Home › History & geography › Programs › Guest Hollow

Guest Hollow

Literature-based, secular-but-Christian-friendly history and geography built from real books, video and projects.

Updated September 2026 · 7 sources

Grades	1st–12th
Faith	Faith-neutral: little religious content
Covers	World history, American history, Geography and world cultures
Approach	Literature-based schedule combining a spine book/online textbook with real books, videos, games and projects
Who teaches	The parent teaches
Parent prep	Low to moderate (detailed schedule does the planning; parent sources library books and preps optional projects)
Screen time	A mix of screen and paper
Video lessons	Available: embedded videos (Crash Course, PragerU, documentaries) supplement the reading but aren't the sole teacher
Cost	Unknown
Placement	Guest Hollow: Shop by Grade Grade-band breakdown of which Guest Hollow level to start with

Is it right for your child? Answer a few questions to see how Guest Hollow ranks against 31 other programs.

See my match

What parents say

Parents and reviewers, including Cathy Duffy, praise Guest Hollow for making history feel alive through real books, embedded videos, art projects and historical recipes instead of a dry textbook, with kids reportedly calling it their favorite subject. The tradeoffs are that families must source and gather a lot of external books and materials themselves, the reading lists and workbooks can feel like a lot to manage, and the worldview is a specific 'secular but Christian-friendly' mix that families should preview rather than assume.

Parents love

Real books, videos and projects instead of a dry textbook
Kids who found history boring elsewhere often love it here
Flexible, buffet-style schedule you can trim to fit your family

Common complaints

Parents must source and gather many books/materials themselves
Reading lists and workbooks can feel like a lot to manage
Worldview is 'secular but Christian-friendly' - preview resources first

Who it fits

Best for

No religious content. Publisher describes it as 'secular but Christian friendly,' not a devotional program
Living books and read-alouds. Built around real books, historical novels, biographies and a free online textbook
Story spine + activities. A core spine book or online textbook anchors each course's schedule
Hands-on projects and unit studies. Art projects, historical recipes, games and timeline figures
World history, in order. Whirlwind World History plus Geography & Cultures cover the globe
American history. Two-year Early/Modern American History series, plus Jr. and Little Kids' versions
Geography and world cultures. Dedicated Geography and Cultures curriculum at multiple levels
No, separate levels. Distinct Little Kids, Jr., and High School levels by age
Only one child. Works well for a single student too
Some screen time. A mix of screen and paper
Some: 20–30 min daily.

Less suited for

Christian, Bible-integrated. Not Bible-integrated; faith content is optional and incidental

These come straight from the scoring rules the quiz uses.

Similar programs

The Nomadic ProfessorSecular online high-school history: on-location video lectures plus document analysis and guided notes
Build Your LibrarySecular, Charlotte Mason-style history curriculum built from a living-books list you mostly borrow
Easy Peasy All-in-One HomeschoolFree Christian history: 4-year Ancient/Early American/Modern/Geography cycle, two reading levels

Questions parents ask

How does Guest Hollow teach history?

Guest Hollow is described as literature-based schedule combining a spine book/online textbook with real books, videos, games and projects. Parent prep: low to moderate (detailed schedule does the planning; parent sources library books and preps optional projects).

What grades does Guest Hollow cover?

Guest Hollow covers grades 1st–12th.

How much does Guest Hollow cost?

We couldn't find a current price on the publisher's or a retailer's site. Check with the publisher.

Is Guest Hollow Christian or secular?

Faith-neutral: little religious content.

What does Guest Hollow cover?

World history, American history, Geography and world cultures.

Can siblings use Guest Hollow together?

Partly. Families often combine children for read-alouds and discussion, with separate work by level.

Is Guest Hollow online?

A mix of screen and paper. The parent teaches.

Does Guest Hollow have a placement test?

Yes. Guest Hollow: Shop by Grade. Grade-band breakdown of which Guest Hollow level to start with

Sources (7)

Summaries are in our own words.