I am a homeschooling mother who cares deeply about nurturing my children’s intellect. Literacy and mathematics proficiency is the bulk of our daily education, so we spend a lot of time on boring, monotonous tasks.
Things are changing in our world, which means that my children may not be able to rely on the knowledge they acquire during childhood to carry them through their lives. Which makes developing critical thinking skills and a love to learn all the more important.
Therefore my main task as a homeschool mom is to turn my undisciplined children into lifelong learners who continuously seek knowledge and can be fluid in their understanding of how the world works.
The only way I practically see to accomplish this task is to make learning fun in the early years. So, I want to share some fun book ideas for homeschoolers in this post.
I hope this helps you turn your home library into an engaging experience for your entire family.
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Fun Book Ideas for Homeschoolers
1) Usborne books
Usborne is our absolute favorite book brand.
They offer so many great illustrated and interactive books for children of all ages. Their books are very reasonably priced and packed with facts and information.
Another reason I support this brand is they are leading the charge against human trafficking and modern day slavery by having checks and balances to ensure their supply chain does not contribute to child and slave labor .
2) Biligual Picture Books
One of the best ways to teach your child a second language (if you don’t already speak one) is to read to them in said language.
We make reading Spanish/English children books apart of our weekly homeschool routine. I have found that my Spanish is improving by doing this as well.
My hope is that as we move into formally studying other languages, these read-out-louds will have built a solid foundation for my homeschoolers, so that their lessons are less frustrating and difficult.
3) Search and Find
If you are reading this right now and are a mom, you probably grew up with Where’s Waldo books.
Search and Find books are a lot like those except they have different themes. They great for developing patience and vocabulary.
Sometimes we just talk about all the pictures and don’t even bother searching for anything. We take turns making up stories as we go which helps to expand my children’s imagination and creativity.
4) The Classics
I am a big believer that homeschool families should all own a copy of the classics and make these timeless books accesible on a rainy day for older children. I actually read these books to my kindergardener one chapter at a time. I believe that by exposing him to classic literature at an earlier age, it will help expand his vocabulary and improve his reading comprehension.
There are probably those that would debate the idea and suggest exposing younger kids too early could lead to frustration with reading. I try to find a balance between holding high standards and challenging his mind, to also ensuring he enjoys our read-out-louds.
5) The Tuttle Twins
If you want to teach complex geopolitical topics to your homeschooler, look no further than the marvelously written Tuttle Twin Series.
I am a firm believer that every homeschooler needs this series in their library. It really explains exactly how we got where we are today.
I truly expect that the future’s great thinkers will be the homeschoolers of today because their education will be full of facts, not ideology. The Tuttle Twin series introduces the big picture mistakes of our past in an easy to understand format.
It contains lessons that many adults need to understand for the sake of our future society. This series is pretty expensive, but the lessons it shares are priceless.
6) The Illustrated Harry Potter Books
Harry Potter was one of the most interesting series I read as a child. I could read these books for hours and remember how excited I was with each further chapter.
I think the illustrated versions took the Harry Potter series to the next level. I can see a much younger child challenging themselves to read the series because the beautiful illustrations provide intellectual breaks for the younger mind.
7) The Berenstain Bears
The Berestain Bears were one of my favorite series growing up. These books have rich and colorful illustrations, as well as practical life lessons in every story.
There are so many to collect and you can find them in used book stores all over the country. Most of the time, when I tell my son to pick out a book before bed, he reaches for a Berestain Bears book.
8) The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia is an epic adventure series that is easy to read. It was written by one of the great thinkers of the 19th century and introduces concepts of bravery and integrity to the reader.
We started the first book when my son was 5 years old and he actually stayed engaged in the story. I look forward to finishing the series with him over the years and I highly recommend this for leisure reading in between lessons.
Growing your Homeschool Library on a Budget
Many of the book recommendations I have made can be rather expensive. My being a full time stay-at-home mom means we are living on one income in 2022 so I understand the strugge to want to provide a rich and meaningful homeschool experience for your children, but have a very limited budget to do so.
I have collected these books over the past 5 years in various ways.
-I ask for books for birthdays and holiday gifts.
-I go to thrift and used book stores.
-We borrow books from the library instead of owning them.
-We trade with other homeschool families.
-We buy most new books during Black Friday and after Christmas sales.
This is by no means a comprehensive list of the all the fun books for homeschoolers. As I go along, I will continue to update the post as I find new series we enjoy!
