Behind every Pandia Press curriculum is a real person—someone with a passion for education, deep subject expertise, and a commitment to helping homeschool families thrive. As a small team, we write, edit, and develop every curriculum ourselves, and we're excited to introduce you to the people behind the books.

Today we're getting to know Amelia Ostrowski, our Curriculum Developer & Editor and the author of our new Literature Odyssey series. You may have already read her post about the inspiration behind the curriculum, but this time we're asking the fun questions. From the books that shaped her childhood to what she's reading now, here's a chance to meet the literature lover behind Literature Odyssey.

Q: What piece of literature had the biggest impact on you as a child?

Amelia: Definitely Anne of Green Gables. I think I read it every summer, outside, under a tree so I could pretend I was Anne. I deeply identified with Anne and felt that we were “kindred spirits,” as she would say. Anne owns her quirkiness and is unapologetically herself. As a child, I needed to see that it was okay to be different than everyone else, because I definitely was. This is why kids need access to all types of literature. You never know who needs to see themselves on the page.

Q: If you could change one thing about the way literature was taught, what would it be?

Amelia: I would change the mindset that in order for students to prove they can analyze literature, they have to write a traditional essay. Writing is an important skill, but it is not the only important skill when it comes to literary analysis. Asking students to learn how to critically analyze literature and write a structured, formal essay about it is a big ask, especially for students who lack confidence in their writing abilities. They are essentially required to develop two skills at once: analyze a text for meaning and learn how to write a paper.

The focus then shifts to the mechanics and structure of writing because that is what is easier to measure, at the expense of helping students fully develop their own ideas about a text. And students have such amazing ideas about what they read! Literature Odyssey encourages students to cultivate those ideas through non-threatening activities and
projects that promote students’ critical and creative thinking. Students can demonstrate both their mastery of the concepts and their application of those concepts to a text without having to stress over a long writing assignment.

By writing their own poetry or creating a new ending to a play, students have to think about how language is used by others as they learn to use it themselves. They are still writing, but in ways that encourage them to focus on the development of their ideas, so they are prepared for formal literary analysis.

Q: If you could spend a week inside any literary setting, where would it be?

Amelia: I had to really think about this one. There were quite a few that I would like to visit, but honestly, I am not sure I would survive a week there. Not that they wouldn’t be fascinating to visit, but I mean I might not make it out alive. Panem? No thanks. Even Narnia has its risks.

I think it would have to be Middle Earth, but I wouldn’t leave the Shire. I would just stay there for a week drinking tea, reading books, and wandering around the gardens.

Q: What do you hope students discover about themselves through the series?

Amelia: My number one goal for this series is for students to feel confident reading and discussing literature. If you look at any of the Teacher’s Guides for Literature Odyssey, you will notice that many of the answers are suggested answers. That was intentional. I didn’t want students to worry about having a “wrong” answer when it came to their interpretation of literature. In fact, there is rarely a single “right” answer with literary analysis.

Literature of all forms is complex and there is room for multiple interpretations. Students bring their own experiences, beliefs, and culture to what they read. To tell them that those influences take them to the wrong answer is to invalidate their experiences.

At the same time, I wanted to make sure they understood the importance of supporting their answer with textual evidence. Once a student can point to the text and use the author’s words to back up their analysis, their confidence in discussing literature skyrockets.

Q: What are you reading right now?

Amelia: This is a loaded question for me, but I will try to keep it brief. A lot of plays! Literature Odyssey: Drama is in the works, so my desk is looking like an unorganized
version of the drama section at my local library.

I am also reading Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor by Kim Kelly and learning a ton about marginalized workers and how the history of labor is linked to fights for social justice. Even though it is my “not for work” book, that line is blurred and I am always looking for interesting and underrepresented people that students can read about.

And I have to mention The Bat Series by Elana K. Arnold that I am reading to my elementary-aged boys. It’s about a boy on the autism spectrum who becomes a caretaker for an orphaned baby skunk. We are on the fourth book and I have to stop myself from reading ahead once they fall asleep at night.