Two years ago, Jonathan Olson, now 11, was being sent to the library of his public school to work alone on advanced math problems. At the end of Jonathan's fourth-grade year, his mother, Brenda Olson, made a decision: He would now be home schooled.

"I only have one child. I want him to achieve his full potential," she said. "I thought I could do a better job."

KEN WILLIAMS / Monitor staff Brenda Olson is the owner of the new Homeschool Scholars bookstore in Eagle Square. “It seems like every week I have new people who are coming,” she said. Zoom Purchase Photos Online

Olson's decision has morphed into a business. In September, she opened the Homeschool Scholars of New Hampshire bookstore and activity center. Home school curriculums, books and educational games are all for sale in the store.

But beyond the books, Olson's center also provides a unique service to local home schoolers, giving them a place to come together and socialize.

"I hope to give them a solid foundation here," Olson said. And after spending most of the day working at home, kids love walking through the center's doors, Olson said. "They're just happy to be doing something fun. . . . They're able to be themselves without fear of being ridiculed."

Since Olson opened her doors in Eagle Square, about 100 families have joined her center as members. And the number keeps increasing.

"It seems like every week I have new people who are coming," she said.

Figures suggest that Olson, who isn't aware of another store for home schoolers in the state, may have tapped into a growing market. Last year, more than 4,500 New Hampshire children were home schooled, according to the Department of Education. In the 2000-01 school year, that figure was 3,895.

Olson sells a variety of books and curriculums, including Scholastic and Spectrum. Her store also sells used books and toys, giving parents a lower-cost option. While she has some products for young children, most of her books are aimed at kids aged 6 and up, when parents make the choice to home school.

The social aspect

But the clubs and family-oriented activities have become the heart of the center. Olson and her son have started numerous clubs, including the Lego and cartooning clubs, which meet in the late afternoon. Olson asks for a $1 donation for each club.

The "Tween" club gives home schoolers between the ages of 9 and 13 the opportunity to socialize. On some afternoons, Olson will pop in books on tape (currently, she's playing Anne of Green Gables). Kids of all ages will gather around to listen.

Nineteen boys, ages 6 to 15, have joined the center's chess tournament, which will continue running for several months (no girls opted to join).

Olson teaches arts and crafts and has kids try everything from ceramics to painting rocks. And she and her husband Ronald now have the chance put their background as former professional ballroom dancers to work. On selected evenings, they offer ballroom and swing dancing lessons.

A local art teacher teaches classes in the center for $10 per kid, helping them with self-portraits, painting scenes from Main Street and creating a mural. Olson soon hopes to add classes in writing and foreign languages. On Friday evenings, to celebrate the week's end, many of the center's members gather for the family fun night, where kids play and parents mingle.

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