Since I don’t follow a particular curriculum that schedules readers and read-alouds for us, I like to make my own list of books to read out loud and books to “assign” (or sometimes just suggest) for independent reading.
I did this in an organized manner for Miss M for the first time for our current school year (2nd grade). Last summer I created a Google doc with a list of 20 or read-alouds and 15 books I thought she could probably read independently but might not be likely to find or choose on her own. As the year has gone on, I have added and subtracted from the list as needed, and marked books off as we complete them. Even though I didn’t schedule the books, I’ve liked having a list to refer to as I take a few minutes to make new requests at the library or place an order on Amazon. The research and “thinking” is already done for me!
I’m getting ready to make a new list for this summer and our next school year, when Miss M will be a 3rd grader and Mr E a kindergartener.
From lists suggested by various curricula to lists compiled by libraries to lists made by bloggers, I’ve found more ideas for books to read than we could possibly read in a year 🙂 The hard part will be picking a reasonable number for this next year’s list. But I am happy to have such a wide variety of suggestions available to me as I need to find more reading materials in future years or as our needs and interests change.
If you’re looking to make a reading list or just find a good book to read today, here are some resources to consult:
Book Lists of Various Literature-Based Curricula (for both general literature ideas and history-specific ideas):
- Sonlight
- Ambleside Online
- Beautiful Feet Books
- WinterPromise
- Tapestry of Grace
- My Father’s World
- Simply Charlotte Mason literature guide (also see their early years book list)
- Robinson Curriculum (suggestions for younger children)
- Old Fashioned Education book list (.pdf file)
Book Lists from Organizations, Groups and Libraries:
- 1000 Good Books List from Classical Christian Education Support Loop (list divided into categories by genre/audience or type of book)
- 100 Books for Kindergarten @ Grow-Up Reading
- 100 Books for Kindergarten @ Woodbridge Library (many different than the list above!)
- 100 Books to Read Before Kindergarten @ GVPL
- Read-Aloud America Recommended Books
- Reading Rockets Award Winners (this is actually a list of more lists!)
- Recommended Reading from the New York Public Library (many lists)
- ALSC Award Winners (Newberry, Caldecott, etc)
Mass-Media Articles with Book Suggestions
- Best Kids’ Books Ever (Op Ed @ New York Times) — be sure to see the follow up articles here and here.
- “The Greatest Girl Characters of Young Adult Literature” @ The Atlantic Wire
Lists from Bloggers and Forums:
- Favorite Read-Aloud Chapter Books @ Simple Mom
- Huge Book List (for many subjects, organized by grade) @ Highhill Homeschool
- Required Reading List (at about age 10) @ School @ Home
- Sortable Children’s Literature List @ Satori Smiles
- Top 25 Read-Alouds @ Simple Homeschool
- Favorite Children’s Books @ Apartment Therapy (ages 3, 4 and 5)
- 75 Books that Build Character @ No Time for Flash Cards
- Best Classic Children’s Books @ Best Children’s Books
- Twaddle Free Literature by grade level @ Bright Kids (also @ Charlotte Mason Home)
- An Extensive Booklist by grade at the WTM forums
And while not exactly a “list”, I love to read about what other bloggers are reading out loud by checking out Read-Aloud Thursday each week @ Hope is the Word. I’ve gotten a lot of ideas from other bloggers’ posts in this weekly link-up!
Lists Specific to History Resources:
- Literature to Supplement History @ Paula’s Archives
- Sonlight Books Arranged by Well Trained Mind 4 Year Cycles
- A Book in Time — Well organized site with books listed by historical time period
- Library Book Lists (links to lists of historical fiction and other topics for children)
- Historical Fiction for Children and Young Adults
Books about Books
- Honey for a Child’s Heart
- The Read Aloud Handbook
- Read for the Heart
- All Through the Ages (History through Literature)
Happy List Making (and Reading!) Do you have any other favorite resources to share?
Homeschool Discoveries 