Books With Homeschool Characters
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Finding books with homeschool characters can feel like discovering a kindred spirit.
Most children’s books take place in a traditional school setting, but homeschoolers know that learning happens everywhere — at the kitchen table, in the backyard, at the library, and on grand adventures.
If your child is homeschooled, reading about characters who share their lifestyle can be both inspiring and comforting. It’s a reminder that their way of learning is valid, exciting, and full of possibilities.

Books With Homeschool Characters
- Picture Books (Ages 3–7)
- Early Readers & Chapter Books (Ages 6–9)
- Middle Grade (Ages 8–12)
- Young Adult (Ages 12+)
- Family & Adult Reads
Picture Books with Homeschool Characters (Ages 3–7)
These short and sweet stories introduce homeschooling through gentle narratives and colorful illustrations. They’re perfect for preschool and early elementary-aged children who are just starting to recognize themselves in the books they read.
- My Mommy, My Teacher by Johannah Bluedorn
- I am a Homeschooler by Julie Voetberg
- I Am Learning All The Time by Rain Perry Fordyce
- Kandoo Kangaroo Hops Into Homeschool by Susan Ratner
- Island Boy by Barbara Cooney
- Eloise by Kay Thompson
- Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
- The Sea Chest by Toni Buzzeo
- The Year I Didn’t Go to School by Giselle Potter
- Allison’s Story, A Book About Homeschooling by Jon Lurie
Early Readers & Chapter Books with Homeschool Characters (Ages 6–9)
These books are designed for children gaining confidence in reading, often with simple chapter structures and familiar vocabulary. Homeschool characters in these stories navigate friendships, family life, and early adventures.
- Ruby Slippers School (series) by Stacy Towle Morgan
- The Boxcar Children (series) by Gertrude Chandler Warner
- The Littles by John Peterson and Roberta Carter Clark
- Nurse Matilda (series) by Christianna Brand
- All Mixed Up! (Amy Hodgepodge no. 1) by Kevin Knotts and Kim Wayans
- Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
- Addie McCormick and the Computer Pirate by Leanne Lucas
- Adventures in the Neighborhood Woods (series) by Jesse Honn
- The Adventures of Lil’ Wolf, Twinkie, Toes, and Flower Girl in the Homeschool Forest, by Jacqueline R. Campos
- Hannah’s Island (series) by Eric Wiggin
- The Storm (series) by Cynthia Rylant
Middle Grade Books with Homeschool Characters (Ages 8–12)
- Ballet Shoes (series) by Noel Streatfeild
- Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin by Marguerite Henry
- The Borrowers by Mary Norton
- Beyonders (series) by Brandon Mull
- Bran Hambric (series) by Kaleb Nation
- Brian’s Hunt by Gary Paulsen
- Carry on Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
- Chicken Friend by Nicola Morgan
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming
- The Chronicles of Chrestomanci (series) by Diana Wynne Jones
- Cody Greene and the Rainbow Mystery by Linda Fields
- The Conch Bearer (series) by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
- The Courtship of Sarah McLean (series) by Stephen B. Castleberry
- The Cleveland Mysteries (series) by Elaine J. Dalton
- Cross-Country Treasure Hunt (And the Mystery That Followed) by Gwen Lepkowski
- Dear Pirate: The Buried Treasure Mystery (series) by Carole Marsh
- Double Trouble Squared: A Starbuck Family Adventure, Book 1 (series) by Kathryn Lasky
- Drift House: The First Voyage by Dale Peck
- Eight Cousins by Lousia M. Alcott
- Every Soul A Star by Wendy Mass
- From The Mixed-Up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenweiler by E.L. Konisburg
- The Game by Diana Wynne Jones
- The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
- The Gawgon and the Boy by Lloyd Alexander
- Gunrunner Moon by Ed Ditto
- Hatchet (series) by Gary Paulsen
- Heidi by Johanna Spyri
- Henley and the Book of Heroes (series) by Dr. Jane H. Smith
- The Homeschool Detectives (series) by John Bibee
- The Howling Vowels by Leslie Schultz
- Ippie Unschooled by Nicole Olson
- Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
- Islander by Cynthia Rylant
- Ida B… and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan
- Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson
- Jess (American Girl Today) by Mary Casanova
- Joey Pigza (series) by Jack Gantos
- The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan
- Katy by Mary Evelyn Notgrass
- Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
- The King of the Trees by William D. Burt
- Laddie, A True Blue Story by Gene Stratton-Porter
- Lexi’s Homeschool Diary by Cheryl and MacKenzie Moeller
- Linnets and Valerians by Elizabeth Gouge
- Little Britches by Ralph Moody
- The Little White Horse by Elizbeth Goudge
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
- The Lost Da Vincis by Don and Aneladee Milne
- Love Lessons (series) by Margaret Daley
- Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
- Meet Felicity: An American Girl (American Girls Collection) by Valerie Tripp
- Meet Kaya: An American Girl (American Girls Collection) by Janet Beeler Shaw, Bill Farnsworth, and Susan McAliley
- The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman
- Monster of the Month Club (series) by Dian Curtis Regan
- My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
- My Name Is Mina by David Almond
- My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
- Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr
- No More School by Meg Harper
- Novel Concept by Teagan Bentley
- Olympus: It’s Not Just a Game by Scott W. Somerville
- The One and Only Miss Violet Remy by Angie Renich
- Operation Red Jericho (series) by Joshua Mowll
- Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
- Pippi Longstocking series by Astrid Lindgren
- The People in Pineapple Place by Anne Lindberg
- The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit
