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Books and Willows
Books and Willows
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Homeschool curriculum

Book-Led Adventures & Nature-Wrapped Days

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New Releases

  • Skunk and Badger Elementary Literature Guide
    Skunk and Badger Elementary Literature Guide
    $16.50
  • Borneo Rainforest Unit - World Habitats Adventure Society
    Borneo Rainforest Unit – World Habitats Adventure Society
    $16.00
  • Anne of Green Gables Cursive Copywork | Quill & Lines Handwriting
    Anne of Green Gables Cursive Copywork | Quill & Lines Handwriting
    $8.75
  • Ponds Unit - World Habitats Adventure Society
    Ponds Unit – World Habitats Adventure Society
    $16.00
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the Fall Collection

Seasonal Nature Studies for crisp Autumn days

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introducing….

Heartwood Hotel Seasonal Literature Guides

Welcome to a year of stories, seasons, and discovery. Inspired by the beloved Heartwood Hotel series by Kallie George, these seasonal literature guides are designed to provide a literature-led approach to nature study and language arts throughout the year.

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QUILL & COMPASS LITERARY SOCIETY

Celebrate the joy of reading, the thrill of writing, and the magic that happens when families share stories together. Here, you’ll find a growing catalogue of resources to inspire your family’s love of literature, including our popular Family Literature Guides, Legends & Lines author-inspired writing units, Quill & Lines Literary Copywork studies, free poetry studies, free curated book lists, and much more.

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Why Families Choose Books and Willows

01.

Family-Style Units

We believe learning is a family adventure that thrives on curiosity, creativity, and connection. Our unit studies embrace the whole family, offering curricula designed to engage multiple ages together.

02.

Hands-On Activities

We prioritize hands-on activities that spark interest and foster a deep understanding of the material. Our unit studies feature integrated learning, weaving together STEM, arts, music, cooking, and journaling.

03.

Open-and-Go Guides

Our open-and-go guides are crafted for busy families, providing structured yet flexible plans that make it easy to dive into new topics without extensive preparation.

welcome to our new

WORLD HABITATS ADVENTURE SOCIETY

Join us for a worldwide expedition to explore some of the greatest wild places on our planet, from icy polar seas to deep caves and sun-baked deserts. Each habitat is a new stop, full of wonders to see, questions to ask, and stories to uncover.

the letter

Every great journey needs a guide! You’ll begin by meeting one of our Society’s Field Explorers, who’s out in the wild and writing home about the places they explore and the wonders they discover. Read their letter in your WHAS Welcome Package, and look for their updates at the beginning of each unit section.

the unit study

Our unit studies are in-depth, STEAM-based explorations of individual habitats, intentionally designed with multidisciplinary connections across science, geography, art, history, and creative thinking to uncover how each ecosystem works.

the logbook

Your World Habitats Adventure Society Logbook is a record of your journey. Collect your habitat badges, record your questions, and capture the discoveries you make along the way.

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introducing….

Borneo Rainforest – World Habitats Adventure Society

The Borneo rainforest is one of the most extraordinary places on Earth. Towering trees stretch toward the sky, tangled vines weave through the canopy, and every layer of the forest is alive with movement, colour, and sound. From hidden insects on the forest floor to orangutans swinging through the treetops, countless species have adapted to thrive in this remarkable habitat.

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Kind Words

What our families have to say

  • My son has absolutely loved this Arctic Ocean Study. The lessons and activities are fun and engaging. The QR codes with video links are very helpful and appreciated. My son was so excited to add his badge to his little book when we finished the unit. He keeps asking me when the next one is coming out, he can’t wait to continue this adventure series!!
    arctic ocean habitats adventure society
  • Such a fun and diverse book guide. I love the various crafts and recipes to help bring the book alive. And the gentle approach to different grammar concepts is perfect for my young children.
    heartwood hotel winter literature guide
  • I so LOVE the new Art Elements Series featuring Kandinsky! The content is so rich, informative and the images so beautiful. Includes gorgeous reproductions to inspire and explore! Thank you so much, Jaclyn, for another wonderful learning opportunity for my students. I think this is the most exquisite Books & Willows file yet! Looking forward to the next in the Art Elements Series!
    kandinsky art elements with the masters
  • My four year old loved this unit! It was fun, beautiful and engaging. Highly recommend and will be purchasing from here again!
    owls early learning unit
  • Lovely curriculum, perfect for Autumn here in the Uk. It’s nice to find a more challenging/scientific unit study-often they’re aimed at younger children but this is just right for my 12 and 14 year olds and we’re all learning a lot!
    mycology curious trails nature study
  • So grateful I found this workbook! I love this idea because it helps direct children in learning, and takes some time pressure off me. Really wonderful.
    ancient egypt history-ink adventures

