Homeschool Book List

Only the books that we have really enjoyed have made it onto our homeschool book list. Our family loves to read. We have read hundreds of books. Some books we have read out loud as a family. Others books are read privately and discussed.

Each family member likes a slightly different genre. So some of the books listed are favorites of one family member but not the other.

Throughout the years we have also tried to read books that others have suggested. For one reason or another we have set the book aside. Not every book needs to be read.

Here are some of our favorites. Starting with the stories for the very young and continuing to what we are reading today.

Picture Books

I started reading picture books with my children when they were babies. We enjoyed simple board books about shapes, letter, numbers, and animals.

Here is a list of books that my children enjoyed as preschoolers and when they were non-readers.

Miss Nelson Is Missing!  ----  Harry G. Allard Jr. and James Marshall

Good Night Moon ----  Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd

A Bear Called Paddington ---- Michael Bond and R. W. Alley

Hotter than a Hot Dog ---- Stephanie Calmenson

The Very Hungary Caterpillar ---- Eric Carle (anything by Eric Carle)

Corduroy ---- Don Freedman

Millions of Cats ---- Wanda Gag

Where is Spot? ---- Eric Hill

The Snowy Day ---- Ezra Jack Keats

Leo, the Late Bloomer ---- Robert Kraus and Jose Aruego

The Story of Ferdinand ---- Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson

Swimmy ---- Leo Lionni

Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? ---- Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle

Make Way for Ducklings ---- Robert McCloskey

Ten Little Ladybugs ---- Melanie Gerth and Laura Huliska-Beith

Time for Bed ---- Fox Mem and Jane Dyer

Tacky the Penguin ---- Helen Lester and Lynn Munsinger

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie ---- Laura Numeroff (anything by Laura Numeroff) and Felicia Bond

The Little Engine that Could ---- Loren Long and Watty Piper

The Tale of Peter Rabbit ---- Beatrix Potter

Good Night Gorilla ---- Peggy Rathmann

Where the Wild Things Are ----- Maurice Sendak

The Cat in the Hat ---- Dr. Seuss

Caps for Sale a Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkey and Their Monkey Business ---- Esphry Slobodkina

 Lyle, Lyle Crocodile ---- Bernard Waber

Harry the Dirty Dog ---- Gene Zion and Margaret Bloy Graham

Christian Picture Books

I also felt that it was important to read Christian books when my children were young. Here is my homeschool book list for Christian picture books.

The Christopher Churchmouse Treasury -- By Barbara Davoll and Dennis Hockerman

The Christian Mother Goose Book -- by Marjorie Ainsborough Decker

Christian Mother Goose Rock-A-Bye Bible -- by Marjorie Ainsborough Decker

Barney Wigglesworth series-- by Elspeth Campbell Murphy

My Tall Book of Psalms -- by Donna Huisjen and Cindy Salans Rosenheim

The Lord is My Shepherd -- by Lynne Willey

The Lord's Prayer for Children -- by Debbie Boon-Jenkins

God Helps me Be Brave: A Book About Courage (Little Butterfly Book) ---- by Jan Johnson

Where's God When I'm S-Scared? (Veggie Tales Little Golden books) ---- by Golden Books

Bible Stories for Early Readers

I used the series to teach reading. My son liked to reread them. There are three levels and six books in each level. Each is based on a Bible story. The books are phonically based.

A Homeschool Book List for
Elementary Aged Children

First and second grade children can read easier books from the list above. My children also liked to read the level readers during this time. Most of the early leveled readers are not note worthy literature but fun for children to practice their reading.

Third Grade

Most children will be able to read from the selection below.

