As mentioned before, we make reading lists each year for our elementary-aged kids. Usually we choose books that correlate with what we're studying in other areas (history, science), books we want them to leave our home having read (classics), and books we think they need to read for personal growth.

We split them into four categories, and they must read a chapter in their current book from each category each day. I am happy to admit that they seem to learn far more from their readings than from the subjects I actually take the time to teach.

Here are the lists for a 5th grader and a 3rd grader (affiliate links included):

5th Grade Boy

I History

• The Egyptian News

• The Roman News

• The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone

• Archimedes and the Door of Science

• Augustus Caesar’s World

• History Detectives: Ancient Greece

• History Detectives: Ancient Rome

II Science

• Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation

• Science in Ancient Egypt

• Science in Ancient Greece

• Science in Ancient Rome

• A Day in the Life of a Veterinarian

III Biography

• Alexander the Great

• 12 Youthful Martyrs

• Exploring the Himalaya

• Ghengis Khan

• Catching Their Talk in a Box

IV Literature

• Peter Pan

• Treasures of the Snow

• Wonder Book for Boys and Girls

• The Bronze Bow

• Old Yeller

• Around the World in Eighty Days

• Where the Red Fern Grows

• Star of Light

• Cricket in Times Square

• Lad: A Dog

• Gentle Ben

3rd Grade Girl

I History

• Dinosaurs of Eden

• What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs

• Life in the Great Ice Age

• Growing Up in Ancient Egypt

• Tut’s Mummy: Lost and Found

• Trojan Horse

• Growing Up in Ancient China

• Growing Up in Ancient Rome

• Roman Numerals I to MM

• Who Were the First North Americans?

II Science

• Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 1

• Adventures on Lilac Hill

• Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 2

• WHY? Series

• Christian Liberty Nature Reader Book 3

• How We Learned the Earth is Round

• Caterpillar Green

III Biography

• New Toes for Tia

• Granny Han’s Breakfast

• A Question of Yams

• From Abeku to Zapotec

• Ten Girls books

IV Literature

• Eyes for Benny

• The Missing Popcorn

• Homer Price

• McBroom’s Wonderful One Acre Farm

• In Grandma’s Attic

• Misty of Chincoteague

• More Stories from Grandma’s Attic

• Owls in the Family

The first grader is reading through the Veritas Press readers and various other books I pull for her. She's a strong reader, but others haven't been so we do customize the lists each year according to the child.

After 6th grade, our kids begin Veritas Press Omnibus, so their reading lists are set for them, although we add to their reading to fill in where we think it might be necessary. The 7th grader's extra list includes:

Boyhood and Beyond

Robinson Crusoe

Thoughts for Young Men

Would you like to see an update to this post, and how I'm changing things up for our reading lists? Check out How I Killed the Love of Reading in My Kids and How We're Getting it Back

Featured