Our Publications

nature studies
quill & compass literary society
world habitats adventure
art elements with the masters
history-ink adventures
early learning units

Latest on the blog
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ON INSTAGRAM

@booksandwillows

booksandwillows

🌳 Literature & Nature Studies
πŸ“– Curriculum Writer
🍁 Canadian Homeschooling Mama

πŸ‚ Our fall read: Wildwood πŸ‚ This autumn, we’re he πŸ‚ Our fall read: Wildwood πŸ‚

This autumn, we’re heading into the Impassable Wilderness with Wildwood by Colin Meloy.

When Prue’s baby brother Mac is carried away by a murder of crows, she follows them into the mysterious forest, along with her classmate Curtis. What begins as a rescue mission turns into an adventure through a hidden world of talking animals, rival kingdoms, strange creatures, and unexpected friendships.

And, of course, it gives us plenty of curious trails to explore along the way.

πŸͺΆ Crows - their intelligence, communication, family groups, and fascinating behaviour
🌲 Forest ecosystems and woodland habitats
πŸ—ΊοΈ Maps, exploration, and creating imaginary worlds
🍁 Nature and our relationship with the wild
πŸ‘‘ Leadership, power, and responsibility
🀝 Friendship, courage, and belonging
πŸ“– Folklore, fairy tales, and storytelling

I’m especially looking forward to pairing this one with plenty of time outdoors this fall. Because a book about a mysterious forest feels even better when you’re reading it surrounded by changing leaves. πŸ‚πŸ“š

#homeschoolreading #homeschoolreadalouds #readaloudfamily #kidsbookswelove #kidsbookshelf
Tonight, we’re heading outside with Skunk to look Tonight, we’re heading outside with Skunk to look at the stars and learn a little about constellations. πŸ”­βœ¨

And there are plenty more adventures waiting inside the new Skunk and Badger Elementary Literature Guide!

20% off through October 4!
Comment GUIDE and I’ll send you the code.
πŸͺ¨ It’s time to do some Important Rock Work with Ba πŸͺ¨ It’s time to do some Important Rock Work with Badger! πŸͺ¨

Our newest literature guide is here: Skunk and Badger, and if your kids love rocks, minerals, experiments, scavenger hunts, and getting their hands dirty, they’re going to have so much fun with this one.

Inspired by Badger’s very important work, this guide takes your family on a rock-filled adventure alongside the story:

πŸ”Ή Explore geodes and grow your own sugar and alum crystals
πŸ”Ή Take the β€œIs It a Mineral?” Challenge
πŸ”Ή Follow the rock life cycle from one type of rock to another
πŸ”Ή Head outside for a Rock Hunt to find examples of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks
πŸ”Ή Create your own sedimentary rock sand art
πŸ”Ή Discover what it means for cereal to be fortified with a grocery-store scavenger hunt
πŸ”Ή Use a magnet to search for iron in cereal
πŸ”Ή Start your own rock collection and learn how to test and identify different minerals

And, of course, there are plenty of opportunities to slow down with the story, notice its themes, and follow those delightful rabbit trails that make literature-led learning so much fun.

Because sometimes the best way to understand a book is to step right into its world. And sometimes that means doing Important Rock Work. πŸ˜‰

πŸͺ¨ The Skunk and Badger Elementary Literature Guide is available now!

Comment β€œGUIDE” and I’ll send you the link and a coupon code for 20% off through October 4.

