Andy Strauss, Author at Family Style Schooling

Creating Through Inspiration: How Everything We Encounter Shapes Our Creative Journey

In our journey as creators made in the image of the Ultimate Creator, we often hear the advice to “find inspiration everywhere.” This isn’t just practical wisdom – it’s deeply spiritual. As image-bearers of God, our ability to create and find beauty reflects His nature as the Master Artist of the universe. The Divine Gift…

The 15-Minute Creator: Finding Time for Creativity

In our fast-paced world, creativity often takes a backseat to our daily responsibilities. We tell ourselves we’ll pursue our creative passions “when we have more time,” but that mythical moment of abundance never seems to arrive. What if, instead of waiting for the perfect creative conditions, we learned to embrace the power of micro-moments? The…

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy challenges the norms of typical science fiction. It combines the elements of a classic space travel novel with the unapologetic imagination of an excited child and the nonsensical brilliance of Lewis Carrol. Adams finds plenty of Wonderland in the stars. From the practical, English, Arthur to the…

Wolf Hollow by Lauren Wolk

Lauren Wolk’s Wolf Hollow is a beautiful tale set in the aftermath of the 2nd World War about a little girl named Annabelle caught up in a web of mystery and suspicion. The very first chapter of the book begins with “The year I turned twelve, I learned how to lie.” This powerful line sets…

The Old Man and the Sea by Earnest Hemingway

I have come to really appreciate sources that give me background on the author and time period that help draw out the author’s vision for their work and not merely my own reaction to the piece. That’s exactly what Apologia has done for high schoolers with their latest American Literature curriculum. It is well written, thought provoking, and masterfully curated. I’m excited to have a guide that will help my daughter explore American literature from a biblical worldview.