The Only Source You Need for Wholesale Books for Your Homeschool {A Review}

As a homeschooler, I’m always on the lookout for books that we can add to our home library. And with Library and Educational Services LLC it’s not only easy but affordable as well. As a distributor of wholesale books, Lirbary and Educational Services LLC can provide you with the books and educational materials you need, at a significant discount. With beautiful Reinforced Hardcover Library Binding Nonfiction books, a large selection from the Who Was … ? series, and even Lifehouse Theater CDs, it’s easy to find something that fits your homeschool’s needs.

What is Library and Educational Services LLC?

If you have never heard of them before, Library and Educational Services LLC is a wholesale distributor of both library and educational resources. They have been in business for 40 years offering CDs, DVDs, and books to libraries, schools, homeschools, resellers, churches, and more – typically discounted up to 70%. Additionally, they ensure the products they offer are in line with Biblical standards.

A Different Type of Review

This review was different in that I had options. I was in control of the products my family received. For this review, I was told to select one item from the Lifehouse Theater CDs series; one item from the Who Was … ? series; and either $60 or $63 worth of items from the Reinforced Hardcover Library Binding Nonfiction books offered on the site. If the total of my selections exceeded the dollar amount I was alloted, I was welcome to either made different selections or pay the difference.

Clearly, I had some decisions to make with this one.

Decision Time

With hundreds, if not thousands of options on the Library and Educational Services LLC website, I decided to approach this review by thinking about which subject I would most like to supplement. Knowing that this upcoming school year I am planning on covering US History with all of the kids, I opted to use History as my main subject. This one decision narrowed down my options significantly – although there were still plenty of other things to consider.

However, I didn’t want to inundate the kids with too much US History, so for the Lifehouse Theater CDs, I decided to go a different route and pick something that simply looked fun: Trapped in Aesop’s Fables.

Lifehouse Theater CDs

Trapped in Aesop’s Fables is a fun audio CD that trails Henry as he is immersed into the beloved stories we know and love.

When we first meet Henry, he is busy building a skateboard ramp and his father is concerned for his safety as the ramp has some issues. Henry, a 12-year-old boy, is convinced he will be safe and shows his Dad just what he built and can do – only to fall and injur himself. His father grounds him for a week and Henry is distraught to lose access to electronic devices and begins arguing with his father, which quickly increases his punishment to two weeks.

Henry’s father then asks Henry to help unload a chest his aunt purchased but cannot store. Henry’s curiosity is piqued but his father won’t allow him to open the chest. However, moving the chest to the corner jimmies the lock and the chest pops open. Henry sees it is filled with dusty old books and one is covered with a rhyme which he reads aloud. Upon further inspection he finds another rhyme that reads almost like a warning.

Moments later, Henry finds himself transported to a foreign land speaking with none other than Aesop himself where he learns he is in the fables and in order to leave he must learn five life lessons. Confident he is not too foolish to lose, Henry begins his quest.

Transported into five well-known fables such as The Ant and the Grasshopper, The Tortoise and the Hare, and The Boy Who Cried Wolf, Henry must learn the life lesson from each of the five fables if he wants to return to his home.

Filled with plenty of background noise to add to the story, wonderful storytelling, and a cast of characters that are easily identifiable, this story was a joy for my family. Together we listened as Henry learned valuable lessons such as preparing for the future, slow and steady is better than speed, and the value of always telling the truth.

With a running time of 65 minutes, Trapped in Aesop’s Fables is short enough to listen to in one sitting. Or you could spread the five tracks out over an entire week to allow for time to discussion and reflection. And with a focus on wisdom, both from Aesops’ Fables and King Solomon, this audio theater is a great way to teach your children some big life lessons.

The Who Was…? Series

For this selection, I oped for Who Was Neil Armstrong? This title not only works well for our upcoming US History study, I thought it would fascinate my 4th-grader who loves all things space. This title is recommended for grades 2-6.

At 105 pages, Who Was Neil Armstrong is a quick read but filled with wonderful details about the first man to walk on the moon. Together, we discovered that Neil’s family moved around frequently during his childhood, but eventually settled in Ohio. During his entire childhood he was fascinated with planes, which were still new to the American public. It was in the Navy that Neil first learned how to fly.

After spending some time in Korea, Neil returned from the war and his college career at Perdue where he met his future wife, Jan. He and Jan were married and they moved to California where Neil continued to fly for the Navy. it wasn’t until 1962, when the United States was in a space race with the Soviet Union, that Neil decided to pursue becoming an astronaut.

