We’ve had a lot of great questions come in since we announced the Charlotte Mason series preorder, and we realized we owe you some answers!
So we put together this FAQ to answer everything in one place — from “premium vs. standard” and cover design choices to payment options and the full shipping timeline.
{Expand this 👇👇 “Contents” button to skip to a specific question!}
The Smidgen Press preorder for Charlotte Mason’s Volumes 1, 2, 3, and 6 is now open! Summary:
- Limited time orders for “Premium” Smyth sewn Home Education Series editions
- “Standard” hardcovers/paperbacks available widely after launch deliveries are all complete (preorders get the new books first!)
- July 9 deadline for guaranteed copies; extras will be ordered but can be claimed only while supplies last
- Orders by June 25 can be named as supporters for bringing Vols 2 & 3 into the world
- Late October delivery target for premium sewn bindings; August target for standard bindings
Which Home Education Series books are available in this 2026 preorder?
Volumes 1, 2, 3, and 6 are up for orders now!
After releasing Volumes 1 and 6 in 2025, this preorder launches Volumes 2 and 3, and we’ll finish the series in 2027.
Why the gap in the series?
We started this project with Volume 6 in 2023 (blog post here!). With some adjustments based on reader feedback (that’s this post) we revised Volume 6 slightly for the series and continued with Volume 1.
Are these the complete, original texts, or have they been edited?
These are complete editions, unedited, which are professionally re-typeset from scratch and proofread against original UK editions. No content has been removed, abridged, or Americanized. We DO have additional bonus content by Mason in each of the books.
I use lessons that mention the original editions’ page numbers. Do yours have these same numbers?
We have kept the original page numbers as margin notes inside each volume, while our actual pages have their own numbers for the Contents as required by Amazon and other retailers. This lets us use professional book formatting layouts while preserving what homeschool families need for referencing.
What’s the difference between “Premium” and “Standard” hardcover bindings?
“Premium” editions are durable Smyth sewn bindings where groups of pages are stitched together before they’re secured together at the spine. This allows the editions to lay open easily for reading.
“Standard” hardcovers use a glued binding and are equally beautiful, if less durable over time; they’re a good choice if you want a hardcover at a lower price point.
- Premium editions involve a print run of hundreds of copies, so bulk preorders like this are how we estimate what quantity to order.
- Standard hardcovers and paperbacks can be printed one at a time, so they will be the everyday option on our store once all preorder books have been delivered (aiming for August).
When will the Premium hardcovers be ordered again?
Our next print run order is slated for summer 2027, which is also the year we plan to finish the full six-book Home Education series. We are willing to do an order sooner if there is sufficient demand.
Do you already have “standard” hardcovers of Volumes 1 and 6 on your regular store?
We do have Home Education (Vol.1) and Philosophy of Education (Vol. 6) on our store in the cheaper Standard bindings, and after this launch, Parents and Children and School Education will also be there for long-term availability.
Main store purchases for Volume 1 and 6 will ship more quickly than preorders will, but the “$5 off each additional book” discounts are only available in this group preorder.
The preorder is asking me to choose between two hardcover designs. What’s the difference?
Dust jackets for these books are created with a gradient-green effect across the series.
The books underneath, however, have two design options:
- The “filigree” pattern is a custom design created by Terri Shown with learning-themed icons scattered in a scroll pattern. The filigree design is identical on all books, except for the titles on the spines, and they have the series green gradient dust jackets over top.
- The “typography”/text hardcovers match their corresponding dust jacket. This format is preferred by most people who do not intend to keep their dust jacket.
What is the 2026 timeline for ordering and shipments?
The preorder is open from late May through July 9, 2026, and all items should arrive by October if there are no production delays.
