Inside: Discover my favorite living books based on Charlotte Mason’s philosophy to inspire and nurture your child’s love of learning.
Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through these links. Thank you for supporting my blog!
Living Books for Toddlers
We used to have a bookshelf full of a variety of books we had gathered from baby showers, birthdays, thrift sales, etc. but our kids still weren’t that interested in grabbing a book and reading it. It wasn’t until I started doing some research on a homeschool program for my toddler that I found out about Charlotte Mason. I love the Charlotte Mason philosophy, which treats children as whole people, not just brains that need to be filled with facts. She emphasized good habits, strong character, and beautiful language through living books.
What are Living Books?
In Charlotte Mason’s philosophy, living books are those that engage the imagination, nourish the mind, and tell stories in a rich, beautiful, and meaningful way. They are not just textbooks or informational books, but rather stories that come alive, offering deep connections to nature, history, and morality.
Most of the books on our bookshelf were not living books, they actually didn’t have much depth to them at all. I started to open them and pay attention to the dialogue. I quickly realized how most of the books we had, while cute with illustrations, just didn’t have a good story line or a story line that made much sense at all. The sentences were short, the conversations between characters were dry. No offense to Pete the Cat, I am sure it is great for teaching kids to read, but let’s compare the dialogue in Pete the Cat to the all-time classic Peter Rabbit and see if we can spot the difference:
Cute… but is that really going to keep a toddler interested and get their brain turning expanding their imagination?
Now here’s the first page of Peter Rabbit (I LOVE the author, Beatrix Potter, what an incredible woman!)
Can you see the difference? It’s so descriptive. The dialogue has more substance to it that really makes children think.
So, I started to do a bunch of research on living books and how I could get my kids more interested and engaged with reading.
Getting Kids Excited About Reading
Put Books on Display
One of the best pieces of advice I found in my research reading other mom blogs was the practice of keeping books on open, front-facing shelves. Here are some of the bullet points of the benefits:
- Increases Visibility & Interest – Kids are more likely to pick up a book when they can see the cover rather than just the spine.
- Encourages Independence – Low, open shelves make it easy for children to choose and put away books on their own.
- Creates a Reading Habit – Having books in their direct line of sight makes reading more inviting and accessible.
- Boosts Comprehension & Exploration – Seeing colorful, engaging covers helps spark curiosity and excitement about new stories.
So, we stopped using our tall bookshelf to store books and we grabbed the Montessori bookshelf we had for the nursery out of the attic. We noticed a difference in our toddlers attention to books immediately!
Start a Book Rotation
The next best piece of advice I found from the homeschooling mom blogs I follow was to only keep a handful of books out at a time and rotate them out like you do with a toy rotation. Once I read that, it felt like it should have been common sense!
Now that we had the Montessori bookshelf out and I knew we needed to put books on rotation, I tried to sift through the books we had and see which of them would be considered living books. I was shocked to find that we probably only had about 3 or 4 books that aligned with Charlotte Masons philosophy. So now my dilemma was… how was I going to stock the shelves with living books and keep them on a rotation?
Library Visits
This is when I discovered the amazing potential of our local library. I figured I could do some research and plan bi-weekly trips to the library to pick out some highly recommended living books for our shelves without even having to buy anything new.
An added benefit of the local library that aids in getting kids excited about reading, was discovering the free story time classes they offer. I had gone to some story times before we moved, but I never considered to look into the library’s schedule and see how often they offered these classes. We now visit the library twice a week! These 45-minute sessions are amazing for:
📖 Listening skills (paying attention to a teacher reading a book)
🎶 Music & movement (songs and interactive activities)
🤝 Social development (learning to share, take turns, and engage with others)
They often have crafts and activities laid out as well, especially around the holidays. So, my toddler now correlates books and reading with the fun time he has when he goes to the library and gets to see his friends from class.
Cost Effective Options
Another inexpensive way to keep your shelves stocked with more highly rated books, without spending too much money, is looking into local mom and pop thrift bookstores. I am such a sucker for a good bookstore! If you can’t find one in your area, I highly recommend www.abebooks.com (not affiliated). I’ve used AbeBooks for years for books I’m personally interested in for myself, they just take forever to arrive, and the condition of the books can be a little hit or miss. Of course, you could just go on amazon and see what kind of sales they have on books, you can literally find just about any book you want and have it at your doorstop the next day.
