CEB’s mission is to provide Canadian families with all the books and curriculum they need to provide a beautiful education for their children. We aim to be convenient and courteous; quick and competitive. If you have questions about anything you see on our website or have ideas about what you would like to see, please send us an email, we’d love to hear from you. If you don’t receive an immediate response, please forgive us; we’re likely near the end of a good book and just can’t put it down. 

We’re not just about Classical Education, we carry books and curriculum to fulfill all methods of homeschooling.

Our passion is to empower homeschooling families for success. We’ll assist you in getting started and guide you to find a path that suits your family. Over time, you’ll discover how to spread your wings of educational freedom and soar, and eventually, you can even teach us!

About Our Team

Hester VanBraeden
Owner & Manager

One day, Hester sold a few books to some friends. Then, she sold more, and even more.

Classical Education Books began in the basement of her home but flourished. CEB is now located in Abbotsford, BC.

As a second-generation homeschooling mom, she is passionate about setting others up for success. Hester wants you to understand that homeschooling is not just about checking off boxes or finishing a book or curriculum; it’s about relationships, character building through literature and community, and discovering the good, the true, and the beautiful in all things. Good books can pierce the soul in the best of ways, and she is committed to passing that love on to others by first asking, ‘Have you read this one?’

Hester enjoys studying, being surrounded by books, and teaching her children at home. Though we’re not quite sure how she manages, she also takes on teaching other children through a homeschool co-op in which she and her children participate.

Occasionally, we still find her mumbling to herself, “How did a hobby turn into a full-fledged business”?

Sarah Mast
Website Data Entry Professional

Early in this story, Sarah visited Hester’s booth at a Homeschool Conference and recognized that Hester needed help managing the mass of eager customers. She immediately swooped in, and an instant friendship began. It didn’t take long before Sarah was officially brought on to help with the website.

She is responsible for keeping our online “storefront” neat and tidy. Broken links? She’s on it! Missing downloads? No, never. She’s already caught those.

Sarah lives in Fort Langley with her husband and is currently homeschooling her two delightful teens. She’s navigating that scene with grace and confidence, and she’s an inspiration for those staring down the imminent teen years.

She’s active with her local homeschool co-op, and spends time hiking, skiing, traveling, or reading.

If you are fortunate enough to find her in the store, grab her and ask her to help you find just the right book. She has the amazing ability to match children with their next read.

Adrianne Curwen
Creative Director

While Hester was busy building a business, Adrianne was praying for what she called a “Proverbs 31 income”. She prayed for years that the Lord would provide additional income for her family but wanted to remain at home, educating her children. Adrianne answered Hester’s call for another part-time employee and is grateful to God every day for answering her prayer with a job she loves.

She is the one who makes sure you have good and lovely things in your email box and keeps social media sane by posting beautiful and inspirational material for your scrolling pleasure (and the more-than-occasional advertisement of products that you should buy). Her talents expand beyond marketing to planning and creating everything that makes us look good.

Adrianne lives in Mission with her husband Jeff. They are the humble parents of seven amazing children. They have homeschooled all of them from birth, with four graduated and one married.

When she has free time – imagine that – she enjoys reading, organizing, spending time walking in nature, kayaking and scrolling Pinterest.

Carleigh Davey
Events

When Hester wanted to fulfill her customers’ wishes to be open on Saturdays, Carleigh answered the call. However, it didn’t take long to realize that Carleigh’s skill set goes far beyond checking books out on Saturday afternoons.

Carleigh stands out as a community builder and leader, so it only made sense to move her into a role that involves planning, organizing and being present for all the fun stuff we plan. She is also a wealth of information when it comes to the curriculum we carry, so grab her if you see her in the store.

Carleigh and her husband, Gary, are homeschool parents to 5 incredible children. In Carleigh’s free time, she can be found hosting gatherings in her home, planning the next homeschool event for their homeschool co-op, or engaging in something active with her family.

Josiah Curwen
Shipping and Receiving

It takes a special skill set to ensure that all the books and curriculum ordered by our customers are received in the store and then shipped out; Josiah is our guy! He’s a recent homeschool graduate and already has a keen sense of warehouse logistics. We’ve heard that even at home, he knows how to keep things running smoothly.

When he’s not at work, Josiah can be found on the archery field or volunteering at his church and for youth theatre. He’s the very centre of a family of 7 children, with 3 older siblings and 3 younger ones. He’s been educated using some of the curriculum we offer; he can help answer your questions if needed.