6 Encouraging Books for Homeschool Moms
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I try to always make time for reading books for homeschool moms. I consider it a form of ‘professional’ development. My love for all things professional development likely began years ago when I was a classroom kindergarten teacher.
When I was a public school teacher, I was required to complete a certain number of continuing education credits every year. I love education, and I love kids, so I actually enjoyed the extra training. I taught kindergarten, and the extra training hours were a ton of fun. We learned about new hands-on activities, catchy educational songs, and interesting books.
In fact, some of those fun educational games and songs I learned at conferences were used by my own children once we began homeschooling.
I continued to enjoy learning about education and the homeschool lifestyle when I became a homeschool mom. I try to go to homeschool conferences whenever possible, but most of the time I need to settle for reading encouraging books for homeschool moms.
Sometimes the books I read are written by expert educators, sometimes they are written by homeschoolers, and sometimes they don’t mention education or teaching at all, but have good tips that can be applied to homeschooling.
I think these are some of the best books for homeschool moms. Heat up your cup of coffee and start reading.
Encouraging Books for Homeschool Moms
1. The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life by Julie Bogart
If you only have time to read one book for homeschool moms, choose this one.
I am always comfortable taking homeschool and parenting advice from Julie Bogart because she has shown that she knows what she is talking about. She homeschooled her own children, and they all seem to be successful, happy adults.
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
In The Brave Learner, Julie encourages parents to step outside of the homeschool box and focus on their family. Encourage joy. Spark imagination. Follow your own path. There is more freedom in homeschooling than you might think.
This book perfectly marries homeschool encouragement with actionable steps. It is full of great ideas. I got the idea for our themed art trays from this book.
I love this book so much that I have read it multiple times. It is my favorite of all the books for homeschool moms because I notice something new every time I read it.
2. Teaching From Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace by Sarah Mackenzie
This fairly short book inspires moms to put their children above schoolwork. Academics are absolutely important, but they are not the most important thing. I know this sounds obvious, but it is easy to fall into the trap of focusing too much on academics and not enough on the actual person in front of us.
Seeing your child as a complete human being, with human needs, wants, and emotions beats straight academics every day. Sarah also encourages moms to avoid feeling like they must do everything. The to-do list will grow, but the hours in the day never will. You must make time to recharge your own batteries.
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This book for homeschool moms is broken into three sections:
- Part One – Whose “Well Done” Are You Working For?
- Part Two – Curriculum is Not Something You Buy
- Part Three – Be Who You Are!
I should mention that this is a religious book. I am a Christian, so I liked the religious references, but not everyone might. If you are not at all interested in reading about religion, this is not the book for you.
3. At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging While Wandering the Globe by Tsh Oxenreider
My husband and I dream of traveling the world with our children, so I couldn’t wait for this book to show up in my library reserved pile. We actually had planned to spend all of 2020 traveling the world as a family, but that didn’t work out. I’m hopeful that we will still be able to travel together sometime before the kids leave home.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Tsh and her husband decided to sell off or store every possession except what will fit in their backpacks and travel the world with their three elementary-aged children. I pack more than that when we are just going to co-op, so I found that incredibly impressive!
This book does an excellent job of reminding parents that education doesn’t just happen from book learning. There is a lot to be said about learning to navigate unfamiliar territory in foreign cultures. The human interaction these children gained from meeting so many different people in many different cultures far outweighs anything they could learn in a book.
Tsh does not sugarcoat the difficulties of traveling with young children. I appreciate that. This book is not necessarily full of detailed tips, but I gleaned quite a few helpful hints for planning our own international travels.
4. 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam
168 hours. That is all the time that anyone gets in a week. We can’t change the amount of time we have, but we can prioritize and strategize to make the most of it.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
At first glance, you might be wondering why this is one of my favorite books for homeschool moms. The author isn’t a homeschool mom, and I’m not sure the word ‘homeschool’ is even in the book. This book is written by a mom who was working out of the home, but the tips are still applicable to homeschool parents.
I have heard criticism of this book because the author has the luxury of hiring out tasks such as laundry and cleaning. I will go on the record as saying that I do not have any paid help. Instead, I have two children who have been taught basic cleaning and cooking skills.
You do not need to pay someone to outsource some of your to-do lists. Just get back to basics and enlist your family to help. This book is great for helping us realize how we are really spending our time. I know that I am guilty of spending time on silly things that don’t really matter.
5. 102 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum by Cathy Duffy
Cathy Duffy is well known for her Top Picks books for homeschool moms.
This book is not meant to be read as a novel. Instead, it is a great resource book. It can be overwhelming trying to choose the right homeschool curriculum for your family. There are so many options!
This book helps you identify:
- Your child’s learning style
- Your own teaching style
- Your educational philosophy
After you have determined those important puzzle pieces, Cathy shows you a few curriculum options that might be a good fit. You should still look through the curriculum suggestions before purchasing, but this book really helps simplify the process, especially if you are new to homeschooling.
6. More Than Enough: Grow Your Confidence, Banish Burnout, and Love Your Homeschool Life by Kara Stephenson Anderson
I had the pleasure of meeting Kara at a few homeschool conferences. She was one of the conference speakers, and I loved everything she had to say. She was honest and real about the fact that sometimes homeschooling is hard. Sometimes we doubt ourselves and our ability to homeschool, even if we have been at this for a while.
This is a new addition to my list of books for homeschool moms. It was just recently released, and I can not wait for my copy to arrive.
Last update on 2026-09-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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