Classical Reader

This Classical Reading Guide will help you choose the best books for K–12 reading by level, genre, and much more.

When you are choosing what books your children will read, the stakes are especially high. In this information age, it’s sometimes hard to know how to choose from the sea of options and resources that present themselves at every turn. That is why we have put years of research into The Classical Reader, collecting and analyzing the K–12 reading recommendations of classical educators from around the country, seeking those readings that have been important and pleasurable to generations of students. This pithy book includes recommendations for reading at each grade level, noting each selection’s level of difficulty and genre. This book is a valuable resource for every school and homeschool family for everything from book reports to reading for pleasure.

Though The Classical Reader physical book provides a way to keep a record of what your student has read and help you to plan future reading, we have also created a companion website! At ClassicalReader.comyou can sort by level, difficulty, and genre. Each book is linked to Amazon for your convenience (and with our affiliate link so we can support the website and further development of the site).

The Classical Reader is a veritable cave of dragon loot, an embarrassment of riches that will provide years of instruction and delight and help to instill a lifelong love of reading. —Christine Perrin, MFA, Director of Writing at Messiah College