Recommended Book Lists

In some ways, we're more careful about choosing which reading lists we carry than actual titles. Everything we do should be honoring to God, and that includes choosing the books we read—it's important, therefore, that assemblers of booklists share our values and Christian worldview, as well as our love for reading quality material.

Our best advice for choosing books is summed up by the apostle Paul: "Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and there be any praise, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8).

This verse addresses the two essential elements of good literature: good content and good style. Obviously, we shouldn't read garbage, novels and stories filled with unwholesome content, especially if unrighteous behavior is glorified; but at the same time (and this is a crucial element Christians often overlook), our reading material should be well-written and pleasing to hear.

A book that promotes good morals but is sloppily constructed won't do much toward helping us model the attitudes it supports. Because our human minds are made in God's image, we're drawn to beauty and goodness, and a classic novel like To Kill a Mockingbird is much more likely to help us see our own prejudices and bigotry than one that simply says "racism is bad," or that presents stock characters, or that doesn't read as much like poetry.

Booklists like The Book Tree and Honey for a Child's Heart have been compiled by educators who understand the need for good content and good style, and also understand that reading is part of an individual's growth as a person of virtue and character. Titles are selected accordingly, and only books that will have a positive impact are chosen, while morally ambiguous stories are generally avoided.

That's not to say you won't have to discuss everything your children or family reads, however. One of the ways children are able to understand and internalize the messages of good books is by interacting with them, and with others who've read them. You don't want to give your kids The Wind in the Willows and never talk about it; you want to know they learned what they were supposed to learn from Mr. Toad's wild antics.

We've managed to assemble a list of guides that reflect every stage of literary development and education, from preschool to the elementary grades, and from high school through college and adult study. A few are more education-oriented (like All Through the Ages, which is specifically for choosing history books), but most are simply literature-related, and can be used to choose both school and free-time reading.

Not every family or individual shares the same tastes, not by a long shot. None of these booklists are intended to be rigorously followed; each one contains more titles than anyone can read, but enough information is provided for individual books to help you make educated choices about which ones you'll have your kids read. These are invaluable tools, and especially if you're new to homeschooling, we recommend purchasing one or two to help you get started.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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36 Items found Print
All Through the Ages
by Christine Miller
3rd edition from Nothing New Press
World History Reference for All grades
in World History Reference (Location: HISW-REF)
Before Austen Comes Aesop
by Cheri Blomquist
from Ignatius Press
for Preschool-Adult
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$17.95
Book Lover's Guide to Great Reading
by Terry Glaspey
from InterVarsity Press
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Book Tree
by Elizabeth McCallum & Jane Scott
2nd edition from Canon Press
for Preschool-12th grade
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$19.00
Booklist: Recommended Reading for Children and Young Adults
by Institute of Reading Development
for 3rd-9th grade
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Books Children Love
by Elizabeth Wilson
2nd edition from Crossway Books
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$17.00 $7.00 (2 in stock)
Caldecott Celebration
by Leonard S. Marcus
from Walker and Company
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Child-Tested Suggested Book List
by Gary and Wanda Sanseri
from Back Home Industries
for Adult
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$18.00
Children & Books
by Sutherland Zena
6th edition from Scott, Foresman & Co.
for Adult
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Children's Book Award Handbook
by Diana F. Marks, illustrated by Susanne Frey
from Libraries Unlimited
for Adult
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Classical Reader
by Dr. Christopher Perrin & Leslie Rayner
1.4st edition from Classical Academic Press
for Kindergarten-12th
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$9.95
Do-It-Yourself Homeschooling Reading Time 180 Day Journal
by Sarah Janisse Brown
2019 printing from Thinking Tree
for 1st-12th grade
in Reading Reference (Location: REF-READ)
$12.50 (1 in stock)
Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children's Book
by Anita Silvey, editor
from Roaring Brook Press
for Adult
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
Give Your Child the World
by Jamie C. Martin
from Zondervan
for Adult
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$16.99
Hand That Rocks the Cradle
by Nathaniel Bluedorn
from Christian Logic
for Kindergarten-7th grade
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$15.00
Honey For a Child's Heart
by Gladys Hunt
5th edition from Zondervan
for All ages
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$21.99
Honey For a Child's Heart (old)
by Gladys Hunt
4th edition from Zondervan
for All ages
in Clearance: Home School Resources (Location: ZCLE-HSR)
$12.00
Honey for a Teen's Heart
by Gladys Hunt & Barbara Hampton
from Zondervan
for 7th-Adult
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$16.99
How to Raise a Reader
by Pamela Paul & Maria Russo
from Workman Publishing
for Nursery-10th grade
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$10.00 (2 in stock)
Invitation to the Classics
by Louise Cowan & Os Guinness
from Baker Books
for 11th-Adult
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
Let the Authors Speak
by Carolyn Hatcher
Revised
for Kindergarten-12th grade
in World History Reference (Location: HISW-REF)
Literary Landmarks for Young People
by Mary E. Burt
from Houghton Mifflin
for Adult
in Vintage Nonfiction (Location: VIN-NFIC)
$28.00 (1 in stock)
My Reading Logbook - Journal
from Peter Pauper Press
for 3rd-Adult
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Outside of a Dog Booklist
by Eli Evans, C. Hollis Crossman
from Exodus Books
for 1st-12th grade
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
Read for the Heart
by Sarah Clarkson
from Apologia Educational Ministries
for Nursery-6th grade
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
Read-Aloud Family
by Sarah Mackenzie
from Zondervan
for Adult
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$18.99
Read-Aloud Handbook
by Jim Trelease
7th edition from Penguin Putnam
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Reading Aloud & Story-telling (Location: LIR-RAST)
$14.50 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Reader's Guide
by Dr. Christopher Perrin & Leslie Rayner
from Classical Academic Press
for Kindergarten-12th
in Clearance: Home School Resources (Location: ZCLE-HSR)
$4.17
Reading Between the Lines
by Gene Veith
from Crossway Books
for 10th-Adult
in Literary Analysis & Reference (Location: LIR-LAR)
$15.99
Reading in the Wild
by Donalyn Miller with Susan Kelley
from Jossey-Bass
for Adult
in Reading Aloud & Story-telling (Location: LIR-RAST)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Steeped in Stories
by Mitali Perkins
from Broadleaf Books
for Adult
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$24.99
Stories We Shared
by Douglas Kaine McKelvey & Jamin Still
from Rabbit Room Press
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$35.00
This Way to Books
by Caroline Feller Bauer
for Adult
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Timeline of Classics
by Gail Ledbetter
2nd edition from Institute for Excellence in Writing
for 1st-12th grade
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)
$29.00
Using Picture Books to Teach Writing With the Traits
Teaching Strategies
by Ruth Culham
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Classroom Teacher Resources (Location: HSR-CTR)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Who Should We Then Read?
by Jan Bloom
Revised from BooksBloom
for Kindergarten-8th grade
in Recommended Book Lists (Location: LIR-REC)