Triumphant Learning

Simple, intentional homeschooling

Books, Books, Books

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Book, Books, Books—What is a living book and how to find them without breaking the bank.One of the primary ways of learning in a Charlotte Mason style of education is by reading living books.  This raises several questions.

  1. What is a living book?
  2. How do I find living books?
  3. How do I use living books without breaking the bank?

What is a Living Book?

A living book captures your interest and stimulates ideas.  It is usually written by a single author who is passionate about the subject.  A living book should be inviting to all ages.  If you do not want to read the book, your child probably doesn’t either.

Here are links to additional articles that explain living books in more detail:

Living Book Lists

There are many resources for finding living books for all subjects. Here are a few.

Sources of Living Books

What and how much you buy is completely in your control. If you are on a budget, you can find most of the books you use at your local library or borrow them from a friend. If you have an e-reader, you can download public domain books free from Project Gutenberg. You can also listen to the audio version of books in the public domain on LibriVox, which is a collection of public domain books recorded by volunteers. Ambleside Online lists many more sources for books and audio versions here.

There are also many good sites to purchase used books. A few suggestions include:

  • Library book sales
  • Thrift stores
  • Homeschool curriculum sales
  • Abe Books
  • Amazon used books
  • Yahoo groups whose purpose is for selling used (living) books

 

 

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Testimonials

  • There is so much good information on your site, the book lists alone are a treasure for CM Mama!!

  • Ashley

    This is really a great resource, thank you SO much!

  • Loretta

    I have been scanning through your website and I absolutely love the content.

  • Summer Seminar Attendee

    Crystal, thank you for continuing to inspire and lift my efforts to offer a broad feast of ideas to my precious children.

  • Brieanna

    You had so many great tips and ideas I'm going to have to watch this a few times and take notes! I love it, thank you for sharing!!

  • Jessie

    Your tips have been so helpful. I look forward to implementing them in the coming school year.

  • Denise

    I love your videos! I'm a new homeschool mom so it's great to get realistic ideas. We're an eclectic homeschool family and I'm always looking for ways to incorporate more Charlotte Mason. The resources that you provide are wonderful.

  • Christy

    These are great ideas, thank you! I just printed your list to keep them at hand for the next time we are struggling to figure out what to do.

  • Jayne Michener

    Like a rich stock, Crystal takes Charlotte Mason’s ideas and simmers them down into an easily digestible form where they are easy to understand and implement. To listen to Crystal speak is to dip from the pot of her hours of research and insight for a very pleasant and practical meal.

  • Laura K.

    I just wanted to say what a joy it was to be in your workshops and learn from your wisdom. You had some refreshing ideas that I plan to implement into my homeschool day.

  • Elizabeth

    I am enjoying reading what you send, and I regularly read the links you post on fb. Thanks for sharing!

  • Susan Chrisman

    susanchrisman.com

    Crystal Wagner is a delightful speaker with a relevant and inspiring message for parents. She has an engaging style and offers practical application to the ideas she presents.

  • Kelly

    I wasn’t sure what to expect – would it be too far beyond my reach? It wasn’t! Crystal does a good job of making an intentional math lifestyle possible for the average person through examples and her passion for the subject.

  • Annette O.

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  • Sarah

    Thank you for your insight. I am constantly trying to pull back on this but all things around us say to increase our activity level. It’s good to hear encouragement about leaving margin.

HI! I’m Crystal…


I believe learning is not confined to a book or “school hours,” but is a lifestyle that positively impacts generations. That’s why I help homeschool parents simplify homeschool planning, make learning fun, and disciple their children. Learn More