Homeschool Literature List

By Marcie Ciampi

This is a homeschool literature list for grades K-12. Although, there are many titles adults will enjoy.

I started this homeschool literature list and now I can't stop. When I find new books to add to the literature list, I know my fingers will be hurting the next day, after I type all the titles. I did not cut and copy this from anywhere, so please respect my rights and do not distribute or copy this list without permission.

I divided the grades by primary (grades K-3),intermediate (grades 4-6), and middle school plus(grades 6 and above). The middle school and above section has books with varying levels of difficulty. Some will be better suited for read-aloud, depending on the child's reading level.

Besides the books listed, I recommend providing biographies in your reading program. And you may wish to also include a biography of a saint. Once again, this is not an all-inclusive homeschool literature list, and it's actually not a "homeschool" list at all.

These are merely my suggestions for quality books. I have read most of these books, but not all of them. There are many I look forward to rereading or reading for the first time.

And I can't wait to share many of them with my three sons.

Happy Reading.

You can use the primary grades' literature for read-aloud or independent reading. Picture books can be enjoyed by all ages and are fun to include in thematic unit studies for both primary and intermediate grades.

Primary Grades K-3 Homeschool Literature:

Beatrix Potter books

Everybody has Feeling by Charles Avery

We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury and Michael Rosen (great for drama and repetition)

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin (excellent biography for primary and intermediate)

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch (a must for all moms and dads)

No Dragons for Tea by Jean Pendziwol (cute story)

Pete's a Pizza bay William Steig (good for drama)

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

One-Dog Canoe by Marcy Casanova (fun)

Tikki Tikki Tembo, retold by Arlene Mosel (one of my pre-k students' favorites)

Who is the Beast by Kieth Baker (great original artwork)

Trick or Treat by Bill Martin Jr. (Excellent source for teaching about phonics)

Dinner at the Panda Palace by Stephanie Calmenson (one of my sons' favorites)

The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letter by Janet and Allan Ahlberg (Great for teaching letter writing)

The Snail and the Whale by Alex Sheffler and Julia Donaldson (super rhythm and rhyme & sweet story)

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams (my favorite Halloween book - match the sounds with different musical instruments for a great lesson)

A House is A House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman (a must have)

The Hat; On Noah's Ark - books by Jan Brett (quality pictures and good stories)

I Love You the Purplest by Barbara M Joosse (good if you have more than one child, can lead to many writing ideas)

The Jacket I Wear in the Snow by Shirley Neitzel

The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper (a classic)

I'll Always Love You by Hans Wilhelm (about a dog dying)

Horrible Harry in Room 2B (silly easy-reader)

A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy (very well liked by my boys as their first independent reading books in second and third grade)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar; The Very Lonely Firefly; The Very Quiet Cricket - books by Eric Carle

Chicka Chicka ABC: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, Polar Bear, Polar Bear- books by Bill Martin Jr.

Color Farm; Growing Vegetable Soup - books by Lois Ehlert

Planting a Rainbow; Fish Eyes - books by Lois Ehlert

Inch by Inch; Swimmy; Little Yellow, Little Blue - books by Leo Lionni

Rumplestiltskin, retold by Paul O. Zelinsky

Cat and the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and more by Dr. Seuss

Go Dog Go! by P.D. Eastman (I like this one)

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff (all of her books are great picture books with fun stories)

I See Animals Hiding; Raccoon on His Own - books by Jim Arnosky

Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens

Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Ten Apples Up on Top by Theo LeSieg

Happy Birthday Moon by Fran Ash

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Sciesza

There's an Alligator Under my Bed by Mercer Mayer

The Listening Walk by Paul Showers

Mouse Mess by Linnea Asplind Riley

Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw

Strega Nona by DePaola (One of my youngest son's favorite)

Read Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young by Prelutsky

Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Rylant (series)

Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat (series)

Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park (series)

Owl Moon and the Seeing Stick, Jane Yolen

The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams

The Trumpet and the Swan, E.B. White

Ira Sleeps Over, Bernard Waber

Aesop for Children, Aesop

Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales, Hans Christian Andersen

Madeline books, Ludwig Bemelmans

The Three Billy Goats Gruff - several versions (great for drama)

The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant, Jean de Brunhoff

Mike Muliigan and His Steam Shovel; The Little House - books by Virginia Lee Burton

The Magic Tree House

The Bailey School Kids

Henry and Mudge

Black Lagoon Adventures

The Magic School Bus by Joanne Cole

Animal Ark

Noah's Ark by Peter Spier

The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Warner

The Three Bears (several versions)

Grimm's Fairy Tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Little Red Riding Hood (several versions)

Books by Ezra Jack Keats

Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Betty MacDonald

The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter

Curious George books, H.A. Rey

Where the Wild Things Are; Chicken Soup with Rice - books by Maurice Sendak

Caps for Sale, Esphyr Slobodkina (a great one to act out)

Books by the authors: Juanita Havill, Elizabeth Winthrop, James Stevenson

Usborne Greek Myths for Young Children

The Ugly Duckling

The Prince and the Pauper

Rumpelstiltskin


Intermediate Grades 4-6 Homeschool Literature:

The Book of Virtues by William J Bennet

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (great read-aloud)

Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

Read Aloud: A Treasury of Giant and Monster Stories (Kingfisher publisher)

