Home Log Cabin Vintage Blog Living Books for Homeschool: What They Are and Why Your Kids Need Them
August 13, 2025

Living Books for Homeschool: What They Are and Why Your Kids Need Them

What if I told you there's a secret to turning your reluctant reader into a book-loving child who begs for 'just one more chapter'? Picture this: instead of groaning when you mention history or science, your child becomes completely absorbed in stories that make learning feel like an adventure. The difference between books that sit forgotten on shelves and books that transform lives? You've discovered living books.

"Living books" has been a term used to describe children's books for years, particularly in homeschool communities. But not just any children's books. The term was coined by Charlotte Mason, a British Educator who spent her life working to improve the education of children.

In this post, we'll explore what living books are and why children (and adults) should read them. We'll also discuss what makes good books worth reading to our children and how to find them. 

WHAT ARE LIVING BOOKS?

Mason believed children should be exposed to good books - books that bring subjects to life, written by authors who are passionate about the subjects they are writing about, books that pull you into the subject and involve your emotions. A living book makes the subject “come alive.” That was her definition of a living book. No boring textbooks here that spew facts but never get the reader excited about a topic. Living books are the opposite, they take the reader inside the subject through an exciting storyline or examples that the reader can relate to.

 She also used the term "twaddle" to describe books that are the opposite.  Any book that talks down to a child, is senseless, dry or features the latest tv characters and trends. Abridged books that remove difficult vocabulary and are "dumbed down" for the reader are also considered twaddle. 

"One more thing is of vital importance; children must have books, living books. The best is not too good for them; anything less than the best is not good enough.” -Charlotte Mason, Parents and Children

WHY SHOULD CHILDREN READ THEM? (AND YOU TOO)

Living books help bring stories to life and make reading more enjoyable for children. When they can be absorbed into the story all while learning - whether learning history, geography or science - they retain information better and develop a genuine love for the subject. And research supports the power of quality books in children's lives.  A 20-year study led by Mariah Evans at the University of Nevada, Reno found "parents who have books in their home increase the level of education their children will attain". 

LIVING BOOK EXAMPLE:

Guess what? You have been reading living books all your life and probably didn't realize it. Many vintage children's books are wonderful examples of living books.  Farmer Boy, written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, is my favorite example of a living book. It tells the story of life on a New York Farm/Homestead in the late 1800's following the lives of The Wilder family as they tend the land, put up food for winter and go about their daily lives. The story drew me into their world, I could imagine what their day to day lives looked like, I could imagine living on the farm right there alongside them - I could feel the cold floor on winter mornings when they rose from their beds & quickly dressed. That is a living book. In fact, all of the Little House Series books are considered living books. Here are a few other examples of living books:

History:

  • Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (American Revolution)
  • The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare (Biblical times)
  • Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham (Maritime history/navigation)

Science:

  • The Burgess Bird Book by Thornton Burgess (Nature study)
  • Pagoo by Holling C. Holling (Marine biology)
  • Books by Jean Craighead George (Nature/survival)

Geography/Culture:

  • Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling C. Holling
  • The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (for older children)

Biography:

  • George Washington Carver by Sam and Beryl Epstein
  • Abraham Lincoln by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire (all of the Biography books written by the d'Auliares are examples of living books).

Literature:

  • The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
  • Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

HOW DO YOU FIND LIVING BOOKS?

As you embark on a journey to fill your bookshelves with quality books for the entire family, start with what is easy. Living books are easier to find than you think.  When searching for living books particularly, vintage children's books, here are a few types to focus on.

  • Classic Literature: These books have stood the test of time for a reason. They are often well-known and that makes them easier to find. Always try to find unabridged versions. Not all abridged versions are bad, but some dumb-down the classics too much. There are so many publishers of the classic children's literature, you won't have a hard time adding them to your bookshelf. Just try to look for trusted publishers like Scribners and Grosset and Dunlap.
  • Award-Winning Books: The two most common awards in children's literature are:  The Caldecott Medal for Picture Books and The Newbery Medal for chapter books.
  • Vintage Book Series:  There were many vintage book series published through the years that are excellent for  can be either fiction or non-fiction series.  Here are my top picks to get you started. Trust me there are so many more worth exploring.
    • The Landmark Books which explore historical events and people. These are a favorite of mine for their historic content as well as their beautiful spines and covers. A great complement to your history lessons - bring those events and people to life through 185 different books in this series.
    • The Junior Deluxe Editions - these beautiful editions, while sometimes abridged, do not dumb-down classic literature for children. They were published in the 1940's-1960's and featured many wonderful classics that are all but forgotten today. These hidden gems are wonderful reads for your children - perfect both for read aloud time as well as complementing many homeschool curriculum programs.  Plus they look amazing on the shelf (can you tell I love them?).
    • The First Book of Series: These early chapter books are wonderful at introducing children to fun topics in science, history, careers and more. They feature easy to read text, colorful images and are a smaller, square size - the perfect fit for those little hands.  There were over 100 books in the series.
  • Literature Anthologies: These large book sets are wonderful collections of literature that grow with your child as they grow.  They often start off with Nursery Rhymes and Mother Goose and move on to short stories and poetry. They end with abridged versions of classics and stories about historical events. These are a great introduction to a lot of different authors and writing styles. They give you countless hours of reading fun. Yes, they are big (some sets are 15 volumes or more) but they are worth a spot on your bookshelf.  Here are my favorites:
    • My Book House Books by Olive Beaupre Miller
    • Childcraft Books
    • Collier's Junior Classics
    • Charlie Brown "Cyclopedias
    • Young Folks Library

As you begin to look to add more living books to your bookshelf, you can be assured the books you find here at Log Cabin Vintage are books worth reading. I have done the hard work for you and have spent countless hours researching quality children's books worthy of your bookshelf. I have scoured book lists from different homeschool curriculums, award-winning book lists, etc. and make it a priority to source titles from those lists, so you know the books you find here are worth having on your own shelf - in fact a lot of books you will find here on the website are also in my own personal library.

I invite you to explore our extensive collection of books (new titles are being added weekly). Not only is there a focus on living books here at Log Cabin Vintage, but there is also a focus on the good books everyone should read - books that have stood the test of time & are now considered classics. If you are looking for specific titles, the following collections are a great place to start:  Classic Literature, Award-Winning Books, and Picture Books.  

Happy Reading,

Wendy

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Comments

Kathleen M Morrock

This is a wonderful post! You mentioned Paddle to the Sea! I remember that as a child and loved it. Living books are the ones that stay with you forever!

August 14, 2025

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