There’s two types of homeschool books most parents need: those that tell you how to do it, and those that your children will use.

For Parents
For parents considering the option of homeschooling their child, there are so many questions; everything from concerns about whether the homeschooling life is right for them to the logistical questions of just how to do it. Fortunately, there are plenty of great books about homeschooling available at local bookstores and online for parents seeking the answers to those questions.

• Teach Your Own: The John Holt Book of Homeschooling, by John Holt andPat Farenga: John Holt is known as the “Granddaddy of Homeschooling.” A teacher for many years, Holt became disillusioned with traditional education methods and began to explore the notion of homeschooling. This book, first published in 1981, is considered one of the all-time best books on the subject. Holt’s ideas on homeschooling helped to inspire the popular unschooling method of home education. Also worth reading is Holt’s earlier work, How Children Learn, which gives insights into the ways that children learn about their world.
• Homeschooling: The Early Years: Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 3- to 8- Year-Old Child, by Linda Dobson: This is a great book for families who are new to homeschooling.  It is also perfect for parents who are thinking about homeschooling, but aren’t sure if they have what it takes. Linda Dobson offers encouragement, insight and answers to practical questions from her own personal experience as a homeschooling parent as well as through the experiences of other homeschooling families.
• The Unschooling Handbook : How to Use the Whole World As Your Child's Classroom, by Mary Griffith: Unschooling, which abandons classroom-style education in favor of child-directed education, is drawing more and more homeschoolers. Even tthough the appeal is great, many parents fear letting go of curriculums and lesson plans. In this book, Mary Griffith presents real stories from real unschoolers across the country, giving encouragement to those thinking about this method of homeschooling. She also addresses practical concerns, such as how to evaluate an unschooled student’s progress. This book is a must for anyone considering unschooling.
• A Charlotte Mason Education, by Catherine Levison: This is a wonderful introduction and overview of the Charlotte Mason method of education. Charlotte Mason was a British educator in the late 19th- to early 20th centuries. Her “whole child” approach to education, with its emphasis on great literature, nature and character building, is appealing to many homeschooling parents. 

For Kids
Depending on your approach to homeschooling, you may need some textbooks or workbooks. These can easily be found in several places.

• Local libraries. Most libraries have a selection of textbooks for different grades. Unschoolers will find the library a wonderful and cost-efficient resource.
• Web sites. Some well-known publishers of textbooks will sell you workbooks, texts and teachers’ editions directly through their sites. You can also find sites that specialize in used textbooks, which is a great way to save money. If you need worksheets, most sites that offer homeschool curriculums also provide worksheets to go with the lessons.
• Independent bookstores. Local bookstores can order almost any book that you need. Chain bookstores may provide the same service, but they tend to specialize in fiction and nonfiction books with broad commercial appeal. Get to know your local bookseller, and you’ll have ready access to almost any title you could want.
• Homeschooling parents. Join local networks and groups of homeschooling parents. Not only can they help you find books that you may need, some of them may be able to swap books with you or sell used books for a fraction of what you’d pay online.