- The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame
- Savvy (series) by Ingrid Law
- Schooled by Gordon Korman
- The Schoolroom in the Parlor (series) by Rebecca Caudill
- The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
- The Secret of the Lost Colony by Rebecca Price Janney
- The Secret of the Old Swing Bridge by Ian Wilson
- Shadow Children (series) by Margaret Peterson Haddix
- Shouldn’t You Be In School? by Angelina Hart
- Skellig by David Almond
- Sonrise Stable (series) by Vicki Watson
- Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos (series) by R.L. LaFevers
- The Tide Knot by Helen Dunmore
- Tonia of Trelawney: A Buccaneer Girl by Jacqueline C Grant
- Too Smart Jones (series) by Gilbert Morris
- Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit
- The Wanderer by Sharon Creech
- The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleishman
- The Wizard of Oz (series) by L. Frank Baum
- Wright on Time (series) by Lisa M. Cottrell-Bently
- Williwaw! by Tom Bodett
- Wise Child by Monica Furlong
Young Adult Books About Homeschoolers (Ages 12+)
- The Giver by Lois Lowry
- Feed by M.T. Anderson
- How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
- Emily The Strange: Dark Times by Jessica Gruner and Rob Reger
- The Homeschool Experiment by Charity Hawkins
- The Homeschool Liberation League by Lucy Frank
- Homeschool on a Battlefield by Jennifer Lynn
- The Society of S by Susan Hubbard
- Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
- This Girl Is Different by JJ Johnson
- Miss Smithers by Susan Juby
- Joey Pigza (series) by Jack Gantos
- The Homeschool Liberation League by Lucy Frank
- Red Rain by Aubrey Hansen
- My Name Is Mina by David Almond
- Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson
- The Giver by Lois Lowry
Family & Adult Reads
- Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr., and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
- The Education of Little Tree by Forrest Carter and Rennard Strickland
- Road to Coorain by Jill Ker Conway
- The Lonesome Gods by Louis L’Amour
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
- The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- A Year with the Potters: The Adventures and Lessons of a Homeschooling Family by Rebekah Jones
Reading books with homeschool characters can help children feel seen and validated in their unique educational journey. They may recognize themselves in the characters’ curiosity, independence, and creativity — or discover new ideas for learning and play.
For homeschool families, these stories can also serve as conversation starters about different ways to learn, the value of family time, and the adventures that happen outside of a classroom. Most importantly, they remind kids that every learning path is worth celebrating.
Do you know of any more books with homeschool characters that I missed? Â Let me know in the comments so I can add it to the list!


Great list! So many I have never heard of or didn’t think of!
I love this list! Thanks for sharing!
Some of these I hadn’t even thought about how the characters were home schooled.
Ok, so funny thing is I was just telling hubby the other day how there were NO books about homeschooled kids! Thanks for sharing and linking up at the Homeschool Linky Party!
Awesome list! Also check out Homeschoolliterature.com as it has reviews on some of these books and more!
Have you ever visited the site HomeschoolLiterature.com? It has reviews and even interactive games and activities for many of these!!
What a wonderful list and resource!! I am definitely bookmarking this page to reference throughout the school year 🙂
Hi there, I had no idea there were so many out there – in fact, that’s why I wrote one myself 😉 You are welcome to add it to your list. Published by a South African traditional publisher, Naledi Books, in May 2013. Seekers of the Lost Boy follows a homeschooling family on an incredible journey after they find a message in a bottle on the beach. You can read more here: http://tarynhayes.com
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Thanks so much for sharing! I will add it in! 🙂
My children love these books
http://www.rosieboom.com/books/the-barn-chronicles/where-lions-roar
Thanks for this great list! I’m going to share it – obviously linking to this post – on my own blog and also share it with my online homeschool groups.
One addition you could make: There is a sequel – called The Other Side of the Mountain – to My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. Those who enjoy the first book will like the main character’s continued adventures.
This is really a great resource, thank you SO much! One thing I notice a lot with my preschool & Kindergarten aged children is that a lot of the books for their level focused very much on traditional school experiences & while we still enjoy them, I have wanted to find some good read-alouds that centered around kids who had a life more similar to theirs. I really do appreciate this list more than I can explain!
Thank again,
Chantal
Great list! There’s a wonderful middle grade novel called This Journal Belongs to Ratchet that features a young homeschooled girl.
It may be a little elementary but my kids love Charlie Goes to School!
(And thank you for the list btw.. Bookmarking it! I didn’t realize there were so many 🙂 ..)
A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray (first of a series) is another one with a homeschooled main character.
http://www.amazon.com/A-Thousand-Pieces-You-Firebird/dp/0062278967
Also, my new one, Oswald Spoon and the Trouble With Invisibility. Has full-time homeschoolers of the unschooling persuasion. 🙂 It’s my debut novel.
Like this list! I would love to read. There were a few on here I hadn’t heard of, so thank you. 🙂
Dangerous, by Shannon Hale.
Great list! The Nellie Nova series also features homeschooled characters.