One of the best lessons homeschooling taught me... don't wait until the school year starts to look for books.

When I was homeschooling my eldest, I learned this the hard way. Our lessons had already begun, but some of our books hadn't arrived yet. Since then, I've made it a habit to prepare years in advance.

Building our home library years ahead

Before we officially started homeschooling my little one, I had already been building our home library little by little. We don't mind buying preloved books, as long as they're in excellent condition and reasonably priced. Over the years, that has helped us grow a collection we truly love.

How I keep the list organized

I use Notion to organize everything—my book lists, what I've already pre-read, which books I've purchased, and whether I own a physical or digital copy. If a living book is difficult to find, I often buy the digital version and print it when we need it.

For digital resources, I usually get the yearly bundle from Living Book Press every December. It has saved us so much over the years.

Browse the CM booklist

I'm sharing my book list from preschool to Grade 12 in case it helps another homeschool family build their own home library. Feel free to browse and discover books that might become favorites in your home too.

The sections below follow the level recorded in my list, and the tags reflect the categories I use to organize each title.

Preschool and kindergarten

Preschool

1 book
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillarby Eric CarleLiterature

Kinder

21 books
  • A Bear Called Paddingtonby Michael BondLiterature
  • Ako ay may LoboFilipino
  • Bahay KuboFilipino
  • Curious George Goes to the Hospitalby Margret & H. A. ReyLiterature
  • Ferdinandby Munro LeafLiterature
  • First Virtues 12 stories for Toddlersby Dr. Mary Manz SimonBibleHabits
  • Little People Big Dreams: Audrey Hepburnby Maria Isabel Sanchez VergaraBiography
  • Little People Big Dreams: Coco Chanelby Maria Isabel Sanchez VergaraBiography
  • Little People Big Dreams: Evonne Goolagongby Maria Isabel Sanchez VergaraBiography
  • Little People Big Dreams: Frida Kahloby Maria Isabel Sanchez VergaraBiography
  • Make Way for Ducklingsby Robert McCloskeyLiterature
  • Mother GooseLiterature
  • My Alfie Collection: Four Classic Storybooks Bookby Shirley HughesLiterature
  • Number Primerby Bailey & GermannMath
  • Paddington Takes the Airby Michael BondLiterature
  • Paddington’s Finest Hourby Michael BondLiterature
  • Pakitong kitong Folk SongFilipino
  • The Tale of Benjamin Bunnyby Beatrix PotterLiterature
  • The Tale of Peter Rabbitby Beatrix PotterLiterature
  • The Tale of Squirrel Nutkinby Beatrix PotterLiterature
  • The Tale of Two Bad Miceby Beatrix PotterLiterature

