Reading Resources and Helpful Links
Finding the right reading list or resource to help your homeschool reading curriculum….
Whether you have an advanced reader or you are just starting to implement a reading curriculum into your homeschool, finding resources is tough. There are millions of children’s books available at our fingertips between libraries, Kindle, Libby, stores, Novel List Plus and more. But finding a book that has clean content and is appropriate for your child’s needs is a whole different story. Our struggle has been finding books that are appropriate for our advanced pre-teen while also being interesting and providing a challenge. Not to mention our list of books for regular journaling in our homeschool.
And we aren’t the only ones who are struggling. Many homeschool families we know are asking the same question – where can I find good books? While I don’t have all the answers and every family is different with their reading list requirements, here are some of our favorites that have been parent-approved and will hopefully help you start somewhere safely for your child’s reading ventures.
Library
- Books for advanced readers
- Magazines
- Novel List Plus Search Engine (or similar)
- Non-Fiction and Fiction books
- Librarians to ask for help and guidance
- Reading summer programs and more
- Extra extension activities
Book Lists- Reading Resources by Age
Classic Books for Elementary (1st – 5th)
- James and the Giant Peach
- The BHG
- The Borrowers
- The Mouse and the Motorcycle
- The Trumpet and the Swan
- The Little Prince
- Charlotte’s Web
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- Journey to the Center of the Earth
- Rush Revere Series
- King Arthur
- Velveteen Rabbit
- Wrinkle in Time
- Sammy Keyes
- Alice in Wonderland
- Treasure Island
- The Secret Garden
- Indian in the Cupboard
- Harry Potter *check for age*
- Frindle
- Shiloh
Classics for Middle School (6th – 8th)
- The Giver
- Lord of the Rings
- Lord of the Flies
- King Arthur and His Court
- The Hobbit
- Little Women
- Anne of Green Gables
- Hatchet
- Where the Red Fern Grows
- Red Badge of Courage *check for age*
- Wonder
- Bud, Not Buddy
- Three Musketeers
More Book Ideas for Older Elementary/Middle School Students…
- The Borrowers
- The Once and Future King
- The Wind in the Willows
- Gulliver’s Travels
- The Prince and the Pauper
- The Time Machine
- The Grapes of Wrath
- Sarah, Plain and Tall
- The Phantom of the Opera
- Watership Down
- Romeo and Juliet
- Journey to the Center of the Earth
- The Secret of the Old Clock
- The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights
- Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
- Goodnight Mister Tom
- Stig of the Dump
- The Dark is Rising
- A Wizard of Earthsea
- A Wizard of Earthsea
- Half Upon a Time
- Fantastic Mr. Fox
- Around the World in 80 days
- The Call of the Wild
- The Trumpet and the Swan (Nathan)
- Indian in the Cupboard (Nathan)
- The Cay
- The Thief of Always
- Old Yeller
- The Art of Manliness
- The Chosen
- Bud, Not Buddy
- David Copperfield
- Shiloh
- Sounder
- The Tale of Despereaux
Here is an example of how we “work through and review” a book before we give it to our children to read:
First: We gather a list from websites, resources and our own library
Then: Look up the books on various review websites including Common Sense Media (free to homeschoolers, just make a free account)
Finally: Make a list and make personal notes on the pros/cons/ age restrictions or concerns based on your own family expectations. See our notes as we reviewed and remembered what we had read.
- 1. Picture of Dorian Gray – (I’ll read first) recommended for 16+ (homeo-erotic statements/some language) *After reading this, content is much better suited for highschooler)
- 2. Grapes of Wray – recommended for 15+ (some direct sexual references)
- 3. The Count of Monte Cristo – recommended 12+ (mild language, very mild sexual refs)
- 4. War and Peace – Probably not – he’ll die of boredom (funny review: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy | Goodreads)
- 5. The Republic- complex/difficult but content is all fine
- 6. The Neverending Story – recommended 8+
- 7. Epic of Gilgamesh – kids level is fun and short
- 8. I, Robot – Recommended 13+ (similar to movie)
- 9. Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin– easy to read – no copies at library, online only
- 10. Ivanhoe – recommended 16+ may like this history, though some romance and wordy
- 11. The Aeneid- no, all about love affairs – high school or adult
- 12. Stardust – probably fine, requested to review details/compare to movie
Websites with Journal/Reading Questions:
Reading Resource Lists
- James and Giant Peach – list of simpler elementary questions/some high school level
- Alice in Wonderland – good discussion/modify to journal questions for upper elementary
- Additional Reading List – our combined list for Story of the World Curriculum that works as a general reading list as well – many good and interesting fictional stories.
Helpful Hints:
Something we learned a little belatedly is that keeping a constant calendar on Word is the best way to track what you have and haven’t read. We are at a loss now for our eldest because he has read EVERYTHING and we don’t know what he hasn’t read. So we are making lists, backtracking and now moving forward, we are keeping a better calendar of the two younger boys.
Whether you keep a master list or a journal notebook or a calendar, keeping a good reading list is the best way to stay organized and keep track of good books, bad books and future reading lists. I highly recommend starting sooner rather than later, because we are learning the hard way that it is much harder to back track.