If you’re interested in the best books about homeschooling, you’re in the right place. Nearly two decades ago, I started my journey as a homeschool mom and was looking for the very best books on how to homeschool my kids. If you’re like I was in my first year of homeschooling, you’re absorbing as much information as possible to improve your child’s education.
In this article, I share the most popular and helpful books about homeschooling. You’ll learn about great books like Julie Bogart’s The Brave Learner, Susan Wise Bauer’s The Well-Trained Mind, Sarah Mackenzie’s Teaching From Rest, and Ainsley Arment’s The Call of the Wild and Free, and my book Think Homeschool.
Whether you are leaning toward a classical education or you’re interested in an unschooling approach to homeschooling your kids, you can provide your child with an excellent education. The list of books below will guide you toward homeschool success.
The Best Books About Homeschooling, Education, and Learning
This list of books is an excellent resource full of homeschool books!
- Better Late than Early: A New Approach to Your Child’s Education by Raymond S Moore and Dorothy N Moore.
- The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life by Julie Bogart.
- The Call of the Wild + Free: Reclaiming Wonder in Your Child’s Education by Ainsley Arment. Click here to learn more about nature schooling.
- Curious Unschoolers: Stories of an Unschooling Family by Sue Elvis. Click here to learn more about unschooling.
- Everything You Need to Know about Homeschooling: A Comprehensive, Easy-to-Use Guide for the Journey from Early Learning through Graduation by Lea Ann Garfias.
- For the Children’s Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
- The Four-Hour School Day: How You and Your Kids Can Thrive in the Homeschool Life by Durenda Wilson
- Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers by Gordon Neufeld, Gabor Maté MD, et al.
Continued below…
Books About Homeschooling, Education, and Learning
Discover some of the best homeschooling books for your homeschool journey!
- Home Education (from The Home Education Series) by Charlotte Mason.
- Home Grown: Adventures in Parenting off the Beaten Path, Unschooling, and Reconnecting with the Natural World by Ben Hewitt. Click here to learn more about nature schooling.
- Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Creative and Comprehensive Homeschool Curriculum by Rebecca Rupp.
- Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child with Confidence by Jamie Erickson.
- 12 Homeschool Myths Debunked: The Book for Skeptical Dads by Kent Larson.
- Homeschool Adventures: Learning Through the Power of Field Trips (Live, Learn, Work at Home) by Melissa Calapp.
- The Homeschooling Starter Guide: How to Create and Adapt the Best Education Action Plan for Your Needs by Dr. Gina M. Riley.
- How Children Learn by John Holt.
Our homeschool book list is continued below…
Video: You Can Homeschool!
More Books On How to Homeschool Your Kids
Start your homeschooling journey with a book about homeschooling!
- How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature by Scott Sampson. Click here to learn more about nature schooling.
- Minimalist Homeschooling: A Values-Based Approach to Maximize Learning and Minimize Stress by Zara Fagen.
- Project-Based Homeschooling: Mentoring Self-Directed Learners by Lori McWilliam Pickert.
- The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids by Sarah Mackenzie.
- Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book Of Homeschooling by John Holt & Pat Farenga.
- Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace by Sarah Mackenzie.
- THINK HOMESCHOOL: Live & Learn Your Way a HomeSchool ThinkTank book.
- A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille.
Keep scrolling for more good books on homeschooling…
More of the Best Homeschooling Books for Parents…
Learn how to homeschool your own children!
- The Unhurried Homeschooler: A Simple, Mercifully Short Book on Homeschooling by Durenda Wilson.
- Unschool Yourself First: A Parent’s Gateway to Self-Directed Learning by Mark Beaumont. Click here to learn more about unschooling.
- Unschooled: Raising Curious, Well-Educated Children Outside the Conventional Classroom by Kerry McDonald. Click here to learn more about unschooling.
- The Unschooling Handbook: How to Use the Whole World As Your Child’s Classroom by Mary Griffith.
- Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids to School? The Case for Helping Them Leave, Chart Their Own Paths, and Prepare for Adulthood at Their Own Pace by Blake Boles.
- A Year of Forest School: Outdoor Play and Skill-Building Fun for Every Season by Jane Worrol. Click here to learn more about nature schooling.
- You Can Homeschool: Answers, Methods, and Resources with Real-Life Stories by Carrie Strong.
More books about education and homeschooling are below…
Books About the Educational System, Schools, and How to Help Children
- Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling by John Taylor Gatto.
- Lost At School: Why Our Kids With Behavioral Challenges Are Falling Through The Cracks And How We Can Help Them by Ross Greene, Ph.D.
- Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire.
- Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools by Jonathan Kozol.
- The Underground History of American Education, Volume I: An Intimate Investigation Into the Prison of Modern Schooling by John Taylor Gatto.
- Weapons of Mass Instruction: A Schoolteacher’s Journey Through the Dark World of Compulsory Schooling by John Taylor Gatto.
Books about educational alternatives are below…
Read Dumbing Us Down
The late John Taylor Gatto taught for over 30 years and was New York State Teacher of the Year. His book, Dumbing Us Down, shares eye-opening lessons.
Books About Education Alternatives
Be sure to add Free to Learn by Peter Gray to your reading list.
- How Children Learn by John Holt.
- The Courage to Grow: How Acton Academy Turns Learning Upside Down by Laura Sandefer.
- Free at Last: The Sudbury Valley School by Daniel Greenberg.
- Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life by Peter Gray. Click here to learn more about unschooling.
- The One World Schoolhouse: Education Reimagined by Salman Khan.
Books to help you guide your child’s education are below…
Home Schooling Books to Help You Choose Curriculum
While you can read a lot of books on homeschooling and gather great ideas, homeschooling parents ultimately individualize their homeschooling experience to suit the needs of their family.
- 103 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum by Cathy Duffy. Click here to see our interview with Cathy Duffy.
- Homeschooling the Early Years by Linda Dobson.
- Homeschooling the Teen Years: Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 13- to 18- 18-Year-Old by Linda Dobson.
- Homeschooling Your Toddler the Montessori Way: A Practical Guide for Parents Who Seek to Provide a Stimulating Home Environment for Their Preschooler by Serena Ellison.
- Honey for a Child’s Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life by Gladys M. Hunt.
- Teach a Child to Read with Children’s Books by Mark B. Thogmartin Ph.D. and Mary Gallagher MS Ed. Click here to see our interview with Mary Gallagher.
- The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas: 500+ Fun and Creative Learning Activities for Kids Ages 3-12 by Linda Dobson.
- The Well Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise. Click here to see our article about classical education.
- The Young Reader: A Game Plan for Parents to Teach Their Little Ones How to Read and Problem Solve. by Margaret Craig. Click here to see our interview with Margaret Craig.
Books to Inspire Homeschooling Parents
The HomeSchool ThinkTank Parenting Podcast
Each week, we help you homeschool your kids by sharing two podcast episodes on the HomeSchool ThinkTank Parenting Podcast.
Learn more about our international podcast here.
More Books for Your Family
Our book lists are often near the end of an article. Check out these articles and discover more books!
- Mindset Books
- Traveling Full-Time with Kids
- Books About Parenting
- Homeschool Planners
- Nature Study and Schooling Books
Helpful Homeschooling Resources
- Different Styles of Homeschooling
- Fun Educational Games
- Homeschool Curriculum
- Inspiration for Homeschool Moms
- Coaching for Homeschool Parents