January 2026 Monthly Newsletter

January 1, 2026

The following post will be a blog archive copy of Build Your Library’s January 2026 Monthly Newsletter. If you missed the email, subscribe to our mailing list here. [Scheduled to be sent by 1/1/26 8:30 AM EST]

[January 1, 2026 ] – Welcome to this month’s Video Newsletter!

If you subscribed, you should have gotten our regular monthly e-mail newsletter in your inbox. However, you can now watch the video highlights and read the full details below, or view the BYL January 2026 Video Newsletter on Facebook.

Hey everybody, it’s Emily from Build Your Library! If you are going to skim the beginning, here are the main topics in this month’s newsletter:

Now that I have your attention, I have the details on those items and more.

Monthly Newsletter

“January is the month for dreaming” ― Jean Hersey

“In January it’s so nice while slipping on the sliding ice to sip hot chicken soup with rice. Sipping once Sipping twice” ― Maurice Sendak

Happy New Year! Can you believe 2025 finally ended? It’s a brand new year with no mistakes in it yet! I wish everyone a very relaxing, stress-free 2026!

For the newsletter, we have some new information to share and some recurring monthly reminders!

2026 Build Your Library Outlook

Thank you so much for another amazing year at Build Your Library! In 2025 we launched new products and finished all of our full year updates! It’s been a whirlwind year and I’m so thankful for all of you for sticking with us! We hope for a great new year in 2026!

We’re hoping to see you at a few homeschool conferences again this year. We’ll be in Maine for the Great State of Maine Homeschool Conference in May, and later in the summer we’ll be in VA for the VA Homeschoolers Unconvention again!

I also opened a “Monster Squad” membership on my Arrrgh Schooling YouTube channel. If you enjoy my content on YouTube, you might consider joining! You’ll get early access to all my videos and exclusive member-only content! I have a Monster Squad Discord chat group where we’ll have a members-only book hangout and bi-monthly movie nights! You will get to vote on and control some of my content and get access to a cute monster badge and emojis! It’s going to be a fun time!

Build Your Library Updates and New Products

To answer when the next level update will be ready, we have compiled our projected schedule into a post for easy reference. We will periodically update this section when we make progress or have any changes to our tentative schedule.

Now that it’s January, I’m back to business and getting projects rolling. Currently, I am working on a unit study on how to spot propaganda for middle school-aged students. I have another Morbid Curiosities unit in the works (aiming for an early 2026 release!), I have a giant stack of Lit Bite potentials to work through, and of course, another Self-Ed course in the works…You can learn all about what I have in the works in my recent YouTube Video!

It’s here! Our newest unit – Self-Education World Cultures, Part 2 just dropped!

Because parent culture is such an important part of the Charlotte Mason philosophy, and I wholeheartedly believe in continuing our own educations outside of school, I have created Self-Education units that you can use to guide you through a topic of study.

In each of our Self-Education units, you will have a bite-sized way to learn alongside your children. Each of our units will tie into a full-year level or unit study to give you a way to deepen your studies!

In Self-Education: World Cultures, Part 2, you will become a world traveler and explore the cultures and countries of Oceania and Europe! If your child is studying either Levels 0 or 7, this is a great way to incorporate your own learning right alongside theirs!

I’ve included a handful of well-chosen books to enhance your cultural studies, along with poetry, articles, videos, recipes, and movies. To help you really dig into the reading, I’ve also included copywork, things to think about, and journaling prompts. There are a variety of resources and activities to help you fully immerse yourself in your studies!

I hope you’ll check out our Self-Education unit studies and continue your education with Build Your Library!

Build Your Library Reviews and Testimonials

We have always needed to improve at keeping up with compiling reviews and testimonials. Over the past 11-plus years, we have gotten a few here and there, but we really should get on top of them. We would love to hear about your experience with Build Your Library! Your review could be as short as a few sentences or as long as you’d like.

Google reviews make up a significant component of the SEO algorithms. We are told it is as significant as ~1/3 of the equation. With that said… We would really appreciate it if you clicked the link below and showed your support by leaving us a Google review, Facebook Review, or testimonial for our website. Our growth has been focused on customer interactions and building long-standing relationships. Thank you all for everything and for making it so easy to love what we do.