The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox

Dear America series

My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier (On the list of frequently challenged books)

The America Girl

Harry Potter (has magic) (On the list of frequently challenged books)

The Borrowers

The Little House by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George

Holes by Louis Sachar

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

Homesick: My Own Story by Jean Fritz

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Abel's Island by William Steig

A Dog's Life by Ann M. Martin

The Trumpet and the Swan by E.B. White

What Hearts by Bruce Brooks

Stone Fox by John Reynold Gardiner

Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? by Jean Fritz

Frindle Andrew Clements

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

The Chocolate Touch by Patric Catling

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald

The Bunyans by Paul Zelinsky

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Aesop's Fables

Abby Hayes

The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman (great Middle Ages theme)

Because of Winn Dixie

Redwall

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Red Sails to Capri by Ann Weill (a great adventure/mystery tale)

Shiloh

Hatchet

Hoot

Esperanza Rising

Number the Stars

Sing Down the Moon by Scott O'Dell

Indian in teh cuboard by Lynn Reid Banks

Bunnicula by James Howe

Sounder by William H. Armstrong

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

The People Could Fly: American Black Folk Tales by Virginia Hamilton

Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb

Stories of the Gods and Heroes by Sally Benson

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Bible Stories (selections vary)

Include Classical Myths such as: The Trojan Horse and King Midas and the Golden Touch

Run Away Ralph; Stuart Little by E.B. White (excellent for fourth grade)

Abel's Island by William Steig

Homesick: My Own Story by Jean Fritz

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (on the list of frequently challenged books)

Stone Fox

Listed by Author:

Judy Blume (Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Fudge)

Beverly Cleary (Henry Huggins, Ralph S. Mouse)

E.B. White (Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little)

Cam Jansen

Andrew Clements

Jeff Brown

Hank Zipper (fun series for boys)

Dan Gutman (baseball series)

Betsy Byars (The Eighteenth Emergency, Trouble River)

Shredder Man

Frindle

Eyewittness Living Things by Miranda Smith

Snakes and Other Reptiles by Mary Elting

One Day in the Desert by Jean Craighead George

I Can Save the Earth by Anita Holmes

And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? by Jean Fritz

What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? by Jean Fritz

Will You Sign Here, John Hancock? by Jean Fritz

From Colonies to Country by Joy Hakim

My First Book of Biographies: Great Men and Women Every Child

Should Know by Jean Marzollo

I was Born About 10,000 Years Ago, by Steven Kellog

Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Ben Franklin

The Day Martin Luther King, Jr. Was Shot: A Photo History of the Civil Rights Movement by Jim Haskins

Classics such as: Dracula and Frankenstein

Castles by Kingfisher (anything by Kingfisher)

Howard Pyle's Classics: Arabian Nights, Robin Hood


Middle School Grades 6 and beyond Homeschool Literature:

(These books range in reading levels. The higher reading level books may be more suitable for read-aloud, depending on the reading ability of the child. Adults will enjoy many of these selections as well.)

Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott

Books by Marjorie K. Rawlings, such as: The Yearling

National Velvet by Enid Bagnold

Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

I know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (magic)

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (fifth grade and above)

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes (fifth grade and above)

The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (magic)(On the list of frequently challenged books)

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis

Walk Two Moon by Sandra Creech

Dragonwings by Lawrence Yep (fifth grade and above)

The Giver by Lois Lowry (On the list of frequently challenged books)

Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (my fourth grader enjoyed reading this one)

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Animal Farm by George Orwell

The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (wonderful book)

The Chosen by Chaim Potok

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkein

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (a great one to read together)

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawis (a must read)

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

Ghost Boy by Iain Lawrence

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

The Master Puppeteer by Katherine Patterson (Excellent for teaching Middle Age Japan)

I'm Nobody! Who Are You? by Emily Dickinson

Diary of a Yong Girl by Anne Frank

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway

Monster by Walter Dean Myers (drama)

The Cage by Ruth Minsky (memoir)

Forbidden City by William Bell (historical fiction)

House of Scorpion by Nancy Farmer (autobiography)

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (fiction)

Summer of German Soldier by Bette Greene (historical fiction)

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (fantasy)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein

You Come Too by Robert Frost

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Story of my Life by Helen Keller

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (mature subject)

Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Tarzan retold by Robert D San Souci

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

The Anything Box by Zenna Henderson (Collectible)

The Legend of King Arthur by David Borgenicht

Howard Pyle's King Arthur

Petey by Ben Mikaelsen

Shakespeare for Kids: His Life and Times by Colleen Aagesen and Margie Blumberg

Twelve Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

The Bard of Avon: The Story of William

Pride and Prejudice (and all books by Jane Austen)

Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte

The Aeneid of Virgil

World's Greatest Speeches by Lewis Copeland and Lawrence Lamm

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin (I read this book in sixth grade and still remember it.)

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Paradise Lost by John Milton

Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

The Chosen by Chaim Potok Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong, Revised and Updated Edition (just ordered)

The Timetables of History: A Horizontal Linkage of People and Events by Bernard Grun and Eva Simpson (just ordered)

Homeschool Literature Books to Purchase soon:

Tales by Shakespeare, by Charles and Mary Lamb

Pilgrim's Progress (abridged version)

Door in the Wall

The Child's Story Bible