If you’ve researched Charlotte Mason homeschooling methods, you’ve probably heard a lot of talk about “living books.” This approach is based on a simple idea: although textbooks have their place for learning, there’s nothing like curling up with a good book. Let’s face it, few things are! The Charlotte Mason approach’s beauty is to take the joy of a good book and integrate it into any curriculum or learning style. Let’s start with the basics.
What Are Living Books?
The phrase “living books” is taken from a book by educational reformer Charlotte Mason, who lived in England from 1842 – 1923. Mason wrote many books on the philosophy of education and has had a tremendous influence on teaching homeschoolers, specifically in classical and liberal arts education. The idea of living books comes directly from a quotation in her book, Parents and Children:
“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.”
Mason is well-known for her dislike of “twaddle,” or literature that talks down to children and are poor in content and aesthetic quality. Living books reach children by appealing to the imagination and drawing on the child’s natural attraction to beauty in the world. For younger children, living books may have illustrations that detail the beauty of the subject matter. For older children, the language might draw them into a given subject and create an appeal to the emotions that is more than simply factual or informative. Classic literature, poetry, and books on science or history written in narrative style are examples of what a living book may look like. Think about learning language arts while reading The Hobbit or The Prince and the Pauper. Or learning history by reading All’s Quiet on the Western Front, or, if younger, A Boy Named FDR: How Franklin Roosevelt Grew Up to Change America. Instead of a paragraph on Franklin Roosevelt, your child would read an entire book with rich history and prose.
Why Living Books?
Let’s face it: textbooks can be tedious. Many children may grow to dread certain subjects simply because their textbook is boring. The primary idea behind living books is that they spark the child’s imagination, even if the language is a bit challenging. They also appeal to the child’s senses through descriptive writing or beautiful illustrations. Living books bring education to life.
A living book is also a practical approach if you have children of various ages and grades at home and would like to consolidate some subjects. For example, last year, I was able to teach my four children, ages six to eleven, about American history through living books. Instead of providing each child with a textbook and studying a list of facts separately, we started our day by reading great literature and beautiful picture books that detailed America’s beginnings. I provided my older children with more advanced reading to do on their own after our “together time.” We paired this approach with several field trips to bring American history to life. I was shocked at how much each of the children learned and continue to be surprised by how much knowledge they retained from this simple, fun approach.
How Do I Use Living Books?
There are several ways to integrate living books into your homeschool, regardless of whether you use a curriculum, mix, match, or even unschool. Here are some ideas:
- Daily Read-Aloud Time: Choose a time of day to read living books out loud to your children. Many homeschoolers use a morning time basket with their read-aloud for the day, but it can occur at any time of the day. Choose a time when your children tend to be most focused, quiet, and attentive.
- Independent Reading with Narration: For older students, living books provide wonderful independent reading material. If you want to evaluate how much your child retains from what they read, you can do a simple narration exercise at the end of the day or at another time interval. Ask your child to tell you what they have read and summarized it in a concise and detailed way. You could also ask your child to draw a picture or write a narration in a reading journal.
- Living Books for Reinforcement: Many homeschoolers use living books in conjunction with textbooks. For example, if you’re learning about the Great Lakes region of the United States, you could read some living books set in that region to bring the facts to life. If you study a certain period in history, find living books that tell the stories of men and women who lived during those times. The possibilities really are endless, so be creative!
You might be thinking this sounds too simple, and you might be right. A living books approach is basically the same thing as reading quality literature to teach a given subject. Because of that simplicity, you will undoubtedly be surprised at what your children will learn from this approach, simply from the power of quality writing, beautiful imagery, and timeless stories.
List of living books
Elementary school
The Cat in the Hat
Any Dr. Seuss books emphasize reading comprehension. The repetitive structure of the stories helps young children who may be struggling to read.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Beatrix Potter’s simple stories, complete with beautiful illustrations, are also good for children just learning how to read.
Spaghetti and Meatballs for All!
This helps teach math and food resource skills.
Frog and Toad are Friends
This book and the whole Frog and Toad series are other options for young children who lack the attention span for chapter books.
If You Give a Pig A Pancake
This book, and others by the same author, teaches causality.
The Swiss Family Robinson
This tale of survival on a desert island teaches the importance of working together.
The Trumpet of the Swan
This book has little snippets of classic musical tunes that might encourage a child to dig deeper into the world of music, musical instruments, and musical composition.
Tales from the Arabian Nights
This is a retelling of fairy tales from the Middle East. Kids will be thrilled to find the origin story for Aladdin!
The Phantom Tollbooth
Kids can learn the importance of words and numbers through the adventures of Milo.
A Grain of Rice
This traditional Chinese folktale helps children understand numbers and multiplication.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
This book helps immerse children in wonder and excitement.
Anansi the Spider
This West African folktale teaches methods to think outside of the box to solve problems.
The Empty Pot
This ancient Chinese story teaches children the value of being honest.
A Wrinkle in Time
This classic teaches science, planetary exploration and stokes curiosity to learn more.
High school
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
This is a good way for high schoolers to learn about World War II and the Holocaust.
Across Five Aprils
Young teenage Jonathan must survive the Civil War.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
This teaches values in friendship.
Lord of the Flies
This book teaches political structure.
The Book Thief
This book focuses on Nazi Germany and shares a window into a darker world.
The Hate U Give
This book focuses on critical questions when it comes to racism.
To Kill A Mockingbird
This book shows a well-written court case and its legal defense. It also looks at human relationships and offers children a window into 1950s America.