Get ready for an educational pilgrimage! Homeschooling and classical education pioneer, Leigh Bortins, has compiled a list of 117 essential books. These include novels, short stories, documents, biographies, and speeches. Everyone—parents, students, homeschoolers, and classical educators—should read them as part of their educational journey.
In classical education, literature is not just a subject; it’s a guiding light. It leads us along the path to virtue and provides a well-rounded understanding of the world. This curated list is your roadmap to great and timeless works. It is a great resource and, therefore, useful whether you’re familiar with the trivium or new to the classical model. From the foundations of grammar to the rhetoric of persuasive writing, our collection aligns with classical education principles. These great books are not simply read—they become treasured companions in the pursuit of intellectual excellence.
A note on Levels and Anthologies: the levels correspond with our Challenge programs. You can find the anthologies listed, along with most of the books, in our bookstore.
Challenge Programs: A—Ages 12+, B—Ages 13+, I—Ages 14+, II—Ages 15+, III—Ages 16+, IV—Ages 17+
100 Best Books for Homeschool Students and Parents
Number | Author | Title | Level | Type | Anthology | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Andersen, Hans Christian | “God Lives” | B | Short Story | Words Aptly Spoken: Short Stories | |
2 | Austen, Jane | Pride and Prejudice | II | Novel | ||
3 | Avi | Crispin: The Cross of Lead | A | Novel | Crispin Trilogy | |
4 | Ayers, Myron L. | “Sacajawea” | B | Biography | American Experience | |
5 | Bachman, Frank P. | “Eli Whitney” | B | Biography | American Experience | |
6 | Bandello, Matteo | “A King in Disguise” | B | Short Story | Words Aptly Spoken: Short Stories | |
7 | Bellamy, Francis | The Pledge of Allegiance | I | Legal Document | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
8 | Bierce, Ambrose | “A Man and the Snake” | B | Short Story | Words Aptly Spoken: Short Stories | |
9 | Blos, Joan W. | A Gathering of Days | A | Novel | ||
10 | Bouve, Pauline Carrington | “Molly Pitcher” | B | Biography | American Experience | |
11 | Bradford, William and Various | Mayflower Compact | I | Legal Document | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
12 | Bronte, Charlotte | Jane Eyre | II | Novel | ||
13 | Brooks, Elbredge Streeter | “Robert E. Lee” | B | Biography | American Experience | |
14 | Burnett, Frances Hodgson | The Secret Garden | A | Novel | ||
15 | Butterworth, Hezekiah | “Five Kernels of Corn” | I | Poetry | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
16 | Calhoun, John C. | “On the Slavery Question” | I | Speech | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
17 | Carroll, Lewis | Alice in Wonderland | II | Novel | ||
18 | Carver, George Washington | “George Washington Carver” | B | Autobiography | American Experience | |
19 | Chase, Mary | Harvey | I | Drama | ||
20 | Chekhov, Anton | “The Bet” | B | Short Story | Words Aptly Spoken: Short Stories | |
21 | Chesterton, G. K. | Father Brown Stories | II | Short Story | ||
22 | Christopher, Columbus | “Apologia” (excerpt) | I | Essays | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
23 | Clay, Henry | The Missouri Compromise | I | Legal Document | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
24 | Colson, Charles W. | Born Again | I | Autobiography | ||
25 | Crane, Stephen | The Red Badge of Courage | I | Novella | ||
26 | Crosby, Fanny | “Fanny Crosby” | B | Autobiography | American Experience | |
27 | Dane, Nathan and King, Rufus | The Northwest Ordinance | I | Legal Document | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
28 | Daudet, Alphonse | “The Last Lesson” | B | Short Story | Words Aptly Spoken: Short Stories | |
29 | De Angeli, Marguerite | The Door in the Wall | A | Novel | ||
30 | De Maupassant, Henri Guy | “The Necklace” | B | Short Story | Words Aptly Spoken: Short Stories | |
31 | Defoe, Daniel | Robinson Crusoe | II | Novel | ||
