Great Homeschool Readalouds: 12 Great Book Series to Read Together
Need a new series for winter readaloud season? We have a few ideas.
Sometimes you don’t just want a book — you want a whole series to read aloud in your homeschool. Discover a whole world of series to obsess over together when you’ve finished Harry Potter and the other usual suspects.
The Time Quintet by Madeleine L’Engle
Start with: A Wrinkle in Time
When Meg Murry comes downstairs on a dark and stormy night, she sets off a chain of events that will take her from the farthest reaches of the galaxy to the microscopic universe inside a single human cell, from the birth a star to the wasteland of a nuclear winter. L’Engle’s fascination with science is well-matched to her philosophical musings about good and evil, and this series manages to be as readable as it is thought-provoking.
The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold
Start with: Shards of Honor
You may be tempted to dismiss this science-fiction series, especially if you get hold of one of the 1980s editions with laser beams and spaceships on the cover. But you’ll be missing out. Bujold’s politically and technologically complex space opera, set in a future world where humans have colonized space, is a delight — smart, funny, and utterly absorbing.
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
Start with: The Golden Compass
The original sin of curiosity becomes a triumph rather than a fall in Pullman’s fantasy-world retelling of Paradise Lost. Stubborn, wild Lyra Belacqua comes from an alternate Oxford, where humans’ spirits live beside them in animal form. Independent, untrusting Will Parry comes from our world. Together, they’ll travel through other worlds, meeting witches, cliff ghasts, armored bears, and long-missing parents, on a quest that will save or destroy every world in the cosmos.
The Pendragon Adventures by D.J. MacHale
Start with: The Merchant of Death
Time travel is just the beginning for Bobby Pendragon, who takes on the Quantum Leap-esque burden of influencing civilizations across time and space to make the right decisions at pivotal moments in their development. Lots of action keeps things interesting, and the worlds — distinct but connected in space-time — are delightfully imagined, from the watery ocean world Cloral to the virtual reality wastelands of Veelox.
Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries by Dorothy Sayers
Start with: Strong Poison
You have my permission to skip Five Red Herrings, which gets a bogged down with time tables and bus routes, but no Sherlock fan should miss Lord Peter. High-strung, over-educated, aristocratic Lord Peter assists in solving tricky mysteries with the help of his gentleman’s gentleman Bunter and (eventually) his Oxford-educated, detective novelist wife, whom he meets when she is on trial for murder (in Strong Poison).
Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
Start with: The Adventures of Captain Underpants
This series, about two boys who inadvertently turn their principal into a crime-fighting, underpants-flashing superhero, is unapologetically silly, but that’s part of what makes it so fun. George and Harold find themselves caught up in an increasingly ludicrous series of adventures, including battling lunchroom zombie nerds and bionic booger boys.
Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery
Start with: Emily of New Moon
If Anne of Green Gables is a domestic fairy tale, Montgomery’s Emily trilogy is its original-Grimm-version cousin. Like Anne, Emily Starr is an orphan in love with the beauty of the natural world and passionate about the power of words. But Emily lacks Anne’s charm, her easy friendships, her ability to make the best of things. Oh, there’s plenty of Montgomery’s gentle fireside humor, but Emily must fight much harder and sacrifice much more for her ambition.
Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
Start with: Gregor the Overlander
Though her Hunger Games trilogy is more popular, Collins’ underworld epic is arguably a better work. Gregor falls through a grate in his New York City laundry room and finds himself in an underground civilization, where enormous spiders, cockroaches, bats, and rats, coexist with deep-dwelling humans. A series of Underland prophecies may point Gregor toward his destiny, if he can survive the perils of the underground kingdom.
The Melendy Quartet by Elizabeth Enright
Start with: The Saturdays
When you find yourself wishing life were simpler, blame the Melendys. Enright’s family — including actress Mona, pianist Rush, dancer Randy, and little brother Oliver — inhabit a golden 1940s New York, where children can safely roam the streets of Manhattan solo and go swimming in dammed-up brooks. Nostalgic but never treacly, the Melendy stories are a pleasantly absorbing trip to the past.
The Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan
Start with: The Ruins of Gorlan
Orphaned Will’s not so sure he wants to become an apprentice to the Rangers, the spy network for the country Araluen, but the alternative is working in the fields. So Will sets off with his new mentor Halt to protect the kingdom from traitors and invaders.
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Start with: Leviathan
Set in an alternate World War I, this steampunk trilogy pits the Clankers and their mechanized war machines against the Entente Powers and their genetically fabricated living creatures. It’s up to the on-the-run heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire and a girl who’s disguised herself as a boy so she can join the British Air Service to bring the world back to peace.
