essential reading for any age, January 9, 2002
Reviewer: A reader from chicago, il United States
If ever there should be required reading, this would be it. Many people believe teenagers are too idealistic, when it fact they’re actually just still in touch with their intrinsic sense of fairness and independence. They’ve yet to compromise their dreams and compassion in the name of practicality or safety. This book will tear your blinders off and either bring to your attention for the first time or simply reconnect you to the understanding that learning is a natural curiosity that we’re able to attain by our own exploring of resources and that schools have become an institution for imposing a particular dependence and culture. A great companion to this is "Dumbing Us Down", by John Taylor Gatto. This book is full of an abundance of excellent resources in itself. This book is beneficial even if you still maintain that school is for you. There’s no risk at all.

The teenage liberation handbook. . ., September 20, 2001
Reviewer: bintalla from Michigan, USA
. . . is a good discussion of "unschooling," the philosophy that children and teens should take control of their own education. It was sufficiently in-depth in its handling of various topics to make it a good manual for teens who are interested. I would have given this book 5 stars but the author is very biased in her political views and this shows through in the book.

too old now, September 19, 2001
Reviewer: Prosy (see more about me) from Chicago, IL United States
I’m too old and jaded to appreciate this book now.

But, in an effort to reach those who aren’t, let me say this: Read this book!! It changed the way I thought about learning, thinking, and living when I read it, and I was out of high school at the time. I was even a former homeschooler, but this book still presented ideas that were new to me. TTLH has had a profound impact on the way I experience education, and that has stayed with me throughout college and graduate school.

What am I saying: This book is inspiring. If you want to be inspired, read it. If you prefer to remain inspiration-less, don’t read it. This book will change you, but you have to let it. It will do nothing if you refuse to let it. I know. I recommended this book to everyone I knew, but no one took to it like I did. Not a single person. Most people just thought I was an idiot for talking about "unschooling" and "self education."

Every time I used the word "autodidact" I got a strange look.
Sometimes that’s how you tell the really good books… the strange looks you get when you talk about them.

"School sucks" justified in a well written book., July 7, 2001
Reviewer: John Goes (see more about me) from Brookfield, IL United States
Grace Llewellyn shows us in logical manner (with the aid of stories and humor) that education is not identical to formal education. In fact, she demonstrates the superiority of the autodidactic experience as opposed to formalized education.

But beyond just illustrating the benefits of "unschooling" as she calls it and portraying the pitfalls of formal education, Llewellyn shows how teaching oneself can be done successfully. She also includes persuasive techniques to convince stubborn parents to allow their children the chance to educate themselves. Unfortunately for me, I realized too late that I had an alternative to forced learning. Most of my current learning has been done independently, and I can only speculate as to what I would have accomplished had I spent time actually reading and learning than counting the ceiling tiles in my Enlish class.

How awful does this get?, July 2, 2001
Reviewer: A reader from Windsor, ON
…I thought the whole idea of ‘teaching yourself’ is totally dumb! I mean, homeschool is not going to give us the experience we need! Not only does school teach the given classes, but it also teaches us lessons in life, and gives a reason to wake up everyday. We know from summer vaction experiences how much a teenager CAN sleep, and trust me if school did not start early in the mourning we would not be up! So trust me, homeschool does not work! Also, I think the author of the book was totally trying to ‘relate’ to teenagers! My best advice: don’t try! you don’t know what you’re talking about!

Everyone who has ever been to school should read this book, June 7, 2001
Reviewer: A reader from here.
The Teenage Liberation Handbook is a book that all teenagers should read when considering their educational prospects. This book encompasses all of the educational philosophies that support unschooling while examining the reasons why school doesn’t work in a concise, quick read. If you are considering unschooling this is defintely a book you would want have by your side. An awesome book.

Life-Changing!, May 17, 2001
Reviewer: Kelly (see more about me) from Pennsylvania
Words cannot say how grateful I am for this book. I have hated school ever since I was a child, but I was always told that it was something I had to deal with. This book gave me the courage to question that dearly-held belief, and the courage to trust in my abilities to learn on my own. The decision to start home-schooling was the most difficult, and the most rewarding thing I have ever done for myself. In the past year I have learned more about myself than I have in all my 10 years of public school. I have learned that I CAN be independant, and I CAN make my own decisions, and I CAN be treated like an adult.

This book contains a lot of new ideas that will probably make many people very uncomfortable. It will shake up your beliefs about school and will make you think twice about some of the concepts in your life you have been taught to accept. But even so, it always remains respectful. It is not a book about degrading and defacing public schools or teachers. It is a book about empowering teenagers to get off their butts and start taking responsibility for their own life. It is a book that inspires self-reliance, confidence, and a genuine love of learning.

If I had my way, this book would be required reading for every teen going into high school. Everyone deserves to hear about the wonderful opportunities that lie outside of school. It’s sad that most teens are still in the dark, thinking they have no options.

a luminous book, January 6, 2001
Reviewer: Meghann McAllister-O’Day (see more about me) from Conway, AR United States
this is an excellent book–the only guide that I needed while unschooling myself through high school. in addition to providing many rational reasons for getting out of school as quickly as possible, a plan for post-school life is also provided. parents who get upset at its tone are missing the point. this isn’t a book for parents (although many parents, including my own, enjoyed and learned from it), it is a book for teenagers. the goal is for teenagers to take charge of their own lives and their own education, to begin exercising the muscles of self-determination that schools seek to bind and atrophy. for the teenagers who are lucky enough to escape schools, it is a wonderful feeling. this book should help more people be able to do that.

Book encourages poor attitudes in teenagers, November 13, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Germantown, TN United States
The author is on target in saying that formal school is not the best environment for many teenagers. But she goes much too far in condemning school–and teachers–in general. This book may have been published in 1998, but the viewpoints and ideology are straight out of 1968.

One unusual thing about the book is that, unlike other homeschooling books I’ve seen, this one is aimed directly at the teenager rather than the parents. My husband and I bought the book for our son as well as for us, as we are planning to pull him out of school within a few months. But though the book contains useful ideas for learning at home, it spends too much time making the child feel ill-used and put-upon by the educational establishment and society in general. If I gave my son this book to read right now, while he is still in school, I think he might become insufferable in school. Then, once he is homeschooled, the type of thinking the book promotes would encourage him to be arrogant about it.

Extraordinary!, November 13, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from Glendale, CA USA
Absolutely wonderful book! Must reading for adults and youngsters who value self-direction, freedom, and intellectual creativity.