32 | Dickens, Charles | A Tale of Two Cities | II | Novel | ||
33 | Dickinson, John and Various | The Articles of Confederation | I | Legal Document | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
34 | Dostoevsky, Fyodor | “The Startling Painting” | B | Short Story | Words Aptly Spoken: Short Stories | |
35 | Douglass, Frederick | Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass | I | Autobiography | ||
36 | Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan | “The Red-Headed League” | B | Short Story | Words Aptly Spoken: Short Stories | |
37 | Eggleston, Edward | “George Washington” | B | Biography | American Experience | |
38 | Elliot, Elisabeth | Through Gates of Splendor | I | Autobiography | ||
39 | Emerson, Ralph Waldo | Self-Reliance | I | Essays | ||
40 | Finch, Francis M. | “Nathan Hale” | I | Poetry | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
41 | Fitzgerald, F. Scott | “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” | B | Short Story | Words Aptly Spoken: Short Stories | |
42 | Forbes, Esther | Johnny Tremain | I | Novel | ||
43 | Ford, Henry | “Henry Ford” | B | Autobiography | American Experience | |
44 | Garrison, William L. | “Liberty for All” | I | Poetry | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
45 | Gittings, John G. | “Stonewall Jackson” | B | Biography | American Experience | |
46 | Gordy, Wilbur L. | “Paul Revere” | B | Biography | American Experience | |
47 | Hagedorn, Herman | “Theodore Roosevelt” | B | Biography | American Experience | |
48 | Hamilton, Alexander | “The Federalist: Number 30” | I | Article | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
49 | Harper, Ida Husted | “Susan B. Anthony” | B | Biography | American Experience | |
Number | Author | Title | Level | Type | Anthology | |
50 | Hawks, F. L. | “Daniel Boone” | B | Biography | American Experience | |
51 | Hawthorne, Nathaniel | Tanglewood Tales | B | Short Story | ||
52 | Heinlein, Robert | Starship Troopers | I | Novel | ||
53 | Hemingway, Ernest | The Old Man and the Sea | I | Novella | ||
54 | Henry, O. | “The Ransom of Red Chief” | I | Short Story | Words Aptly Spoken: American Literature | |
55 | Henry, Patrick | “Liberty or Death” | I | Speech | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
56 | Jefferson, Thomas and Various | The Declaration of Independence | I | Legal Document | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
57 | Juster, Norton | The Phantom Tollbooth | B | Novel | ||
58 | Keller, Helen | “Helen Keller” | B | Autobiography | American Experience | |
59 | Kipling, Rudyard | “If” | I | Short Story | Words Aptly Spoken: American Literature | |
60 | Latham, Jean Lee | Carry On, Mr. Bowditch | A | Novel | ||
61 | Lee, Harper | To Kill a Mockingbird | I | Novel | ||
62 | Lewis, C.S. | The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe | A | Novel | Narnia Series | |
63 | Lincoln, Abraham | “Gettysburg Address” | I | Speech | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
64 | London, Jack | The Call of the Wild | I | Novella | ||
65 | Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth | “The Song of Hiawatha” | I | Poetry | Words Aptly Spoken: American Literature | |
66 | Lowry, Lois | Number the Stars | A | Novel | ||
67 | Madison, James and Various | The United States Constitution | I | Legal Document | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
68 | Marshall, George C. | “The Marshall Plan” | I | Speech | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
69 | Mather, Cotton | Essays to Do Good (excerpt) | I | Sermon | Words Aptly Spoken: American Literature | |
70 | Melville, Herman | Billy Budd, Sailor | I | Novella | ||
71 | Mencken, H.L. | “The American Language” (excerpt) | I | Article | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
72 | Moody, Ralph | Little Britches | B | Novel | Little Britches Series | |
73 | Muggeridge, Malcolm | Something Beautiful for God | II | Biography | ||
74 | Orwell, George | Animal Farm | II | Novella | ||
75 | Poe, Edgar Allan | “The Pit and the Pendulum” | I | Short Story | Collection of Poe | |