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
Start with: Swallows and Amazons
Homeschoolers have helped rediscover this old- fashioned British series about two groups of families who bond over a shared love of sailing in an idyllic countryside where kids are perfectly safe setting up camp on an island for the summer.
(We’re Amazon affiliates, so if you purchase something through an Amazon link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Obviously this doesn’t influence what we recommend, and we link to places other than Amazon.)
Great Homeschool Readalouds: The Hundred and One Dalmatians
In this funny, old-fashioned story, two Dalmatian parents set off to rescue their kidnapped puppies. It's so much more fun than the movie!
THE HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIANS by Dodie Smith
Don’t confuse the Disney adaptation with this delightfully old-fashioned story — the book is much funnier and more charming than its animated or live-action cinematic version. And the original book makes a really lovely holiday readaloud.
Pongo and Missis live a dog-gone (sorry — I couldn’t resist) perfect life in London with the Dearlys, who adore their pets and their fifteen Dalmatian puppies. But Mrs. Dearly’s old school mate, the fabulous, Bohemian, and kind of evil Cruella de Vil, has her own ideas about those distinctively spotted puppies’ future. When she kidnaps the Pongo puppies — and a slew of other Dalmatian pups—Pongo and Missis set off on adventure across London to Cruella’s estate to rescue their family, helped along the way by a host of plucky pets.
There’s enough action in this short novel to keep you on the edge of your seat, and Cruella de Vil is an iconic bad guy. (There’s not a sympathetic backstory in sight.) And the animal heroes are delightful — like Beatrix Potter characters raised in the city or the canine characters of some pre-Jeeves Wodehouse story. And the snowy backdrop of the English countryside has a cozy wintry feel that’s just right reading over the winter holidays.
Sure, there are some quibbles: You can definitely argue that there’s more than a little sexist stereotyping in the story, but for a product of its time, it could be a lot worse. (For instance, it’s Mr. Dearly who does the round-the-clock feedings for two days for the new puppies, which seems quite progressive). There’s a also a scene set in a Christmas Eve church that may feel too religious for some secular homeschoolers, but it really seems to be more about kindness and community than any particular kind of religion. I like old-fashioned books, though, so I may have a soft spot for some of their features that might spark more annoyance for other readers.
Ultimately, I think this is a funny, charming children’s story that makes a perfect multi-age readaloud.
Quotable: “Like many other much-loved humans, they believed that they owned their dogs, instead of realizing that their dogs owned them.”
(We’re Amazon affiliates, so if you purchase something through an Amazon link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Obviously this doesn’t influence what we recommend, and we link to places other than Amazon.)
Great Homeschool Readalouds: The Greenglass House
A wintry middle grades mystery that may remind you a little of The Westing Game.
The Greenglass House by Kate Milford
I’m always updating our winter readalouds list, and The Greenglass House is a terrific addition.
Winter is supposed to be the quiet season at the Greenglass House — even the smugglers who tend to frequent the old inn don’t work over the holiday. But this year is different: Guest after guest turns up at the inn’s front desk, each with an improbable, complicated story, and Milo and his innkeeper parents find themselves rushing around trying to take care of their unexpected guests. Now things are going missing, and Milo teams up with the cook’s daughter Meddy to figure out what’s really going on — and what secrets his adopted family’s old hotel is hiding.
It’s surprisingly hard (The Westing Game excepted) to find really good middle grades mysteries — you know, the kind with actual clues that you can piece together to figure out what’s going — and The Greenglass House really delivers on the count. It feels like a really charming mash-up of classic detective tropes (smugglers, ships, and blackouts!) and more nuanced ideas about family, friendship, and identity. Milo is a genuinely likable 12-year-old — he pretends to be his Dungeons and Dragons-ish alter ego when he needs to feel brave, and he’s totally confident in his parents’ love for him even as he wonders about the parents who gave him up. Milo and Meddy collect information along with the reader, piecing together the mysteries of the Greenglass House as they put together the clues. Whether you guess the twist at the end or you’re totally surprised by it, the solution to the book’s layered mysteries comes together in a satisfying, Agatha Christie-ish way. All the clues really are there for you to put together, if you can.
You could read this any time of year, but it’s murky, chilly, timelessness feels especially appropriate in the lead-up to the winter holidays. Kate Milford does a really lovely job of setting the story just outside of chronological time — Milo watches television, but the story lacks other trappings of modern life, and its old-fashioned keys, smugglers, and plot points give it an almost steampunk, fantasy-ish vibe. And it’s hard to imagine a more atmospheric winter story — this is a perfect book to read snuggled up by the fire with a mug of hot chocolate. Reading The Greenglass House feels like winter in all the best ways.
