Grab the FREE 80+ Activities to Keep Kids Busy During Read-Aloud Time.
Children can attend to stories better when we give those little hands something to do!
Homeschooling really
*can* be almost
all fun and games.
Join the community and get your
FREE list of 80+ activities to keep kids busy during read-aloud time!
Are you searching for the best books to
read-aloud in your homeschool?
Well, you've come to the right place. If you want to raise readers, you're going to want to bookmark this page!
My first word was "bookie" - I kid you not! I've always loved books, but the love has only grown over the years.
As a school psychologist and homeschool mama, I know the value of reading aloud. Read-aloud time is hands-down the most important homeschool activity! I want you to enjoy your family read alouds, so I am here to share my best tips, tricks, resources, and -of course- books!
I am sharing our favorite books, listed by academic subject and category. Then, I'm sharing living book lists from our homeschool. Finally, I'm sharing resources for homeschool parents.
The best books for your homeschool:
Art
The best art picture books to supplement your art and music curriculum.
Biographies
Biographies help kids learn about history and the world!
Geography
Travel the world without leaving your family room with these great books.
Harry Potter
Yes, you can make it a subject. You're in charge!
History
I love stealth learning. These books are such a blast!
Math
I love stealth learning. These books are such a blast!
Language Arts
Language arts has never been the same!
Music
These books will delight your little music lovers.
Nature
Your little nature nuts will adore these titles!
Poetry
Play with language and fuel creativity with these poetry books.
Reference
Your kids won't be able to keep their hands off these nonfiction titles.
Science
Your scientists will think these books are out of this world!
As seen on...
The Lazy Homeschooler's Guide to Unit Studies
{DIGITAL COURSE with PRINTABLE RESOURCES}
Do you want to raise curious, joyful, lifelong learners?
Unit studies can help!
Learn how to create super-simple, effective, and completely engaging unit studies that the whole family will love.
Each lesson includes actionable PDFs and printables to help you get off and running.
Embrace those rabbit holes and surrender to delight-driven learning while crossing off those nagging homeschool must-dos.
Get ready for more joy and less overwhelm today!
Join The Lazy Homeschooler's Guide to Unit Studies:
Gameschooling: Add more play to your homeschool day
{Digital Course with printable resources}
We all know play is an essential part of child development, but how do you fit it in when you have a huge homeschool to-do list?
Homeschooling can be almost all fun and games.
Gameschooling is the intersection of play and homeschooling and it can change your entire homeschool atmosphere for the better!
Play can boost connection, fuel learning, and revolutionize your homeschool routine.
Coming soon!
Join the waitlist for early access and a subscriber-only discount:
How to Rock THe Most Important Part of Your homeschool Day
{DIGITAL COURSE with PRINTABLE RESOURCES}
Reading aloud is the single most important thing you can do for your child's future academic success. (And we have decades of research to prove it!)
Reading aloud also offers a host of non-academic benefits. Plus, reading aloud makes lifelong family memories!
Learn how to start your homeschool day with the most important thing.
Find a read-aloud routine that works for your unique family and fuel learning throughout the day.
Join How to Rock THE MOST IMPORTANT PART of Your Homeschool Day:
Recommended Resources for Parents:
The Best books for growing readers
The best books for creating a culture of reading in your home and for growing kids who love the written word!
The most inspiring books for your homeschool
These are the books that changed the way I think about our homeschool. Some are traditional homeschooling books, but there are quite a few surprises in here too!
How to homeschool little ones (without the overwhelm)
One of the most common questions I receive here at My Little Poppies is how to get started homeschooling little ones...
The Coffee and books quick start guide
The best ideas are often the simplest ones!
Jumpstart your morning time routine with this super-simple, super-fun morning tradition.
how to ditch the schedule and embrace a homeschool lifestyle
One of the toughest parts of homeschooling is shaking that public school mindset.
Here are some tips on creating a homeschool lifestyle.
The best games for reading, writing, & language arts
Homeschooling can be almost all fun and games, I promise!
Here are the best games for growing those language arts skills.
