Free resource · Texas
Homeschool reading list by age
Read-alouds, first chapter books and novels for ages 3 to 15+, mixing Texas favorites with classics children everywhere love. Ages are a guide only — read ahead of your child and skip anything that doesn't suit your family.
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Ages 3–5: picture books to read aloud
Read the same favorites again and again — repetition builds vocabulary and early phonics. Pause to let your child finish rhymes.
The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie dePaola
A retold Comanche legend about the Texas state flower.
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
The classic bedtime book.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Counting, days of the week and a life cycle.
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
Clever rhyme and a twist.
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Big feelings, beautifully told.
Ages 5–7: early readers and longer read-alouds
Keep reading aloud even once your child can read — they can understand far harder stories than they can decode.
Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel
Gentle chapters for brand-new readers.
Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne
A classic read-aloud, one chapter at a time.
Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo
Funny, illustrated first chapter book.
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Pioneer life, chapter by chapter.
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
A housekeeper who takes everything literally — great for talking about word meanings.
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Rhyme and repetition that early readers can tackle themselves.
Ages 7–9: first chapter books
Let your child choose some books purely for fun. Series are great for building reading stamina.
Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
Friendship, farm life and a lot to talk about.
The BFG by Roald Dahl
Inventive language children love to imitate.
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
Everyday family life with plenty of humor.
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
A short, moving dog-sled race story — have tissues ready.
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
A boy flattened by a falling board — and the start of many letter-writing projects.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
A classic fantasy read-aloud.
Ages 9–12: middle-grade novels
Ask your child to tell back a chapter in their own words, or keep a short reading journal — it's easy evidence of learning for your records.
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
A Texas Hill Country classic about a boy and his dog — sad ending.
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
A girl naturalist in 1899 Texas.
Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
A Mexican family's new life in California.
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
Friendship and a big, scruffy dog.
Wonder by R. J. Palacio
Kindness, difference and point of view.
Matilda by Roald Dahl
A book about loving books.
Ages 12–15: novels for young teens
Read some of the same books as your teen and talk about them — it's one of the best parts of homeschooling older children.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Danish families hide their Jewish neighbors in World War II.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Survival alone in the Canadian wilderness.
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
The classic quest — a great family read-aloud too.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
A seemingly perfect community with a dark secret.
Holes by Louis Sachar
A funny, twisty mystery set at a desert camp in Texas.
Ages 15+: older teens and senior years
Mix modern and classic books, and include some non-fiction. Check what any senior course or exam requires before you plan the year.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Justice and racism in 1930s Alabama.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Short vignettes of growing up Latina in Chicago.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
A short fable about power — good for discussion.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
A witty classic for confident readers.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
A short, powerful novel about friendship and the Great Depression.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
A world where books are burned — great for discussing ideas and media.