The straight dope, March 2, 2003
Reviewer: lancemajere (see more about me) from Manchester, NH USA
The fact is, American schools are based on the Prussian social-dominance-propaganda model from the 19th century. The most educated, interesting, influential, creative and ingenius people in the history of mankind have shunned traditional methods of so-called learning and gone on their own to be the backbone of our society.

Changed this homeschool mom’s view - in the 1st chapter!, January 22, 2003
Reviewer: laurie40 (see more about me) from Texas
If your looking to open your eyes to reality, this is it. I have been a homeschooling mom on and off for 15 yrs., but after reading this I found myself breaking old ideas about methods of learning….mostly taken from my own public school education. Like many other people, I thought the only way to education was through utilizing the (dry & boring texts, sit & listen) methods imparted by the school systems. I promptly encouraged my high school and middle school daughters to read this book in hopes of opening their eyes. Although gifted students, they had been feeling trapped and overwhelmed by the public system. I pulled them out and gave them all the time they needed to play, think and enjoy life once again. During that time they read their choice of books. After 2 months they claimed boredom and wanted to start school.

The authors direct and bold style can open one up to see there are many ways to skin a cat. Educators and administrators in ANY school system could benefit from reading this book. If one is open enough to hear what the author is saying, it could change more than a personal view, but the approach in which we try to impart information in the younger generation, along with the way we view our own learning through life.

This book has not only freed my view of education, but the way I view many systems dependent upon beliefs within the individual. I have learned to think more critially and develop careful independent thoughts.

I highly recommend this book to all teenagers to avoid the traps and lies in life…and to adults wanting to understand how they’ve been buffaloed into thinking the system knows more than them.

Strange and misleading, January 17, 2003
Reviewer: A reader from USA
This book has many strange ideas and euphemisms referring to the school system. The writer comes off as a strange hippie who Turned out to be a failure in high school and is now angry at the world. If you know what is good for your kid don’t by this waste of paper

Unschooler From Ohio, October 20, 2002
Reviewer: Erin from Ohio
Do not under any circumstance give this book to any strong willed, intelligent teenager.They might actually start to think for themselves and learn something.I read this book,and it changed my life. Changed my parents lives.I’ve learned how to live life. I like to learn again. Read the book, go to Grace’s camp, liberate yourself from the norm.

Pure Genius, October 8, 2002
Reviewer: prieofmorr from chisholm, Minnesota United States
Even though I am 21 years old, I still find this book very useful. At age 16 I left high school for personal problems. I spent most of my time reading books. I felt that by leaving school I was losing my education. This book teaches you different. It shows you how to leave school and get a real education. This book is very inspiring and it works. Self-teaching is the best way to go.

Stay in School and Succeed, August 3, 2002
Reviewer: An Amazon.com Customer
Schools aren’t all bad. I like school and I do well in school. If you need to know how to do better read "The Junior High Survival Manual" published by Concordia Press.

"School is bad!"- in a book, June 26, 2002 Reviewer: Eric (see more about me) from Randolph, NJ United States Well, this book wasn’t the eye-opener for me that it was for some reviewers. I, being a victim of the school system, have already realized most of the things which Ms. Llewellyn speaks of. I must say, however, that it was refreshing to see that there are others out there who recognize the destructiveness of school. Grace points out that it’s quite ironic that a "free" nation such as America trains its youth to prepare for a life of "totalitarianism". While I would say that statement is a bit extreme, it’s very true that schools do not value individuality: in fact, they seek to squash it. Unfortunately, the destructiveness of school is not limited to the squashing of one’s person. Many students mistakenly believe the only way to learn is through the methods employed by school: dull and uninteresting ones. This can discourage them from developing their minds further, on their own time…the limited time remaining after school and homework, that is. Furthermore, the education system robs students of their freedom and natural desire to learn what THEY want to learn. A reoccurring theme in this book is that, while you can coerce students into performing well temporarily, they will only remember the things which they were passionate about. The badthing is that you will have no difficulty in finding teachers, guidance councilors, parents and students who agree that most of the material taught in school will find no real-world application. Curious, isn’t it, that they willingly squander thousands of hours of their lives while, at the same time, they recognize the futility of it all.
The reason I gave this book four stars was that the author’s bias is evident throughout. She even goes as far to suggest the "Communist Manifesto" as recommended reading! While her passion for freedom is admirable, I simply wish she could have filtered out any political bias from this book. Despite this one complaint, The Teenage Liberation Handbook is an excellent read, and I recommend it to anyone who is involved in the school system.

Quit school and learn, May 13, 2002
Reviewer: lorack64 from San Jose, CA
This book clearly shows the evils of compulsory education, and inspired me to drop out of school and travel my own path.

The Most Amazing Book Ever…, March 8, 2002
Reviewer: Terell from NYC, NY
This is the most amazing book ever written for anyone who has ever experienced high school or junior high/middle school. It encourages young adults not to lose their individualness and self-esteems in a world of "grade-point averages" and SATs. It keeps adults fascinated and opens the minds of those who used to say school was unnecessary, but have fallen into the grain of everyday "necessary" life. GET THIS BOOK NOW!

The one book everyone should read, February 22, 2002
Reviewer: jhoward@wpi.edu from Oxford, MA
I read the reviews on this site, yet it took me a full year before I finally picked up the book at my local library. One of the reasons I didn’t pick up this book earlier, is that I didn’t realize it would contain over 400 pages chock-full of truly fascinating ideas capable of changing my life. (It’s not full of pictures and fancy boxes with quotes that take up half a page — it’s ALL great information.) A second reason I didn’t pick up this book earlier is that I didn’t realize it could have such a profound effect on the life of a college freshman who had already lost his chance to quit school. I was wrong — this is a book about how to live life. I’m a motivated self-learner (as we all could be, although many of us don’t realize it). Many of the ideas, books, movies, and activities suggested in this book had already changed my life when I discovered them on my own. I’m excited because there are so many things suggested in this book that I haven’t yet tried, which I’m sure will bring my understanding of the world to a new level. And it’s already done that. (This book has motivated me to study the politics of alternative education in Germany and Denmark this summer — in which many of my interests come together: education, language, politics, and culture, and travel. It’s a book about how to "advance confidently in the direction of your dreams," as Thoreau said in "Walden."

First, I recommend this book to teenagers (or anyone old enough to read it) who thinks they don’t have any options. If you’ve never thought quitting school as an option, read this book. It may very well change your life. (Even if you still want a high school diploma, or want to participate in school sports, Grace Llewellyn amazingly shows how you can still achieve these goals).

It’s definitely not a book just for teenagers (and it probably wouldn’t be considered such if it weren’t for the title.) It’s intelligently written, and the treasures contained in this book are for everyone. It’s ultimately about how to live the life you’ve always wanted to live by following your dreams. It’s a book about taking advantage of the educational resources that we don’t realize are all around us. It helps us to realize that most of us have simply forgotten how to learn. It includes many suggestions for helping us regain our natural desire to learn about our world. Things you never found interesting in school, if approached in a new way, might just fascinate you! I’ve never found a single book with so much new and fascinating information about how to live a fulfilling life.