More Recommended Resources for Parents:
Our favorite books and resources for homeschool parents:
- The Best Books for Homeschoolers | A My Little Poppies Resource Page
- The Best Books for Your Homeschool | MLP Amazon Storefront
The Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report that shows the "decline by nine":
The Rights of the Reader Poster:
Ten Read-Aloud Commandments by Mem Fox:
Finding your child's interests to help with book selection:
- Interest-a-lyzer by Joseph S. Renzulli, Prufrock Press (an adapted version of this tool specific to reading can be found in The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller)
The best books for growing readers & by readers:
- Books that Don't Bore 'Em by James Blasingame
- Give Your Child the World: Raising Globally Minded Kids One Book at a Time by Jamie C. Martin
- Honey for a Child's Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life by Gladys Hunt
- How Reading Changed My Life by Anna Quindlen
- How to Raise a Reader by Pamela Paul and Marie Russo
- Raising Kids Who Read: What Parents and Teachers Can Do by Daniel T. Willingham
- Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever by Mem Fox
- Some of My Best Friends Are Books: Guiding Gifted Readers by Judith Wynn Halstead
- Reading in the Wild: The Book Whisperer's Keys to Cultivating Lifelong Reading Habits by Donalyn Miller
- The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by Donalyn Miller
- The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction by Meghan Cox Gurdon
- The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs
- The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research by Stephen Krashen
- The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
- The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
- The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared by Alice Ozma
- The Rights of the Reader by Daniel Pennac
My favorite TED Talks on the power of reading:
- How Books Can Open Your Mind | Lisa Bu
- How to Inspire Every Child to Be a Lifelong Reader | Alvin Irby
- Missing Adventures: Diversity in Children's Literature | Brynn Welch
- My Year of Reading a Book From Every Country in the World | Ann Morgan
- The Danger of a Single Story | Chimamanda Ngozi Adiechie
- The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child's Bookshelf | Grace Lin
- Why A Good Book is a Secret Door | Mac Barnett
- Why We Should All Be Reading Aloud to Children | Rebecca Bellingham
- Why We Should All Be Reading Aloud to Our Children | Keisha Siriboe
Favorite articles on reading:
- Does Reading Fiction Make Us Better People? by Claudia Hammond, BBC
- 10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Sexism and Racism | The Council of Interracial Books for Children
- Creating a Diverse Children’s Library | Edutopia
- Diverse Classroom Libraries for K-6 Students | Reading Rockets
- Finding Books for Gifted Readers by Raising Lifelong Learners
- Flashing Screens or Turning Pages by Mem Fox
- How to Choose Outstanding Multicultural Children’s Books | Scholastic
- If They Don't Read Much, How They Ever Gonna Get Good? by Richard Allington
- Just Let Them Read Books: Musings of a Parent, Teacher, and Lifelong Reader by Jen Marten
- Never Too Old: Embracing Picture Books to Teach Older Students by Christina Vercelletto for School Library Journal
- Not Just for the Pre-K Crowd: Picture Books to Share with Tweens and Teens by Lynn Van Auken for School Library Journal
- Picture Books Are For Little Kids, Aren't They? Using Picture Books with Adolescent Readers to Enhance Literacy Instruction by Gwyn W. Senokossof for Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts
Resources for checking if books are appropriate for your kiddo:
- Common Sense Media
- Some of My Best Friends Are Books: Guiding Gifted Readers by Judith Wynn Halstead
Celebrate your next book:
- Book Club Celebrations | Mary Hanna Wilson
My go-to resources for finding amazing books:
- Your local library
- Amelia Bloomer Book List
- Américas Book Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature
- Arab-American Book Award
- Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature
- Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
- Caldecott Awards
- Coretta Scott King Award Blog
- Embrace Race
- Ezra Jack Keats Award
- GoodReads.com
- Growing Book by Book
- Here Wee Read
- Instagram (follow hashtags #picturebooks #picturebook #raisingreaders #booksforkids #childrensbookstagram#kidlit #classroombookaday #readyourworld #childrensbooks #kidsbooks #kidsbookstagram #readaloudrevival)
- Indian Youth Literature Award
- International Digital Children's Book Library
- Jane Addams Children's Book Awards
- Jen Robinson's Book Page
- Jim Trelease
- Lambda Literary Awards
- Loyal Books
- Mr. Schu Reads
- Multicultural Children's Book Day
- My Little Poppies Family Book Club (Facebook Group)
- Newbury Medal
- PBS Parents
- Pragmatic Mom
- The Pura Belpré Award
- Rainbow Book List
- Read.gov
- Read-Aloud Revival (podcast and website)
- Reading is Fundamental
- Reading Rainbow
- Reading Rockets
- ReadWriteThink
- Schneider Family Book Award
- Scholastic
- School Library Journal
- Social Justice Books
- Stonewall Book Awards
- Sydney Taylor Book Award
- Teaching Tolerance
- The Barnes and Noble Kids Blog
- The Book Whisperer
- The Children’s Book Review
- The Cooperative Children's Book Center of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison Book Choices 2020
- The EveryMom
- USBBY Outstanding International Books
- Walter Dean Myers Award Winners
- We Are Teachers
- Welcoming Schools
- We Need Diverse Books
- What We Do All Day
Check out the books we've been reading this year:
- My Little Poppies Book Recommendations (2019-2020)
- My Little Poppies Book Recommendations (2018-2019)
Start your own Coffee and Books Routine:
Podcast for Growing Readers:
Audiobooks, Podcasts, and Online Stories:
Want to check out what we have been reading?
2019-2020 Living book list
A living list of books we have read and enjoyed this year, organized by academic subject and category. Plus, what mom has been reading, too!
2018-2019 Living book list
A living list of books we have read and enjoyed this year, organized by academic subject and category. Plus, what mom has been reading, too!