76 | Rawls, Wilson | Where the Red Fern Grows | B | Novel | ||
77 | Robinson, Barbara | The Best Christmas Pageant Ever | I | Novella | ||
78 | Roche, James | “Panama” | I | Poetry | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
79 | Schaeffer, Francis | How Should We Then Live | II | Non-fiction | Includes Video Series | |
80 | Scollard, Clinton | “The Men of the Maine” | I | Poetry | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
81 | Speare, Elizabeth George | The Bronze Bow | B | Novel | ||
82 | Lamb, Charles and Mary | Tales from Shakespeare | I | Short Story | Collection of Shakespeare for Children | |
83 | Stanton, Elizabeth Cady | “Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments” | I | Speech | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
84 | Swift, Jonathan | Gulliver’s Travels | II | Novel | ||
85 | Taney, Roger B. | Dred Scott v. Sandford | I | Legal Document | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
86 | Ten Boom, Corrie | The Hiding Place | B | Autobiography | ||
87 | Thoreau, Henry David | Walden, Or Life in the Woods | I | Essays | ||
88 | Tolkien, J.R.R. | The Hobbit | II | Novel | ||
89 | Tolstoy, Leo | “Little Girls Wiser Than Men” | B | Short Story | Words Aptly Spoken: Short Stories | |
90 | Twain, Mark | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | I | Novel | ||
91 | Van Dyke, Henry | “The Mansion” | B | Short Story | Words Aptly Spoken: Short Stories | |
92 | Warren, Earl | Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka | I | Legal Document | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
93 | Washington, Booker T. | Up From Slavery | I | Autobiography | ||
94 | Washington, George | “First Inaugural Address” | I | Speech | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
95 | Whitefield, George | “The Method of Grace” | I | Sermon | Words Aptly Spoken: American Literature | |
96 | Wilde, Oscar | The Selfish Giant | B | Short Story | Words Aptly Spoken: Short Stories | |
97 | Wilson, Woodrow | “The War Message” | I | Speech | Words Aptly Spoken: American Documents | |
98 | Winthrop, John | “A Model of Christian Charity” (excerpt) | I | Sermon | Words Aptly Spoken: American Literature | |
99 | Yates, Elizabeth | Amos Fortune, Free Man | A | Novel | ||
100 |
|
Soul of Science | B | Non-fiction |
17 Capstone Classics for Your Homeschool Curriculum
The following books constitute some of the greatest works in the Western canon. The 100 works listed above are preparation for these works that follow. If the books above serve as a foundation, then the books below serve as the summit.
Number | Author | Title | Level | Type | Anthology |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
101 | King David and Various | The Psalms | IV | Poetry | The Bible |
102 | Plato | The Meno | II | Dialogue | Words Aptly Spoken: Socratic Dialogues |
103 | Bunyan, John | The Pilgrim’s Progress | II | Allegory | |
104 | Shakespeare, William | Taming the Shrew | I | Drama | |
105 | Shakespeare, William | Julius Caesar | III | Drama | |
106 | Shakespeare, William | Hamlet | III | Drama | |
107 | Shakespeare, William | Much Ado About Nothing | III | Drama | |
108 | Shakespeare, William | Henry V | III | Drama | |
109 | Shakespeare, William | Macbeth | III | Drama | |
110 | Anonymous | Beowulf | II | Poetry | |
111 | Anonymous | Sir Gawain and the Green Knight | II | Poetry | |
112 | Chaucer, Geoffrey | Canterbury Tales | II | Poetry | English Epic Poetry |
113 | Hesiod | Theogony | IV | Poetry | |
114 | Homer | The Iliad | IV | Poetry | |
115 | Homer | The Odyssey | IV | Poetry | |
116 | Milton, John | Paradise Lost | II | Poetry | |
117 | Virgil | The Aeneid | IV | Poetry |
Download Leigh’s list of 117 great books every student and parent should read.
Leigh Bortins: 100 Books That Make Classical Education Approachable
If you’d like further insight into this list, we have a conversation with Leigh Bortins and Yvette Hampton. It explores how your family can build up to reading the greatest works of literature. Be sure to check it out!