Here is a more detailed breakdown:
- May
- Preorder opens
- June
- Book files and “proof copies” finish final flight checks
- 6/25/26: deadline for “founding supporter” credit in Volumes 2 & 3
- July
- 7/9/26: guaranteed Premium availability closes
- Print run order is placed; orders will stay open until all Premium ordered stock is claimed
- Standard hardcovers, paperbacks, and ebooks begin fulfillment
- August
- After all preorder deliveries are complete, Volumes 2 & 3 join 1 & 6 on the Smidgen Press shop as ongoing editions
- Print copies get approved for shipment from China to US (barring any production issues)
- Premium stock will move to main store front for final preorders or will become the 2027 waitlist
- Late Sept/early Oct
- Premium editions arrive to US fulfillment center and begin shipping
- Target delivery of all items by October
Is there free shipping?
Yes! Any orders over $80US will get free shipping. Contact us about other countries.
Are there discounts for ordering more than one book?
If you purchase more than one book, you can get $5 off each additional book, of any title or binding. This multi-buy discount ends July 9, 2026.
Codes are based on how many copies you’re buying:
- BUY2 – two copies in cart, order is discounted $5 for the second book
- BUY3 – three items, $10 off
- BUY4 – four items, $15
- {…same formula for 5–7 items…}
- BUY8 is our highest coupon as we see what readers want – that’s $35 off your order total.
What if I’m ordering more than 8 books?
Email hello@smidgenpress.com if you’re ordering more than eight books, and we’ll set up a discount for you.
Do you offer a “study bundle” where I can get a hardcover for my shelf and a paperback of the same book to carry around and mark up?
You can create your own “study bundles” with our $5 discounts (see above). Thanks to the readers who suggested this!
For example, add a Premium hardcover of Volume 1 to your cart, and then under the Paperback bindings, add another Volume 1. If only those two are in your cart, enter BUY2 at checkout for $5 off the second one. (Note that this may be a case where “free shipping over $80” may be better for you than the single-book discount; compare those cart totals when you check out.)
Can I pay in installments?
Yes! Two interest-free options are available at checkout: Shop Pay (biweekly installments) and PayPal Buy Now Pay Later. Both are interest-free when paid off within the specified timeframe.
Your order ships on the normal schedule regardless of which payment option you choose.
When will my card be charged?
Orders are charged at the time of purchase, including shipping. If you choose a payment plan, your installment schedule begins at checkout per your provider’s terms—but your order is placed and your books are reserved immediately.
Do these ship internationally?
Paperback and standard hardcover editions ship to most countries — just select your location at checkout. If you run into any hiccups, or if your country isn’t listed, please email us (hello@smidgenpress.com), and we’ll troubleshoot with you.
Were these books on Kickstarter before?
Our 2025 campaign for Volume 1 (Home Education) and Volume 6 (Philosophy of Education) used Kickstarter while we were building out our online store infrastructure.
This year, for Volumes 2 and 3 (Parents and Children and School Education) we’ve upgraded to an overseas print run and moved the preorder to our own site — which means you order directly through us, get shipping updates from us, and don’t have to worry about Kickstarter emails ending up in your spam folder.
I supported last year’s Kickstarter and I would like the replacement hardcovers. How do I get those?
We will have replacement dust jackets for the ones that were misprinted for books 1 & 6. (Items printed now and going forward do not have the same issues.)
While we were hoping we could have you add dust jackets by clicking a box somewhere, the back end setup is a little more complex than that. So we will be handling these replacements manually before shipping out this year’s orders on our July or October timeframes (depending on formats ordered).
We’re disappointed in how last year’s printer handled these, but we want to make these right for you (and we’re hopeful with regards to our new printer and fulfillment/shipping partner).
What are the risks with this project?
There could be timeline setbacks if any issues are caught during production — up to a few weeks — but overall the cover designs are complete, book text files are nearly finished (May 2026), and we’re working with an experienced warehousing and fulfillment company, so our ducks are in a row.
Do you offer wholesale or home library orders?
We would love to chat about wholesale orders and home libraries! Email hello@smidgenpress.com for more information.