There are some places where the story gets a little complicated to follow — there are a lot of backstories to keep up with, and Milo and Meddy confuse things a little by referring to themselves by their role-playing identities as well as their real names. But mysteries are supposed to be complicated, aren’t they? And I think the little bumps along the way really do a nice job of making you feel like you’re part of the mystery, too.
Quotable: “It is not merely our adversaries we must investigate. We must always work to know ourselves better, too.”
You might also enjoy: The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Chasing Vermeer, The London Eye Mystery
Great Homeschool Readalouds: The Tomten
In this sweet winter story, a friendly troll reminds a farm full of creatures that spring is coming.
THE TOMTEN by Astrid Lindgren
We always know it’s the holiday season in our homeschool when The Tomten finds its way into the reading basket. Even though my kids are older now and we’ve always inclined toward chapter books for our family readalouds, this sweet winter picture book is essential holiday reading at our house, and I think your family might love it, too.
The Tomten is a kindly Swedish creature who — when winter is at its darkest and chilliest — wakes up from his dreams to remind animals (and any children who happen to be awake) that spring is coming. Busy grown-ups can’t hear the Tomten’s silent language as he quietly makes his way around the farm, but that’s okay: The Tomten is watching over those grown-ups, too, as he keeps his winter vigil. The Tomten is either a troll-ish gnome or a gnome-ish troll; either way, he’s a white-bearded, pointy-capped mythical creature who channels the hope of spring in the chill dark of winter.
And that’s it, really — nothing much happens in this little picture book, with its spare language and dark, dreamy illustrations of a snowbound farm. But there’s something about its magical quietness that captures the way I want the holidays to feel: peaceful, patient, and a little bit enchanted. We read this book and make rice pudding for the Tomten (we eat some, too!), and it feels as though the season of joy and celebration has arrived in the best possible way.
If you’re feeling creative, you could expand on this readaloud with some art projects: Make a snowy farm with cotton wool and (if you’re feeling brave!) a little glitter, and use it to decorate your nature table, or set out gray cardstock and black and white pastel crayons, and let your kids make a winter scene in monochrome. But it’s a lovely readaloud all by itself, snuggled up together right before bedtime, too.
You might also enjoy: The Tomten and the Fox, Winterfrost, Hedgie’s Surprise
Great Homeschool Readalouds: The Hoboken Chicken Emergency
Thanksgiving gets weird when a butcher mishap leads a kid to a 266-pound chicken.
THE HOBOKEN CHICKEN EMERGENCY by Daniel Pinkwater
Arthur’s job is picking up the turkey for the Bobowicz’s Thanksgiving dinner, which should be easy, right?
Except the butcher has lost the Bobowicz’s order, and he doesn’t have any extras. In fact, nobody in Hoboken seems to have a turkey for sale. Or a chicken. Or a duck. Or anything remotely bird-y. Arthur is wandering the streets, getting increasingly panicked — what will everyone say if he comes home without the star of the Thanksgiving table — when he spots a CHICKENS FOR SALE sign on an apartment door. Instead of a shady poultry vendor, Arthur finds a mad scientist looking to get rid of some seriously oversized chickens. Arthur buys a 266-pound chicken, but by the time they get home, he’s decided that he’d rather have a pet than a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Mrs. Bobowicz makes meatloaf for dinner instead, and the chicken — named Henrietta — becomes part of the family.
Of course, life with a 266-pound chicken isn’t always easy, and when Henrietta escapes, the citizens of Hoboken freak out, treating the perfectly nice chicken like a monster until she’s so hurt and angry with their unkindness that she starts acting like a monster. Arthur knows his sweet chicken is still in there, and he’s determined to save the day.
This is such a fun, funny readaloud with a great message about the ways that ignorance can make us act like — well, jerks if we don’t recognize it. Any book that emphasizes kindness and not being afraid of differences feels totally in the spirit of Thanksgiving to me. It’s a quirky, fun tour of Hoboken, and if you’ve been there, you’ll recognize the docks, the park, and other locations where Henrietta and Arthur’s adventures take them. Even though it was written in 1977, the book has a casual diversity that feels refreshing, and I love that it’s a Thanksgiving book that isn’t all about the Pilgrims. (I can’t with the Pilgrims.)
You might also enjoy: Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer, The Enormous Egg, The Qwikpick Papers: Poop Fountain!
