With a gajillion books about homeschooling to choose from, how do you know which ones to spend your precious time reading? Such a large selection is a beautiful thing, however it can also be overwhelming. Look no further than my big list of homeschooling books! This comprehensive list of books about homeschooling is a great place to start, and I hope you find just what you’re looking for.
Why Read Books About Homeschooling
A parent who’s just beginning to homeschool can easily feel overwhelmed, uncertain and uneducated. Reading a few homeschool books can inspire confidence and understanding.
However, even as a veteran homeschooler, I’ve turned to various homeschooling books over the years. We can all use a little renewed inspiration when homeschooling gets challenging. We all encounter difficulties and hope to find just the book that will answer the questions to our problems. Of course, sometimes I read that popular title I hear so much about just so I can be in the know!
A parent who’s just beginning to homeschool can easily feel overwhelmed, uncertain and uneducated. Reading a few homeschool books can inspire confidence and understanding.
Types of Homeschooling Books
For the sake of ease, I separated the homeschooling books into three categories: homeschooling philosophy books, homeschool lifestyle books, and homeschool trouble-shooting books. Keep in mind, most homeschool books delve into all three categories; however, by categorizing them, it might help you make sense of where to look when there are so many books at your fingertips.
1-Homeschooling Philosophy Books
Books in this category explore different approaches of homeschooling like Montessori, Charlotte Mason, Classical or Unschooling. They often explain the history and principles of a given approach and how you can incorporate them into your homeschool.
A few homeschooling philosophy book titles might include: The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer, For The Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer MacCaulay, or Teach Your Own by John Holt.
2-Homeschool Lifestyle Books
This genre focuses less on method and more on doing life as a homeschooler. As homeschooling affects all areas of life, this category of books address issues like parenting, self-care, finding community, and homeschool as a lifestyle. They often provide personal stories for encouragement and inspiration, etc.
A few books in this category might include: The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart, The Call of the Wild and Free by Ainsley Arment
3-Homeschool Theme-Specific Books
This last category of books covers specific topics versus a broad scope. They often address challenges you might encounter while homeschooling, or help you expand and refine your knowledge about a specific topic or focus.
Books in this category might include: Morning Time: A Liturgy of Love by Cindy Rollins or Homeschooling Children with Special Needs by Sharon Hensley.
Tips for Building Your Homeschool Library
So, what’s the best way to begin building your own library of books about homeschooling? It’s nice to have copies of meaningful books that you can refer to time and again, or loan out to friends.
Here are some best tips for building your homeschool library:
1-Purchase Only the Books You Love
I know, I know-there are so many to love! I suggest borrowing a book from your public library or a friend first. If the book is life-changing for you, make the splurge and get a copy for your own library. You can almost always find a good used copy online.
2-Buy Used Books
Trying to keep your homeschool budget on track? Me too. One of the best ways to do this is by purchasing used books. Some of my favorite places to check are Ebay, Better World Books, and Amazon.
3-Always Put Books on Your Gift Lists
Keep an ongoing list of TBR homeschooling books. By requesting one book every Christmas or birthday, you’ll slowly build up a lovely library for yourself.
Of course, you don’t need to have a homeschool library. It’s nice to have, but not a requirement to homeschool well. Mine is quite small. I typically just borrow a title from our library.
My Top 5 Homeschooling Book Picks
Over the years, there have been a few standout homeschooling books that were meaningful for me. You can read more about those books in the post My Top 5 Homeschooling Book Picks. You might also enjoy 10+ Favorite Self-Care Books for Homeschool Moms.
Books That Didn’t Make the List
I really tried to keep my big list of homeschooling books centered on books that are truly about homeschooling or homeschooling-specific topics. Books that didn’t make the list are books that are geared towards homeschoolers, but are more of a curriculum.
Also, there are some books by big names in the homeschooling arena that didn’t make the list because the book isn’t specific to homeschoolers only. A couple of these titles are Introverted Mom by Jamie C. Martin, Adventuring Together by Greta Eskridge, and A Place to Belong by Amber O’Neil Johnston.
**Disclaimer**: I HAVE NOT read all of these books. I’m an avid reader, but not superwoman😊 . I based a book’s addition to the list solely on the title and description found. Also, I’m not endorsing any of the books. It’s simply meant to be a useful tool for you as a homeschool parent. You get to be the judge of the contents.
Why I Love This Big List of Homeschooling Books
I love that this list is so comprehensive. There are over 180 books listed, and there are books from all perspectives of homeschooling.
Here are just a few of the specific topics you’ll find books about:
- special needs homeschooling
- Christian homeschooling
- Catholic homeschooling
- secular homeschooling
- homeschool hacks
- how to start homeschooling
- homeschooling on a budget
- homeschooling for beginners
- homeschool planning, and more!
Also, because the subtitles are listed along with the titles of the books, you can easily read through the list and know if a book will be helpful for you or not.
Finally, I love that the list is listed alphabetically by title, but also by year of publication. If you want to find a book that is a newer publication, simply search by year.
Homeschooling Books Published in 2024
My big list of homeschooling books contains titles from 2024 all the way back to 1981. Whew! Those were the early days of homeschooling.
Here are some homeschooling books published in 2024:
- Becoming Homeschoolers: Give Your Kids a Great Education, a Strong Family, and a Life They’ll Thank You for Later by Monica Swanson
- Homeschool High School: A Handbook for Christian Education by Carrie de Francisco
- Homeschool Rising: Shattering Myths, Finding Courage, and Opting Out of the School System by Christy-Faith
- The Joy of Slow: Restoring Balance and Wonder to Homeschool Learning by Leslie Martino
My Big List of Homeschooling Books
I’ve done all the searching for you! It took longer than expected, but I’m happy to have saved you the time. This extensive list of homeschooling books provides you with an organized list of over 170 titles. You’ll the books organized two ways: by title and by publication year. Get easy access to the entire list, a reading checklist, cute colorable bookmarks (and my whole subscriber resource library) below.👇🏻
Conclusion
Homeschooling books are an amazing resource for anyone homeschooling, whether you’re a newbie, or a veteran homeschooler. Even if you’re just thinking homeschooling, homeschool books are sure to be a light for your path. I hope you find the books that will guide YOU along YOUR journey, just as I’ve found mine. Happy reading!
P.S. Did I miss a title that belongs on the list? Please let me know in the comments. My search was thorough, but I might have missed one!