Neil applied to NASA and was accepted into the program along with nine other astronauts. He and his family had to move to Texas to complete the necessary training. After several years of training, Neil got his first chance to fly a spacecraft in 1966. That mission, sadly, did not go as planned.

However, the mission to land a man on the moon continued, and in July of 1969 Neil, along with other astronauts, lifted off in Apollo 11 determined to make the landing. This mission was successful and Neil was driven into the spotlight. However, he preferred a quiet life and took up teaching as a profession after his time as NASA was completed. In 1992 Neil Armstrong passed away.

Filled with pictures, extra details about what was happening at the time, and detailed images about the apace craft, Who Was Neil Armstrong? is a quick read and an exciting one for both the student and the parent.

Reinforced Hardcover Library Binding Nonfiction Books

If the first two selections in this review of Library and Educational Services LLC were any indication of the quality of products available, I knew I was in for a real treat with my final sections.

For this part, I selected two multi-book series that I knew would line up wonderfully with our US History study and ones that would work for a variety of ages.

Americans at War

The first, Americans at War – A Timeline Series Set of 5, is recommended for grades 6-8. It contains five books, each covering a major war in US History.

• Timeline of the Revolutionary War
• Timeline of the Civil War
• Timeline of World War 1
• Timeline of World War 2: Europe & North America
• Timeline of the War on Terror

For me, the biggest draw to these titles was in the product description: “Each comprehensive book goes behind the fighting to explain why the conflicts happened, the tactics that shaped them, the technology that made them possible, and their ultimate political consequences.” As a homeschooler, I want my children to understand more than that wars were fought, lives were lost, and boundaries were drawn. I want to also help my children understand why these wars were fought, the impacts the individual battles had on the end results, and the continuing impacts on the world around us.

Filled with full-color images, each of these five titles goes in-depth into the wars, the people who fought them, and the costs of each one. Each book contains two different timelines, one running horizontally along the bottom of the entire book covering the entire period and a second one unique to each chapter, running vertically on each page. There is both an index and a glossary, located at the back for easy reference, as well as a list of additional souces for more information.

In Timeline of the Revolutionary War you and your child will learn about Paul Revere; when American troops captured Montreal; and the political implications of the Revolutionary war.

In Timeline of the Civil War, you will learn about the Battle of Camp Wildcat; what the Conscription Act was; and read about Emma LeConte’s account from Columbia, South Carolina.

In Timeline of Word War 1 you will study the causes of the war; key information on both the western and eastern fronts; and find out who Mustafa Kemal was.

Timeline of World War 2 also begins with the causes of the war; covers Operation Barbarossa; and details both the European front as well as the Pacific.

Timeline of the War on Terror begins on 9/11 and covers both Afghanistan and Iraq before diving into the most recent events.

In United States History

The second selection I made, which did take me over my allotted purchase price, was In United States History – Set of 7. Each title in this series is 96 pages and recommended for grades 5 and up. Titles included in this set:

• The Salem Witchcraft Trials
• Witness The Boston Tea Party
• The Story of Slavery and Abolition
• The Great Depression in United States History
• The Internment of Japanese Americans
• McCarthyism and the Communist Scare
• The Infamous Alcatraz Prison

Each title is organized as a typical chapter book and reads like a traditional history book. At the end of each book, you will find a timeline for easy reference and putting it all together, chapter notes, additional reading recommendations, and an index.

Contained within each title, you will find history brought to life and presented in a way that is easy to understand, engaging, and accurate. These books are considered accelerated readers and contain the most amount of information. Perfect for conducting research, preparing a paper or project, or digging deeper into some of the larger aspects of US History.

Final Thoughts on Wholesale Books and Items from Library and Educational Services LLC

As I stated in the beginning, this review had a dollar amount limit on it. I exceeded that by $17, both with my approved selections and a few additional items I decided to purchase. The Amazing Tips to Make You Smarter book is fabulous! It is filled with random facts, odd holidays, and helpful tips. It’s a fun read, especially if you are a fan of interesting factoids.

The other two are simply chapter book that my 4th-grader is saving for the start of the school year.

Yet each and every item I selected was exactly what I anticipated and then some.

And, since Library and Educational Services LLC is a wholesale distributor, I not only one received quality homeschool materials, I received them at a significant discount over paying retail price. Ordering online was easy, I simply created a free account then began shopping, and I received a confirmation or my order immediately. The shipment arrived on time and was correct.

If you are looking to expand your homeschool library, supplement your current courses, or have a child who is simply passionate about a specific topic of study, check out Library and Educational Services LLC. In addition to the categories I covered here, they offer a wide variety of non-homeschool items including Christian Fiction, Bibles, and adult non-fiction. There is sure to be something to please everyone in your home.

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