Elementary: Grades 1-4

Grade 1

44 books
  • A Child's Garden of Versesby Robert Louis StevensonPoetry
  • Aesop’s Fablesby Don DailyLiterature
  • All-of-a-Kind Familyby Sydney TaylorLiterature
  • An Island Storyby H. E. MarshallHistory
  • Beautiful Stories from Shakespeareby Edith NesbitLiterature
  • Caleb’s Storyby Patricia MacLachlanLiterature
  • Charlotte’s Webby E. B. WhiteLiterature
  • Curious George Rides a Bikeby H. A. ReyLiterature
  • Curious George Says Thank Youby Margret And H. A. ReyLiterature
  • DIY Charlotte Mason Reading Lessonsby Jennifer SpeadLanguage Arts
  • Eyes and No Eyes: Wild Life in Woods and Fieldsby Arabella B. BucklyNature Study
  • Fifty Famous Peopleby James BaldwinBiographyHistory
  • Fifty Famous Storiesby James BaldwinHistory
  • Five Little Peppers and How They Grewby Margaret SidneyLiterature
  • Goldilocks and the Three BearsLiterature
  • Grandfather’s Danceby Patricia MacLachlanLiterature
  • James Herriot's All Things Bright and Beautifulby James HerriotNature Study
  • James Herriot's Treasury for Childrenby James HerriotNature Study
  • Just So Storiesby Rudyard KiplingLiterature
  • Little House in the Big Woodsby Laura Ingalls WilderLiterature
  • More Perfect Than the Moonby Patricia MacLachlanLiterature
  • Mother West Windby Thornton BurgessNature Study
  • Mr. Popper’s Penguinsby Richard AtwaterLiterature
  • Paddle to the Seaby Holling C. HollingGeography
  • Parables from Natureby Margaret GattyLiterature
  • Pinocchioby Carlo CollodiLiterature
  • Pollyannaby Eleanor H. PorterLiterature
  • Sarah, Plain and Tallby Patricia MacLachlanLiterature
  • Skylarkby Patricia MacLachlanLiterature
  • Tales from Shakespeareby Charles LambLiterature
  • The Aesop for Childrenby Milo WinterLiterature
  • The Blue Fairy Bookby Andrew LangLiterature
  • The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Poohby A. A. MilneLiterature
  • The Fabulous Fiestas of the Philippines a seek and find bookby Alexandra Romualdez - BroekmanHistory
  • The Gingerbread ManLiterature
  • The Handbook of Nature Studyby Anna Botsford ComstockNature StudyScience
  • The New Burgess Book: Flower Bookby Thornton BurgessNature Study
  • The Three Little PigsLiterature
  • The Trumpet of the Swanby E. B. WhiteLiterature
  • The Ugly Ducklingby Hans Christian AndersenLiterature
  • The Velveteen Rabbitby Margery Williams BiancoLiterature
  • The Wonderful Wizard of Ozby L. Frank BaumLiterature
  • Trial and Triumphby Richard HannulaHistory
  • Winnie-the-Pooh seriesby A. A. Milne and Ernest H. ShepardLiterature

Grade 2

16 books
  • A Little Princessby Frances Hodgson BurnettLiterature
  • Alice’s Adventures in Wonderlandby Lewis CarrollLiterature
  • Black Beautyby Anna SewellLiterature
  • Burgess Animal Storiesby Thornton BurgessNature Study
  • Five Children and Itby E. NesbitLiterature
  • Little House on the Prairieby Laura Ingalls WilderLiterature
  • Little Leap Forward: A Boy in Beijingby Guo Yue and Clare FarrowLiterature
  • Peter Panby James Matthew BarrieLiterature
  • Peter Pan (or, Peter and Wendy)by James M. BarrieLiterature
  • Stuart Littleby E. B. WhiteLiterature
  • The Borrowersby Mary NortonLiterature
  • The Borrowers Aloftby Mary NortonLiterature
  • The Jungle Bookby Rudyard KiplingLiterature
  • The Minstrel in the Towerby Gloria SkurzynskiLiterature
  • Understood Betsyby Dorothy Canfield FisherLiterature
  • Wondrous Rexby Patricia MacLachlanLiterature

Grade 3

11 books
  • At the Back of the North Windby George MacDonaldLiterature
  • Children’s Bible Storiesby Catherine F. VosBible
  • Heidiby Johanna SpyriLiterature
  • Little Lord Fauntleroyby Frances Hodgson BurnettLiterature
  • On the Banks of Plum Creekby Laura Ingalls WilderLiterature
  • Overlooked Artists of a Forgotten TimeArtists
  • Swallows and Amazonsby Arthur RansomeLiterature
  • The Princess and the Goblinby George MacDonaldLiterature
  • The Railway Childrenby Edith NesbitLiterature
  • The Secret Gardenby Frances Hodgson BurnettLiterature
  • The Wind in the Willowsby Kenneth GrahameLiterature

Grade 4

7 books
  • Prince Caspianby C. S. LewisLiterature
  • The Horse and His Boyby C. S. LewisLiterature
  • The Last Battleby C. S. LewisLiterature
  • The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobeby C. S. LewisLiterature
  • The Magician’s Nephewby C. S. LewisLiterature
  • The Silver Chairby C. S. LewisLiterature
  • Voyage of the Dawn Treaderby C. S. LewisLiterature

