Home › History & geography › Programs › Build Your Library
Secular, Charlotte Mason-style history curriculum built from a living-books list you mostly borrow.
Updated September 2026 · 8 sources
| Grades | K–12th |
|---|---|
| Faith | No religious content |
| Covers | World history, American history |
| Approach | Chronological living-books history: daily reading, narration and copywork drive the lesson, not a textbook |
| Who teaches | The parent teaches |
| Parent prep | Moderate (guide plans daily lessons; parent sources or borrows the books from the library) |
| Screen time | Mostly offline (books and paper) |
| Video lessons | Available: occasional links to documentaries/online video, not required |
| Cost | $39.95: Level 3 lesson-plan guide (36 weeks); book list is separate, most titles are available at the library (source) |
| Placement | Homeschool Tools: Build Your Library placement and overview No formal test; pick by grade or era, and move down a level if the books feel too hard |
Is it right for your child? Answer a few questions to see how Build Your Library ranks against 31 other programs.
See my matchSecular homeschoolers pick Build Your Library because it pairs a Charlotte Mason approach (narration, copywork, real books) with an explicitly non-religious, chronological book list, and reviewers like that most titles can come from the library instead of a purchased box. The recurring complaint is that composition/writing instruction is thin and needs a separate program, and because you source the books yourself, actual cost and prep time depend heavily on what your library has on the shelf.
These come straight from the scoring rules the quiz uses.
Build Your Library is described as chronological living-books history: daily reading, narration and copywork drive the lesson, not a textbook. Parent prep: moderate (guide plans daily lessons; parent sources or borrows the books from the library).
Build Your Library covers grades K–12th.
$39.95: Level 3 lesson-plan guide (36 weeks); book list is separate, most titles are available at the library. Prices were checked on publisher or retailer pages in September 2026; check current prices before buying.
No religious content.
World history, American history.
Partly. Families often combine children for read-alouds and discussion, with separate work by level.
Mostly offline (books and paper). The parent teaches.
Yes. Homeschool Tools: Build Your Library placement and overview. No formal test; pick by grade or era, and move down a level if the books feel too hard
Summaries are in our own words.