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Hey all! I am just curious if all the guides include a booklist for history, science and maybe math? Something you could use if you wanted to round out your studies with library books, and for the kids free reading, etc? Beyond is the guide we would use next year, but I would like to know about all the guides if possible. Thanks!!

I'd like to split this into two questions:

1) is there a book list that includes what books are covered in which guides (and extension packages, history/boy/girl options, etc.)? (preferably including the author's name)

2) is there a supplementary book list to use as free reading/extra credit/further research/going deeper for along side each of the guides?

I'd LOVE to see the first one. Coming from another curriculum I'd love to know which of my books to re-sticker for the appropriate HOD years and which of the others I can sell without causing myself more work to re-purchase a year or two from now.

The second would be great too, but since my oldest is using extensions, those books will be on hand for all those following so we probably won't need any extra school-ish books beyond those.

Great question, HSMom03!
Blessings,

Each of the guides is fairly complete as written. In LHFHG, there is actually a book list in the appendix to add to the history (and science). But,t hat is the only one with an additional book list that I am aware of. But, once you get to Preparing, the guides include read-alouds that are related to the history. And with Bigger and up, there are "extension" books that can be used by strong readers as free reading )or by older children to extended a younger guide). We are in Beyond, and it is super easy to get take the topics for science each week and normally find a few books at the library to add in for fun. History is a little harder to add into every unit, as the history in Beyond moves slowly. I don't know of any books that move slower than what we are using in the guide, so the library hasn't been helpful for that (except for Unit 13 when we covered the first Thanksgiving).
I think one HOD mom though created a book list to go with Bigger, and she posted it on her blog. So, that is out there as well (leave Beyond as the only one without additional books for history).

As for a book list for all of the HOD guides, some moms have created those as well. I personally went through and wrote down all of the books in Beyond through MtMM using the website as a guide. If you have the catalog, it is pretty quick to scan through and see what books are used when.

The catalog is your booklist for what is in the guides. Admittedly hard to navigate sometimes if you were just looking for a list of books with ISBN, title, author, but that's what you've got.

I believe there are extensions starting in Bigger. As mentioned, LHFHG does have supplementary titles for the history, and probably some of those you could find in a library. With the extension titles, the reading level is really for children older than the guide is intended for. So you could read them aloud, but if you are looking for books that coincide with the history and are at the child's reading level if they place in the guide, I don't know if those lists do exist. If you have a sharp reader who is a bit ahead in reading you could probably give them the extension books for free reading. But as you move up in the guides you will also find that the books are not easy to get at the local library (at least not all of them are). Many are printed by Christian publishers and because of the specifically Christian worldview they will not be at many libraries. We have a lady who works in circulation in our library who is especially great at purchasing Christian books when asked. Since I know there are many HOD moms who use the library as a resource I don't feel bad requesting those books to be purchased since they are such wonderful books. But I will say that may of the titles as we have moved into Preparing and CTC are not ones you would typically find in a public library.

You could always go to the librarians in your children's section and tell them what times in history and people you are studying and ask for recommendations for extra books (especially picture books, those are fun for all ages) that you can check out. I've chanced upon some great supplemental titles this way.

I hope this helps.