 #LiteratureLedLearning #HomeschoolCurriculum #HomeschoolScience #readaloudfamily
πŸͺ¨πŸ¦‘ NEW RELEASE! Skunk and Badger Literature Guide πŸͺ¨πŸ¦‘ NEW RELEASE! Skunk and Badger Literature Guide 🦨πŸͺ¨

What do you get when a very particular badger ends up with an unexpected housemate?
 
A wonderfully quirky story about friendship, differences, unexpected adventures, and a whole lot of things to talk about. I’m excited to share my newest Elementary Literature Guide for Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake!
 
This is exactly the kind of book I love building a guide around. There are little details tucked throughout the story that invite you to stop, notice, wonder, and ask, β€œWhat could we do with that?” So, naturally, I followed a few rabbit trails. And of course, we’ll be doing lots of β€œImportant Rock Work” along the way. 

Here’s a peek at what you’ll find:
 
✨ Literary Looks in each section exploring story elements and literary techniques such as spacing, characterization, setting, hooks, mood, repetition, theme, and more.

🌿 Story-based extensions that turn moments from the book into opportunities for hands-on learning. Grow a crystal, search for Brownstone architectural features on a scavenger hunt, identify minerals and rock formations, curate an exhibit celebrating the history of the post office, conduct a chicken digestion lab, meet some amazing ukulele musicians, search for iron in your cereal, explore the geography of the Moon, experiment with pitch, start a rock collection, and so much more!

🎨 Creative hands-on projects, including:
β€” Make a macramΓ© feather
β€” Watercolor constellation cards
β€” Bake Strawberry Cinnamon cupcakes

🍡 Chapter Tea Chats with thoughtful discussion questions designed to encourage text-to-self connections, comprehension, and family conversation.
πŸ“š Printable vocabulary cards to explore interesting words and build vocabulary as you read.
πŸ“ Commonplace journal invitations encouraging readers to copy memorable passages, sketch scenes, respond to the characters, and reflect on the story.

Comment GUIDE for the link and a 20% off coupon code valid until Sunday, October 4th. Or, visit my bio for more details.

#readaloudfamily #natureschool #charlottemasonhomeschool #homeschoolcurriculum #kidsbookswelove
πŸ“šMom Read πŸ“š Have you ever wished you could live i πŸ“šMom Read πŸ“š

Have you ever wished you could live inside a book?

That was all the convincing I needed to pick up The Astral Library by @katequinn5975 

Alix Watson takes refuge in the Boston Public Library, where she discovers a hidden door leading to the Astral Library, a magical sanctuary where people can escape into their favourite books. But when a mysterious enemy threatens the Library, Alix joins the Librarian on a journey through worlds inspired by Jane Austen, Sherlock Holmes, and The Great Gatsby to try to save it.

A hidden library, books within books, and a journey through some of literature’s most memorable stories? I’m already hooked. β€οΈπŸ“–
🍎🍏 Apple Fest Sale 🍏🍎 Yesterday we took a walk th 🍎🍏 Apple Fest Sale 🍏🍎

Yesterday we took a walk through an abandoned apple orchard.🍎 There were old trees to wander beneath, apples beginning to fall (which narrowly missed my youngest’s head), and that familiar feeling that summer is slowly giving way to autumn. We live in Ontario’s apple capital, where the surrounding orchards and farms have become such a natural part of the rhythm of our lives. 
 
It’s the inspiration behind one of our favourite fall nature studies. Our Apple Looking Glass study was created to encourage children to slow down, look closely, and discover the world of apples through beautiful stories, science, art, nature study, and hands-on activities. 
 
With a new season of learning just around the corner, it feels like the perfect time to begin with something growing right outside our door. Apple Looking Glass Nature Study is 20% OFF through September 12th.