January Giveaway

Congratulations to our winner of last month’s Giveaway!

good-luck

This month, we are giving away a $20.26 gift code that you can use on anything in our store!

Each action gives you entries into this month’s drawing, with some allowing for daily clicks. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received.

Check out the contest page for more details, and come back each month for new opportunities!

January Bookish Holidays

Happy Birthday to Charlotte Mason, born 184 years ago, on January 1, 1842! Several other notable authors also celebrate birthdays this month, including Isaac Asimov (also National Science Fiction Day – Jan 2, 1920), J. R. R. Tolkien (Jan 3, 1892), A. A. Milne (Jan 18, 1882), and Edgar Allan Poe (Jan 19, 1809).

If you are trying to come up with some synonyms of commonly used words to spice up your vocabulary, the perfect day is January 18th, which just happens to be National Thesaurus Day. The fourth Wednesday in January (Jan 24) is Library Shelfie Day, so snap a picture of yourself at your local library (or your personal bookshelf if you don’t make the trip on the 24th)!

Also, although not book-related, if you have any leftover from the holiday season, January 1st is Fruitcake Toss Day.

Collab with Soul Sparklettes Glitterbombers!

I’m excited to announce that we are collaborating with Soul Sparklettes Art! They have many fantastic art projects that blend incredibly well with Build Your Library. You can sign up for Glitterbombers membership through our affiliate link. Check the downloads on the Purchase Pages for levels 0 – 5 to see what projects align!

The membership includes hundreds of art projects, videos, and resources designed for homeschoolers and art teachers BY a homeschooler and art teacher team. There are three completely DONE-FOR-YOU curricula: Global Art Hop, Elements & Principles (PEP), and a USA Curriculum. Everything is included when you join – there are no surprises and no waiting.

Glitterbombers HIGH is a brand new art membership for grades 7 – 12. If you’re looking for art for your teen or tween, the new Glitterbombers HIGH might just be the answer. From sketching to Procreate, Sculpey to watercolor painting, Glitterbombers HIGH is an all-video-based subscription where your teen or tween can explore different mediums and topics and develop their own art style. There’s even a monthly art technique class with a challenge and opportunity to earn prizes! Usually closed to new members, I have a special link for you where you can sign up right now and still get in at the introductory price. Have younger kids? You’ll love Glitterbombers, designed for PreK-7th!

And in honor of our newest release: Morbid Curiosities, Part 1 – Cannibalism, the team at Giltterbombers has offered a free project!

Free Download: Medical Illustration Skull-GB-Soul Sparklettes Art

This pen and pencil project is perfect for your preteens and teens. Combine art and science as you learn to sketch a skull like a medical illustrator!

If you enjoyed that project, why not consider signing up for a subscription? You can choose between a monthly, 6-month, or full-year subscription!

Sign Up for a Glitterbombers Subscription Here!

New Printing Partnership with Watson Family Press!

I’m excited to announce that we are partnering with Watson Family Press! If you are looking for a place to get your lesson plans printed, they have you covered! They are offering our customers a 10% discount using the code BYL at checkout!

I love supporting small businesses, especially fellow secular homeschool family-run businesses! I hope you will check them out!

2026 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

Are you looking for a fun reading challenge for the whole family? Well, look no further! We had so much fun with challenges the past six years, so we’re continuing the tradition!

This year, we are reclaiming our whimsy! In 2026, we are having a very hygge and cozy year of reading! This year’s challenge encourages you to find your sense of whimsy and read books that make you feel happy and cozy. 2025 was a difficult year for many of us, so I wanted to start 2026 with a reading challenge to help me rediscover my love of reading!

I’m looking forward to a great year of reading, and I hope you will join me on our reading adventure!

History Book by Book (HBBB)!

History Book By Book is our database of engaging, entertaining, and educational books about various historical topics. Whenever possible, we have cross-referenced topics, internally linked additional suggestions based on like subjects, and created helpful, categorized lists for you to search and browse. Hopefully, you will be able to glean a vast amount of information and find as many history-related books as you would ever want to find. We discussed it in depth during a recent Tea With Emily Livestream on Facebook, you can view the recording here.