Ribsy ---- by Beverly Cleary

Ramona the Pest ---- by Beverly Cleary

Beezus and Ramona ----  by Beverly Cleary

Henry Huggins ---- by Beverly Cleary

Pippi Longstockings ---- by Astrid Lindgren

The Boxcar Children Series ---- by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Charlotte’s Web ----  by E. B. White and Garth Williams

Little House on the Prairie series ---- by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Garth Williams

The American Girls Series

Amelia Bedelia Series ----  by Peggy Parish and Fritz Siebel

Junie B. Jones series ----  by Barbara Park and Denise Brunkus

Magic Tree House series ---- by Mary Pope Osborne

The Magic School Bus series ---- by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen

Sarah Plain and Tall ----  byPatricia MacLachlan

Fourth Grade

Hardy Boys series (older version) ----  by Franklin W. Dixon

Nancy Drew series (older version) ----  by Carolyn Keene

Pollyanna ---- by Eleanor H. Porter

Black Beauty ----  by Anna Sewell

Adam of the Road ---- by Elizabeth Janet Gray

Fifth Grade

The Secret Garden ---- by Frances H. Burnett

The Door in the Wall ---- by Marguerite De Angeli

Sugar Creek Gang Series ----  by Paul Hutchins

Sixth Grade and Above

Little Woman ---- by Louisa Alcott

Island of the Blue Dolphins ---- by Scott O’Dell

Treasure Island ---- by Louis Robert Stevenson

The Chronicles of Narnia series ----  by C. S. Lewis

Left Behind the Kids ---- by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins

Cooper Kids Adventure series ---- by Frank Peretti

Christian Heritage series ----  by Nancy Rue

Lord of the Rings series ---  by J. R.  R. Tolkien

The Hobbit ---- by J. R. R. Tolkien

Amos Fortune Fee, Man ---- by Elizabeth Yates

The Sign of the Beaver ----  by Elizabeth George Speare

The Pearl ---- by John Steinbeck

Across Five Aprils ---- by Irene Hunt

Books by G. A. Henty

Biographies

I like to have biographies on my homeschool book list. I feel that it is important to learn about important people.

Isaac Newton: Inventor, Science, and Teacher ---- by John Hudson Tiner, Robert Burkett, and Jonathan & David Inc. (Sower Series)

Francis Scott Key ---- by David R. Collins (Sower Series)

Christopher Columbus: Adventurer of Faith and Courage ---- by Bennie Rhodes, Norma Cournow Camp, and A. G. Smith Jr. (Sower Series)

Other books in the Sower series ---- Different authors

Mary Jones and her Bible ---- by Christopher Wright

Sacagawea Brave Explorers Every Child Should Know About ----  by Karla Akins

Jim Elliot: One Great Purpose (Christian Heroes: Then & Now) ---- by Janet Benge and Geoff Benge

Other books in the Christian Heroes: Then & Now series

Seed Sowers: Gospel-Planting Adventures ---- by Gwen Toliver

Books about Books to Read

I used Teaching Tips by Rebecca L Avery a lot when I first started homeschooling. It has a wealth of information about teaching. There is a homeschool book list in the back. The books are listed by grade level. There are picture books, series, and classical literature. Most of the books are available from your local library.

I also used Honey for a Child's Heart: the Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life by Gladys M. Hunt it lists books to read to children from birth through age twelve. Honey for a Child's Heart is found in most public libraries.

The book Honey for a teen's heart: using books to communicate with teens by Gladys Hunt list many more books. I found lots of books that I wanted to share with my teenagers. My children also looked in Honey for a Teen's Heart and came up with books that they wanted to read. Honey for the Heart lists books by different genres such as westerns, science fiction, historical etc.

Reading Lists for the College-Bound Students by Doug Estell, Michele L. Satchwell and Patricia S. Wright lists books that children who want to go to college should read.

Reasons to Read Good Books

Reading good literature can help us sort out how we feel about life. Some books present difficult ideas. We can discuss books with our children. Discussing can help our children understand what they believe.

When we hear literature read it can help us learn proper English grammar.

Reading can also improve our vocabulary. We can see how words are used in context. Any words that are new to us we should look up in a dictionary.

Not only can reading improve our vocabulary it can also help us with spelling.

Reading can also give us ideas for our own writing. Books expose us to different ideas, people, and places. Knowledge about different people and places can give our teens ideas on what they would like to do with their life.

I hope that my homeschool book list will help you discover some new favorite reads.

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