18 Unschooling books you really should read.

And 10 more that are indirectly related, and you might still love.

Oct 09, 2023

If you’re new here, welcome.

My Monday emails are focused on home education, homeschooling and unschooling and world schooling.. and whatever sort of living without school you might be doing or hoping to do! Because yes, it is indeed possible and at times wonderful to live without school.

If you’re unschool-curious but not a home educator, you might want to know my thoughts on unschooling before you dive in: you can check our this post about Who We Are to Refuse Free Schooling, or this one about how our understanding of consent needs to go beyond bodily autonomy (and into understanding educational consent).

Or take a quick look at this thread about why I’m not a homeschooling advocate:

Home educators - I am here for ALL the books. This list is specific to unschoolers or those who are unschool-curious, though.

I don’t know about you, but reading books is how I learn best. Yes, I love me a good podcast and I have a fab list of homeschool & unschool pods right here for you.

But. Sometimes (most times, really) I love to dive deeper into things and there’s no better way to really understand a topic than like, reading ALL the books. So I’m going to share a list of my very favorites, and try to lump them into vague themes.

I never share resources I haven’t used and enjoyed myself, AND none of these were gifted :)

Here we go.

‘HOW TO UNSCHOOL’ BOOKS:

These books are a go-to if you’re new, or if you need real, practical support on how to effing do this thing. They are, to an extent, how-to books - but also books about the why of unschooling to begin with. Some of them aren’t explicitly unschooling books, but I enjoyed them nonetheless!

Side note: THERE IS NO ONE WAY. There really isn’t. The books help, but your child and your relationship come first.

Sage Homeschooling by Rachel Rainbolt. Rachel walks you through her family’s journey and shares some great reframes and resources to embark on self-directed learning and unschooling. I still go back and reference some of the apps and websites she shares when I need some inspo.

Unschooled by Kerry McDonald. This is one of the more recent, how-to-y books for unschoolers and wannabe unschoolers. Kerry takes you through all the most common questions and issues, as well as tacking “subject” areas we might worry about as parents. Really recommend this if you’re in search of practical advice!

The Call of the Wild & Free by Ainsley Arment. Not explicitly about unschooling, but a different look at education and the ways we can do it without replicating school at home.

Why are you still sending your kids to school? by Blake Boles. Maybe aimed at older children and teens, this book does what it says on the cover: provides parents with a whole lot of reasons why school might make no sense for your child, and supports you and them to make the shift.

The Unschooling Journey by Pam Laricchia. Pam is a veteran unschooler and she has a wealth of knowledge to share about the entire journey, from start to finish. I recommend this book, especially if you’re feeling doubtful or if you’re starting out, or perhaps shifting from more eclectic home education to greater self-direction.

The Brave Learner by Julie Bogart. I love Julie’s focus on wonder, magic and delight, and this book is full of ideas on how to spark all of those and more in your family. I adored it but I will say that it was a lot for me, and I had to take breaks in between sections to process! It can get overwhelming because it’s full of ideas and information and if you’re someone, like me, who is not full of energy every single day, or whose kids say mostly no to things, well - take it slowly :) Also, it’s super inspiring but I’m pretty sure Julie does not see herself as an unschooler (although she increasingly leans that way!).

Project-based Learning by Lori Pickert. Full of ideas and info and I read this in sections, putting it down for long periods in between. I imagine it’s great for younger children who love hands-on projects. If learning through projects appeals to your children, this is the book for you! Unschooling and PBL can absolutely go together, if that is what works for you and your child.

More general unschooling books (that are either research-driven or share lived experiences)

Raising Free People by Akilah S. Richards. This is THE book for looking at unschooling as a vehicle for collective liberation, and from an intersectional lens. Also the book that has contributed to radically changing the trajectory of unschooling, and shifting our understanding of it from something John Holt “made up”, to something that, in many way, has its roots outside of the Western world and exists much beyond an educational style or philosophy.

Untigering by Iris Chen. Technically a parenting book rather than an unschooling one, but STRONG unschooling vibes here (Irish Chen is an unschooler). This is one of my favorite parenting books! Also brings an understanding of intersectionality and power dynamics to parenting.

How Children Learn by John Holt. I think this is a must-read simply because John Holt did a lot to grow the homeschooling and unschooling movement in the US, and was really very radical for his time. I also recommend his other books: How Children Fail, Teach Your Own, Escape from Childhood and Instead of Education.

Free to Learn by Peter Gray. Based on academic research and Peter Gray’s research of grown unschoolers, this book provides a lot of context for the evolutionary significance of play and the ways children learn outside of school.

Changing our Minds by Naomi Fisher. This book looks at learning from a psychological perspective, and uses the available evidence to support self-directed learning. Great read if you’re needing to put some science behind your choices, or if you have someone in your life who needs convincing!

How Children Learn at Home by Alan Thomas and Harriet Pattison. UK-based and revolves around the author’s extensive research of how home educated children learn, especially those following an “informal” style of learning. Super interesting because it is based on an actual study of home educated children, which is relatively rare!

More specific unschool-leaning books

A Different Way to Learn by Naomi Fisher.This book is specifically focused on neurodivergent children and self-directed education.

Raising Critical Thinkers by Julie Bogart. Not specifically about unschooling, but some really good inspiration and ideas on supporting our young people (and ourselves!) to think critically.

Home Grown by Ben Hewitt. This is one family’s path into unschooling and learning to honor their children’s uniqueness.

Rethinking Learning to Read by Harriet Pattison. A study of how home educated children learn to read. Eye-opening and radical!!

Parenting for Social Change by Teresa Graham Brett. Really good look at consent and autonomy in family relationships, and how this can spill over into social change.

Books that have inspired me, even though they’re NOT about unschooling (at least not directly).

A Place to Belong by Amber O’Neal Johnson.This is such a beautiful book about home educating as a Black family in a predominantly white environment, and about the importance of seeking of belonging.

Trust Kids! by carla bergman. Inspiring collection of writing by youth and adults around the themes of adultism, liberation, and centering young people’s voices.

The Self-Driven Child by Stixrud & Johnson. Research and science-based book about why giving children more autonomy and control over their lives benefits everyone. A good one if you need further evidence or persuasion that autonomy matters!

The Gardener and the Carpenter by Alison Gopnik. This is a look at modern, intensive parenting and at how the ways we seek to shape children are actually not rooted in science, nor are they evolutionarily normal.

Teaching to Transgress by bell hooks. Leaning more towards the academic side of things but still really clear and accessible. This book talks about how teaching basically needs to practice what it preaches in terms of power dynamics and social justice.

Dumbing us Down & The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto. A tad libertarian-leaning for my taste, but possibly also some of the best overviews of the US education system.

We Want to Do More Than Survive by Bettina Love. About how the US education system is failing Black and brown children and people.

Escaping Education by Prakash & Esteva. This book was such a game changer for me, and utterly illuminating. It gave me a whole new perspective on education and the reasons we might want to critique and step outside of it.

Anarchist Pedagogies by Robert H. Haworth Ed. A little academic, but super interesting if you want to do deeper into anarchist education and its overlaps with self-direction!

Thank you for reading!

I hope this list was helpful to you. Pop any unschooling or unschool-leaning books you loved in the comments if you feel like it :)