As a long-time homeschooling parent and the author of literature-based homeschool curriculum, we designed HBBB to help:

(1) homeschooling parents looking for additional resources to read to their children,
(2) homeschooling parents looking for more historically based books to give their children to read themselves,
(3) any teen or adult looking for categorized historical reading material for their own enjoyment and knowledge.

Reading your way through history… one book at a time.

History Book By Book Main page

We have recently started to create some blog post articles on HBBB! You can check out our first couple on our HBBB Blog.

Homeschool Tidbits Blog and Video Series

We have an ongoing series on both our blog and YouTube channel called Homeschool Tidbits!

In this weekly video series, I will briefly discuss a homeschooling-related topic. I will share some of my knowledge and expertise as a long-time homeschooling mother of four children, three of whom have graduated high school and one who is a college graduate!

This series will include an approximately 10-minute “quick-bit” YouTube video and a corresponding blog post article.

After 70+ episodes, I stalled out and took some time off to spend some time brainstorming, but hopefully will have some more soon! Do you have a topic you want to hear more about? Send me a message, and I’ll add it to my list!

Most Recent Episodes:

“Tea with Emily” Instagram Live Stream

We hope you all enjoyed our last “Tea with Emily” Instagram Live Stream. If you missed our If you missed our “BYL Reading Challenge 2025 Wrap up and 2026 Unveiling“ in December, you can find a recording by scrolling through our Instagram.

Our next Facebook Live will be in February!

I host a 30-60-minute Build Your Library homeschooling chat every other month. You can ask questions about homeschooling using the Build Your Library curriculum, book recommendations, etc. We will announce the date beforehand, and you can submit questions you want to cover. Additionally, you can also ask questions during the interactive Livestream. Grab a mug of tea (or coffee) and cozy up with our virtual hangout!

Build Your Library Support

Are you looking for help or advice on your homeschooling journey? We have compiled our helpful resources into one blog post for you. From the many BYL-related Facebook groups to my book A Literary Education, there is a treasure trove of information and helpful parents to help guide you along your homeschooling adventure. If you have any questions, ask!

For a comprehensive, everything you ever wanted to know about homeschooling with Build Your Library, check out our “Build Your Library University (for Parents).” We have collected the definitive list of articles, videos, and books about Build Your Library, Charlotte Mason, and general homeschooling, all categorized logically for you to peruse.

BYL Social Media Shout Out

We always have our Social Media “chicklets” at the bottom of our newsletters and web page, but we wanted to ensure you follow us on our other platforms. The Build Your Library Facebook is our go-to social media site, and we post there frequently with excellent Amazon products and book recommendations we think you would like, as well as all of our Read Aloud Book Club announcements, blog posts, full-year and unit study product releases and updates, and more.

Our Build Your Library Instagram page regularly posts pictures and insider info about projects I’m currently working on or what I’m doing with my kids.

Although not 100% exclusively Build Your Library related, our Arrrgh Schooling YouTube channel has videos about books and homeschooling, but let’s be honest, it’s mostly books. If you want to see what I’m reading, join my Arrrgh Booked Book Club. The Arrrgh Booked Book Club is kicking off the year with Ariadne by Jennifer Saint! This year is especially exciting because Tanya from Project Happy Home and I have a second new co-host joining us—Ashley from This House of Walls. It’s going to be an amazing reading year!

You can also subscribe to our email list and browse our monthly newsletters.

Wrap Up

I hope you have a wonderful January! I can’t wait to see what this new month brings!

“No one ever regarded the First of January with indifference. It is that from which all date their time, and count upon what is left.” ― Charles Lamb

“To read a poem in January is as lovely as to go for a walk in June.” ― Jean-Paul Sartre

If you are looking for some more inspiration, here are some articles you might find helpful:

- - Happy, Hygge Homeschooling?
  - Tips for Homeschooling with Chronic Illness

We have well over 100 blog posts on various homeschooling and book-related topics if you want to browse for more.

That is about all for this month. Again, please follow us on whatever social media you frequent. There will be periodic updates posted there as well, but we will try to keep everyone in the know wherever you are surfing!

Thanks, and Happy Reading! Emily

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January 2026 Monthly Newsletter