massive database for history and historical fiction books at History Book by Book and started an Online Used Bookstore. And I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve gotten to talk to so many wonderful homeschooling parents, and I’ve gotten to travel, speak, and create a community. I never could have dreamed that my little endeavor 12 years ago would grow into something so wonderful.
I couldn’t have done any of this without all of you! You are the best cheerleaders, the most amazing customers and dearest friends. Thank you for sticking with me over these past twelve years! I can’t wait to see what the next 12 will bring.
What’s on the horizon for Build Your Library? I’m nearly done with this round of updates! I am always replacing books, but major updates are almost finished. We also have a slew of new unit study ideas bouncing around that I’d love to finally get to! There’s a giant stack of potential Lit Bites I need to read. I have been working on a fun secret project I’m nearly ready to unveil. So there is always something going on, and you know we will let you know more as soon as we can.
Again, Thank you all!
Emily Cook is the author and creator of the secular homeschool curriculum Build Your Library, a literature-based K-12 program infused with the teachings of Charlotte Mason. She writes full year lesson plans as well as shorter topical unit studies. Emily has been homeschooling her four children in Southern NH for 21 years. She is passionate about reading aloud to children of all ages and loves to share her love of literature with others. She and her family also makes incredibly dorky videos about homeschooling, books and more on Youtube at ARRRGH! Schooling. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. You can also check out her author page on Amazon.