My Favorite Living Books
With all of this information in mind, I have compiled a list of some of my favorite living books for you to check out at your local library, thrift bookstore or amazon. Most of them are currently on our shelf right now!
I do have a brief description for each book for you that explains why it’s a living book according to Charlotte Masons philosophy, and they are also linked to amazon so you can read more about each one. Please note again, this post contains amazon affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through these links. You can view my full disclosure here. Thank you for supporting my blog!
1. Beatrix Potter’s “Peter Rabbit” series
- Beatrix Potter’s charming animal stories offer rich descriptions of nature and moral lessons, which align perfectly with Charlotte Mason’s focus on engaging the imagination and teaching character through story.
2. “The Little House on the Prairie” series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Though the full series is more suitable for older children, the early books in the series offer beautiful insights into pioneer life, nature, and strong character building. You can start with the first few books or simply read aloud portions that highlight nature and the family’s connection to the land.
3. “A Child’s Garden of Verse” by Robert Louis Stevenson
- This collection of poems is ideal for young children and exposes them to the beauty of language, nature, and simple emotions. The poems are brief, vivid, and easy to understand, making them great for toddlers.
4. “The Tale of the Three Trees” by Angela Elwell Hunt
- This is a beautiful story that teaches life lessons through the tales of three trees. It has a rich, engaging narrative and is perfect for teaching morality, faith, and selflessness in a way a toddler can understand.
5. “The Story of the Root Children” by Sibylle von Olfers
- This classic book offers a beautiful depiction of nature and seasons, following the “root children” as they emerge from the earth to greet the spring. It teaches children about the cyclical nature of life and nature itself.
6. “The Velveteen Rabbit” by Margery Williams
- This beloved story about a toy rabbit becoming real through a child’s love teaches about the power of love, sacrifice, and the passage of time—important concepts for young children to begin understanding.
7. “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame
- Though more suitable for slightly older toddlers or young children, this classic provides rich characters and stories about nature and friendship that can deeply resonate with little ones. You can read small excerpts or just enjoy the tales of Mole, Rat, and Badger.
9. “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper
- This classic story about perseverance and self-belief is an excellent living book for toddlers. Its rich, repetitive language and engaging narrative make it a perfect choice for introducing character lessons in a fun and interactive way.
10. “Winnie-the-Pooh” by A.A. Milne
- This timeless series of stories offers gentle lessons on friendship, compassion, and contentment. Its whimsical, warm tone and beloved characters make it an ideal living book for toddlers.
11. “The Magic Tree House” series by Mary Pope Osborne
- While this series is more fact-based, it presents history and nature through the lens of adventure and discovery. For toddlers, you might read the first books aloud, focusing on the magic of exploration and learning.
12. “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats
- A beautifully illustrated book that captures the simplicity and wonder of a snowy day. The story highlights the joy of childhood exploration and a connection with the natural world.
13. “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle
- This book engages toddlers in the process of transformation and the beauty of nature’s life cycle. It’s perfect for younger children due to its bright illustrations, simple narrative, and the theme of change and growth.
14. “Miss Rumphius” by Barbara Cooney
- This lovely story teaches about nature, making a difference in the world, and following your dreams, all told through the life of Miss Rumphius, who plants lupine seeds wherever she goes.
By focusing on living books like these, children are invited to engage their minds with rich language, beautiful imagery, and moral lessons that help shape their character. These types of books, according to Charlotte Mason, are ideal for nurturing a child’s mind and heart while encouraging a lifelong love of learning.
I highly recommend also incorporating a Montessori bookshelf if you don’t already have one. A Montessori bookshelf encourages independence, fosters a love of reading, and promotes self-directed learning in toddlers by allowing easy access to age-appropriate books.
In conclusion, living books are a wonderful way to nurture your child’s imagination, character, and love of learning. Each book on my list is chosen with the intent to engage and inspire, following the Charlotte Mason philosophy. I’d love to hear from you! What are some of your favorite living books? Have you read any from my list? Share your thoughts and recommendations in the comments below!
Leave a Reply