 What’s included:
✨ Nature Tales – Begin with Johnny Appleseed by Reeve Lindbergh and connect through storytelling.
πŸ” Discover – Explore apple anatomy, life cycles, and enjoy vintage watercolor posters.
πŸ§ͺ Investigate – Try dissection, measure with bushels and pecks, experiment with apple browning, and explore apple nutrition.
🎨 Poetry & Arts – Study poetry, art, music, and apple folklore.
🍯 Create – Make an apple-stamped banner, apple butter, and apple loaf.
🌳 On the Trail – Go on an Apple Orchard Scavenger Hunt, learn about apple varieties, and host your own Apple Tasting.

Visit my bio or comment APPLE for the link.
πŸ­πŸ“š Our current read-aloud: Redwall! 🏰🌿 We’re trav πŸ­πŸ“š Our current read-aloud: Redwall! 🏰🌿

We’re traveling back to medieval times with our new read aloud, Redwall by Brian Jacques. With its woodland creatures, epic battles, feasts, castles, abbeys, and journeys, there is plenty to explore beyond the pages of the story.

As we read, we’ll be following some of the historical threads woven throughout the book:

🏰 Medieval castles & fortifications β€” learning how castles were designed for protection, including walls, towers, gates, battlements, and moats.

βš”οΈ Medieval weapons & armour β€” exploring the different weapons, shields, armour, and fighting techniques used during the Middle Ages.

🏑 Life in a medieval abbey β€” learning about monasteries and abbeys, the daily lives of monks, illuminated manuscripts, gardens, kitchens, and the important role these communities played in medieval society.

🍞 Medieval food & feasting β€” discovering what people actually ate during the Middle Ages, how food was prepared, and how feasts differed between social classes.

🧡 Medieval clothing & crafts β€” looking at the clothing, textiles, tools, and everyday crafts of medieval communities.

πŸ—ΊοΈ Medieval maps & travel β€” exploring how people traveled, navigated, and mapped the world before modern transportation and technology.

πŸ‘‘ Kings, kingdoms & leadership β€” discussing medieval systems of government, loyalty, alliances, warfare, and the responsibilities of leaders.

This is one of my favourite things about literature-rich homeschooling: one good book can become the doorway to so many different subjects. We start with a story…and then follow wherever our curiosity leads.

For more current read alouds, check out #sundaybookclub

@darbyhawley
@littlehomeschoolontheprairies
@two.kids.and.a.homeschool
@growing.greenbeans 
@heymamahomeschool

#kidsbookswelove #readaloud #charlottemasonhomeschool #kidsbookshelf
We couldn’t choose just one winner! πŸ’• The support We couldn’t choose just one winner! πŸ’• The support for this giveaway was so overwhelming that each of us girls took a turn spinning the wheel… and we have THREE winners! πŸŽ‰βœ¨

Congratulations to:
@emilymichellecribb 
@ohheyitssarahmay 
@mollythomp27 

on winning our Heartwood Hotel Seasonal Literature Guide Giveaway! Thank you SO much to everyone who entered, shared, and supported this giveaway. We loved reading all your comments! Stay tuned for more monthly giveaways this Autumn.

CLOSED
β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”-🌿 GIVEAWAY: A Year at Heartwood Hotel 🌿

Bring the cozy world of Heartwood Hotel to life all year long with the Heartwood Hotel Seasonal Literature Guides!

I’m giving away the complete set of four digital seasonal guides, designed to accompany the first four Heartwood Hotel books.

Each guide combines:
🍁 Literature-inspired nature study
πŸ“– Gentle language arts
🌿 Seasonal nature walks & observations
✏️ Story extensions and creative activities
🐿️ Discussion questions and vocabulary

Together, the four guides create a gentle, year-long literature and nature study. One that invites children to slow down, notice the changing seasons, and step a little deeper into the world of Heartwood Hotel.

Perfect for homeschool families who love living books, nature study, gentle learning, and cozy read-alouds. 

TO ENTER:

1. Follow @booksandwillows
2. Like this post
3. Comment below and tell me what you’re most excited about this homeschool year! 🌿
4. ✨ BONUS ENTRY: Share this giveaway to your stories and tag me so I can see it!

The winner will be announced on this post Thursday, August 27th. 

Good luck, friends! May your year be filled with good books, woodland adventures, and plenty of time beneath the willows.

This giveaway is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Instagram.
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