Great Homeschool Readalouds: Breaking Stalin’s Nose
Breaking Stalin’s Nose, set during Stalin’s great purge in the 1930s, is a great historical fiction conversation starter for discussing propaganda, witch hunts, ethics, and community.
Breaking Stalin’s Nose, set during Stalin’s great purge in the 1930s, is a great historical fiction conversation starter for discussing propaganda, witch hunts, ethics, and community.
Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin
How do we know what is right? That’s the question at the heart of this middle grades book, set in the early days of the Soviet Union. Joseph Stalin is the dictator of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and everybody loves him — loudly and frequently, so that their neighbors don’t suspect them of disloyalty to the state. Stalin is very sensitive to disloyalty. He takes it personally, and anyone suspected of disloyalty is tried publicly and dramatically before being shipped off to prison camps or executed. Everyone Stalin suspects always turns out to be guilty.
That’s not a problem for Sasha Zaichik, though. Nobody’s more loyal to Stalin than 10-year-old Sasha and his family. Sasha’s works for the State Security, helping Stalin track down and arrest the Soviets who aren’t loyal to their leader. Sasha couldn’t be prouder. And Sasha is counting down the days until he can join the communist youth group the Young Pioneers and pledge his official alliance to Stalin.
It only takes two days for everything that Sasha believes to shatter. First, he accidentally breaks a bust of the Dictator at his school, setting off an investigation in which State Security encourages the students to turn in the culprit, who must be a dangerous enemy of the state. Then, his beloved father is arrested in the middle of the night and taken away by the secret police, who tell Sasha that the only way he can become a Young Pioneer now is by denouncing his father as a traitor. Alone for the first time, Sasha begins to question his naive faith in Stalin’s Soviet Union, recognizing the hysteria and paranoia that make neighbors, friends, and family members turn on each other and realizing that not every person accused of and condemned for treason is necessarily guilty.
What makes it a great readaloud: Eugene Yelchin wanted to illuminate a piece of history that we don’t often get to read about in U.S. classrooms: the fear and horror that people in Stalin’s Soviet Union had to live with every day. Because Sasha’s only 10 years old, his understanding of what’s actually happening in his country develops along with the reader’s, and it’s a great book to launch discussions of propaganda, politics, and fake news.
But be aware: This is historical fiction set in a difficult, dangerous era, and you’re likely to finish the book feeling glad that Sasha understands more about the world he’s living in but also worried about what the future holds for him. Very sensitive kids may struggle with this and with the mostly-offstage violence of the Stalinist raids.
Quotable: “‘What The Nose so vividly demonstrates to us today,’ says Luzhko, ‘is that when we blindly believe in someone else’s idea of what is right or wrong for us as individuals, sooner or later our refusal to make our own choices could lead to the collapse of the entire political system. An entire country. The world, even.’
He looks at the class significantly and says, ‘Do you understand?’
Of course, they have no idea what he’s talking about. This Luzhko is suspicious. I always thought so. All teachers use words you hear on the radio, but he doesn’t. I don't know what’s wrong with him. I turn and walk away.”
Learn more: You may want to read up on Stalin and the Soviet Union before or after reading this book together. This BBC site gives a brief but informative overview of the political and social landscape of the 1930s Soviet Union.
(We’re Amazon affiliates, so if you purchase something through an Amazon link, we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Obviously this doesn’t influence what we recommend, and we link to places other than Amazon.)
Great Homeschool Readalouds: Sideways Stories from Wayside School
it’s full of hilarious moments that, on reflection, critique everything from stereotyping to the education system in some pretty spot-on ways.
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
In brief: Wayside School is definitely not normal. A dead rat infiltrates the third grade classroom in a dirty raincoat. A particularly nasty teacher turns her pupils into apples. Maurecia eats people-flavored ice cream. (It’s not what you think.) Leslie tries to sell of her toes. Poor Todd gets sent home on the kindergarten bus every day. Kathy hates everyone. And what really happened to the 19th floor?
What makes it a great readaloud: You might have trouble finishing sentences because you’re laughing so hard, but that’s just part of the fun. It’s easy to see this book — a collection of interrelated stories—as a precursor to satirists like Vonnegut or Heller — it’s full of hilarious moments that, on reflection, critique everything from stereotyping to the education system in some pretty spot-on ways. Mostly, though, it’s just plain fun to read, full of silly adventure and memorably odd characters.
But be aware: Some of the humor might seem a little mean or old-fashioned to modern-day readers.
Quotable: “Dameon had hazel eyes with a little black dot in the middle of each of them. The dots were called pupils. So was Dameon. He was a pupil in Mrs. Jewl’s class.”
Need a new series for winter readaloud season? We have a few ideas.