I've passed over these books at bookstores because they are just travel guides, right? Wrong. I didn't realize how wrong I was until I actually took a look inside Lonely Planet's India has 1140 pages! Not only could you plan an extensive, well-researched trip, you could find a wealth of information about India's culture, food and drink, economy, history, and geography in amazing detail.

For homeschoolers, this book is packed with resources: maps, a list of Indian films and books, major and minor festivals and events, Indian weather and seasonal changes, basics of India's economic system, Indian politics and government, major news events, history from 3500 BC to 1994 (with suggested books and websites for additional information), Indian etiquette and lifestyle rituals, religions, the arts, sports, and media. And that's just the first 75 pages!

In the environment section, you can read about India's geography, wildlife, plants, national parks, and environmental issues. In the food and drink section, learn what types of foods are typically eaten and why. The rest of the book dives into each region of India, providing a little more historical and cultural information, not to mention the full-color photographs sprinkled throughout.

This is a terrific all-in-one resource for homeschoolers to use with their children to enrich any study of India.

Product review by Jessica DeFore, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, September 2008