Teachers need books to help them do their job, and homeschool parents do too! Some of my most frequently asked questions have to do with finding books, so I have listed some books I like (or have heard them highly recommended by others) along with a step-by-step plan for finding them.
- My go-to place to look for books is Amazon, and I usually visit that site a few times a day to get information. At Amazon, you’ll see a description of the book and if you’re lucky, a preview of a few pages. I like the reviews, so I read those to learn more. Amazon will also provide links to similar items, and that’s helpful too.
- When you have identified a book on Amazon that you think you may want, go to your library and see if it is available to check out. Most libraries have online catalogs, so you can do it all from home!
- If your library doesn’t have it, consider asking if your park day friends have a copy you could borrow or at least preview at park day. You might also put it on your wish list if you go to used book sales or thrift shops. My local library has a well stocked used book store and I often find books that homeschoolers have donated.
- If you decide to buy it, look at both Amazon.com and Half.com for new and used copies. I go to these sites the most because they are easy to use. You might also find it at Homeschool Classifieds. If you are shopping locally, don’t forget to bring your teacher ID card or some other proof and ask if they offer teacher discounts.
Here are some books for parents. On my website, I also have book ideas for kids along with some educational toy recommendations.
Homeschool Books
- Carschooling: Over 350 Entertaining Games & Activities to Turn Travel Time into Learning Time
- A Charlotte Mason Education
- Einstein Never Used Flashcards: How Our Children Really Learn–and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less
- The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child: Your Complete Guide to Getting Off to the Right Start
- Fundamentals of Homeschooling: Notes on Successful Family Living
- Home Grown Kids
- Homeschool Your Child for Free: More Than 1,400 Smart, Effective, and Practical Resources for Educating Your Family at Home
- Homeschooling: A Family’s Journey
- The Unschooling Handbook : How to Use the Whole World As Your Child’s Classroom
Learning Styles
- Discover Your Child’s Learning Style
- How Children Learn by John Holt
- In Their Own Way: Discovering and Encouraging Your Child’s Multiple Intelligences
- Seven Times Smarter: 50 Activities, Games, and Projects to Develop the Seven Intelligences of Your Child
Help and Hope for Parents
- Endangered Minds: Why Children Don’t Think And What We Can Do About It
- Failure to Connect: How Computers Affect Our Children’s Minds
- How to Behave and Why
(a book to read to children about manners)
- The Hurried Child by David Elkind
- 100 Ways to Build Self-Esteem and Teach Values (Loomans, Diane)
- What All Children Want Their Parents to Know: Twelve Keys to Successful Parenting
The Early Years
- Arts & Crafts Busy Book : 365 Activities
- Baby Read-Aloud Basics: Fun and Interactive Ways to Help Your Little One Discover the World of Words
- Bright From the Start: The Simple, Science-Backed Way to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind from Birth to Age 3
- Preschooler’s Busy Book: 365 Creative Games & Activities To Occupy 3-6 Year Olds
- Reading with Babies, Toddlers and Twos
- What Your Preschooler Needs to Know: Get Ready for Kindergarten
- Your One-Year-Old: The Fun-Loving, Fussy 12-To 24-Month-Old
- Your Two-Year-Old: Terrible or Tender
- Your Three-Year-Old: Friend or Enemy
- Your Four-Year-Old: Wild and Wonderful
- Your Five Year Old: Sunny and Serene
- Your Six-Year-Old: Loving and Defiant
- Your Seven-Year-Old: Life in a Minor Key
- Your Eight Year Old: Lively and Outgoing
- Your Nine Year Old: Thoughtful and Mysterious
- Your Two-Year-Old: Terrible or Tender
Elementary Years
- What Your Kindergartner Needs to Know: Preparing Your Child for a Lifetime of Learning
- What Your First Grader Needs to Know: Fundamentals of a Good First-Grade Education
- What Your Second Grader Needs to Know: Fundamentals of a Good Second Grade Education Revised
- What Your Third Grader Needs to Know: Fundamentals of a Good Third-Grade Education
- What Your Fourth Grader Needs to Know: Fundamentals of A Good Fourth-Grade Education
- What Your Fifth Grader Needs to Know, Revised Edition: Fundamentals of a Good Fifth-Grade Education
- What Your Sixth Grader Needs to Know
- What Your First Grader Needs to Know: Fundamentals of a Good First-Grade Education
Teens
- After Homeschool: Fifteen Homeschoolers Out in the Real World (Parent’s Guide series)
- Been There, Should’ve Done That: 995 Tips for Making the Most of College
- Homeschoolers’ College Admissions Handbook: Preparing Your 12- to 18-Year-Old for a Smooth Transition
- Homeschoolers’ Success Stories : 15 Adults and 12 Young People Share the Impact That Homeschooling Has Made on Their Lives
- How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less
- How to Win at College: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country’s Top Students
- Real Lives: Eleven Teenagers Who Don’t Go to School Tell Their Own Stories
- The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education
Special Situations – Gifted, Special Needs
- Different Learners: Identifying, Preventing, and Treating Your Child’s Learning Problems
- Making the Choice: when typical school doesn’t fit your atypical child
- The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder
- Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World: Unlocking the Potential of Your Add Child
- Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
- Some of My Best Friends Are Books: Guiding Gifted Readers
Books that help in locating good books and reading aloud
- Books to Build On: A Grade-by-Grade Resource Guide for Parents and Teachers
- Classics to Read Aloud to Your Children
- Hey! Listen to This: Stories to Read Aloud
- Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever
- The Read-Aloud Handbook
- What to Read When: The Books and Stories to Read with Your Child–and All the Best Times to Read Them
This is by no means a complete list – it’s just the tip of the iceberg of what is now available for homeschoolers! Browse through the links and be sure to look at the “Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought” section on the bottom of each Amazon link. I find that often leads me to just what I’m looking for!
I placed this list on my Pinterest Page, so check there for more homeschooling ideas too!
Karen Taylor shares homeschooling comments and links on Facebook, Pinterest, and this blog. Click on the buttons at the top of this page to subscribe so that you don’t miss them!