Middle grades: Grades 5-8

Grade 5

7 books
  • Bambi: A Life in the Woodsby Felix Salten
  • My Side of the Mountainby Jean Craighead GeorgeLiterature
  • The Kite Fightersby Linda Sue ParkLiterature
  • The Merry Adventures of Robin Hoodby Howard PyleLiterature
  • The Pilgrim’s Progressby John Bunyan
  • The Swiss Family Robinsonby Johann WyssLiterature
  • Treasure Islandby Robert Louis Stevenson

Grade 6

9 books
  • Little Britchesby Ralph Moody
  • Man of the Familyby Ralph Moody
  • Mary Emma and Companyby Ralph Moody
  • Oliver Twistby Charles Dickens
  • Shaking the Nickel Bushby Ralph Moody
  • The Fields of Homeby Ralph Moody
  • The Home Ranchby Ralph Moody
  • What Katy Didby Susan CoolidgeLiterature
  • What Katy Did in Schoolby Susan CoolidgeLiterature

Grade 7

11 books
  • A Christmas Carolby Charles Dickens
  • A Single Shardby Linda Sue Park
  • Anne of Green Gablesby L. M. Montgomery
  • Around the World in 80 Daysby Jules Verne
  • Christmas Storiesby Charles Dickens
  • Esperanza Risingby Pam Muñoz Ryan
  • Island of the Blue Dolphinsby Scott O’Dell
  • Kidnappedby Robert Louis Stevenson
  • Laddie: A True Blue Storyby Gene Stratton-Porter
  • The Call of the Wildby Jack London
  • Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seasby Jules Verne

Grade 8

5 books
  • Jo’s Boysby Louisa May Alcott
  • Little Menby Louisa May Alcott
  • Little Womenby Louisa May Alcott
  • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finnby Mark Twain
  • The Adventures of Tom Sawyerby Mark Twain

High school: Grades 9-12

Grade 9

6 books
  • Jane Eyreby Charlotte BrontĂ«
  • The Fellowship of the Ringby J. R. R. Tolkien
  • The Hobbitby J. R. R. Tolkien
  • The Return of the Kingby J. R. R. Tolkien
  • The Two Towersby J. R. R. Tolkien
  • Where the Red Fern Growsby Wilson Rawls

Grade 10

3 books
  • David Copperfieldby Charles Dickens
  • Ivanhoeby Sir Walter Scott
  • Watership Downby Richard Adams

Grade 11

11 books
  • Beowulf by Anonymousby (A New Verse Translation by Seamus Heaney)
  • Emmaby Jane Austen
  • Great Expectationsby Charles Dickens
  • Gulliver's Travelsby Jonathan SwiftLiterature
  • Mansfield Parkby Jane Austen
  • Moby Dick or The White Whaleby Herman MelvilleLiterature
  • Pride and Prejudiceby Jane Austen
  • Robinson Crusoeby Daniel Defoe
  • The Scarlet Letterby Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • The Screwtape Lettersby C. S. Lewis
  • Through Gates of Splendorby Elisabeth Elliot

Grade 12

6 books
  • Atomic Habitsby James ClearHabits
  • Lorna Dooneby R. D. Blackmore
  • The Deerslayerby James Fenimore Cooper
  • The Last of the Mohicansby James Fenimore Cooper
  • Vanity Fairby William Makepeace Thackeray
  • Wuthering Heightsby Emily Bronte

Grades 10-12 (flexible)

1 book
  • Alexander the GreatBiography

Flexible picks

Grade range not specified

4 books
  • King of the Golden Riverby John RuskinLiterature
  • Pocahontasby Ingri D'AulaireLiterature
  • St. George and the Dragonby Margaret HodgesLiterature
  • The Red Fairy Bookby Andrew LangLiterature