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2025 Reading Challenge

Everyone loves a reading challenge, right?

If there is one thing I developed a deep love for during our years of homeschooling, it is BOOKS. Books indeed are magic, and I am so fortunate to have had the time to read so many excellent books to and with my children when they were young.

Every year I do my reading challenge, but this year several people in the Homegrown Book Picks Facebook group asked me to make the challenge public. So here we go - welcome to the Homegrown Book Picks 2025 Reading Challenge! And guess what?? Your children can participate in this challenge with you! They might read a different book than you, or you can read the same book.

Or you might do this without children, and that’s okay, too!

This will be the most straightforward, enjoyable, and least stressful reading challenge online!

2025 Reading Challenge

About Homegrown Book Picks

In our Facebook group, we talk about books that broaden our horizons as readers who are maybe educating their children at home and just as readers in general who want to chat about all things books! We are a group of women who enjoy edifying, beautiful, and clean books. We read various genres and enjoy learning about and recommending books to others.

Our group has been around since December 2021 and is a NO DRAMA, NO POLITICS space. It is one of my favorite places to be!

If you aren’t in the Homegrown Book Picks group, please join us!

It certainly isn’t necessary to be on Facebook to participate in the challenge; you can keep up here at the blog and follow along on Instagram.

About The 2025 Reading Challenge

The challenge is straightforward. Each month, there will be a prompt. You can read any book that fits into that prompt. Then, feel free to share what you have read during the month. You can share in the Facebook group, on Instagram, or comment on that month’s recommendations.

(I will post the month prior with recommendations for books that fit the prompt - just in case you need help selecting a book. )

Download the printable challenge here.

This is the first time I am running a book challenge, so be patient with me!

January 2025: Books With “Winter” in the Title

Let’s get started with some suggestions for January: a book with “winter” in the title.

I already have Winter Solstice by Rosamude Pilcher on my bookshelf, so I will probably read that one. You never know, though - I tend to be an impulsive reader and could pick up anything else on a whim, so be prepared! (Can you relate?)

Homegrown Book Picks January 2025 Reading Challenge

Adult Books with “Winter” in the Title

Middle Grade Books with “Winter” in the Title

I’d love to have your children join in the reading challenge, too. Wouldn’t it be fun to participate together with your young reader? Here are some suggestions for January titles:

Are you planning to join the 2025 Homegrown Book Picks Reading Challenge? Comment below, or connect with me on our Facebook or Instagram pages.

I’ll have more book challenge printables for you before the New Year, so keep your eyes on the blog or subscribe to receive updates!



LEGO Learning: Childhood and Beyond

Learning with LEGO bricks was an integral part of our homeschool!

What began at an early age (after seeing an older friend’s collection of bricks) quickly became an obsession. My son was definitely hooked on LEGO, and I found myself using it to teach us about everything—from geography and history to math and science.

I offered LEGO minifig writing prompts for free download (and still do!). We began a LEGO club in our basement. Bricks were strewn all over the house (and no, I don’t think I ever got a handle on how to store them!), and it was a blissful many years of play and creativity.

Through a series of beautiful events, LEGO has continued to be a HUGE part of my son’s life (as you will see in a minute!), and he’s continuing to learn about a lot in life through these simple little bricks.

FUN FACT:

Did you know that the plural of LEGO is LEGO? When speaking about these bricks in the plural, say LEGO. For example: “There are so many LEGO bricks on the floor - it’s driving me bonkers!”

LEGO Learning from Childhood to Adulthood

The LEGO Learning Continues


During the height of Grant’s LEGO obsession, we had homeschool family friends who decided to open The Atlanta Brick Co. What started as a little business has turned into a store with two locations and a robust online retail store.

Also, little did we know that the future winners of Season 2 of LEGO Masters lived around the corner from us—and they were employees of the Atlanta Brick Company. Watching the season and then interviewing them when it was finished was fun!

When Grant turned 16, he applied for a job at the Atlanta Brick Company. It’s a special kind of LEGO lover that works at this store. Grant was right in his element and has been working there off and on for the past four years. He’s gone to Mark and Steven’s LEGO studio to hang out, been to LEGO conventions to work the booth for Atlanta Brick Co, and met many Homegrown Learners’ readers when they visit the store!

So much fun stuff, right?

A few weeks ago, Mark came to our house and did a video tour of Grant’s MASSIVE LEGO collection. I wanted to share it with you! So many of you have watched Grant’s love of LEGO for years, which warms my heart. But it also warms my heart that this childhood interest has blossomed into something bigger; he is quite the collector now and is in this for joy and investment.

He has fully funded his collection through work, buy/sell/trade, and a lot of creativity. This entails research to keep up with the value of sets and tracking the value of his collection at the website Brick Economy.

My message to you is this: Encourage your children’s interests. Follow them where they want to go. Learn about what makes them tick. It’s worth it!

LEGO Resources at Homegrown Learners

Don’t forget about our many, many LEGO resources here at Homegrown Learners. You can find most of them on the LEGO Learning page.

Do you have a LEGO lover in your house?

Tell me about them in the comments!