As I’m wrapping up our homeschool year, I’m realizing what a great reading year it was for our family! In addition to our nightly family read-alouds, my kids did a lot of independent reading, and we also had wonderful success with the living books we wove into our history and science studies this year. In this article, I’ll share some of our top favorites. I hope you’ll find some new ideas here to incorporate into your homeschool!
Family Read-Alouds
- Beneath the Swirling Sky by Carolyn Leiloglou
- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Latham
- Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen
- The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
- American Tall Tales by Adrien Stoutenberg
- The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald
Independent Reading for 5th Grade
- Illustrated Pilgrim’s Progress by Helen Taylor
- The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dagliesh
- Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
- The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
- The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dagliesh
- The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
Independent Reading for 7th Grade
- Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin by Marguerite Henry
- Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred P. Taylor
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Stories by Washington Irving
- The Hiding Place (Graphic Novel) by Corrie ten Boom with Elizabeth and John Sherrill adapted by Mario de Matteo
Living Books for Science
- The Ocean of Truth: The Story of Sir Isaac Newton by Joyce McPherson
- The Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin D. Wiker
- The Story of Inventions by Frank Bachman
Living Books for History
- The Apple and the Arrow by Mary and Conrad Buff
- Fine Print: A Story About Johann Gutenberg by Joann Johansen Burch
- Martin Luther by Simonetta Carr
- The Landing of the Pilgrims by James Daugherty
Need even more book suggestions? Check out our free Summer Reading Book Lists for grades K-12 available as a blog post and in printable form here!
Do you have any favorites for this age group? What have some of your family’s favorite read-alouds been this year? I’d love to know what’s working for your family!
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