Gathering Books: A Guide to Home Libraries & Used Book Hunts

A short & gentle guide to finding, collecting, and cherishing the stories that shape a childhood.

 

There’s something magical about a well-loved book. Its softened corners, pencil marks, and dog-eared pages whisper of the hands that have turned them before. From bedtime stories, school readings, or perhaps a child curled up under a blanket on a rainy afternoon...it's always a good time to pull out a book. As a homeschooler, parent, and advocates of slow living, I understand the importance of surrounding our children (and ourselves) with stories that inspire, educate, and spark wonder.

But building a home library doesn’t have to mean brand-new books from big-box stores. Some of the most treasured reads are found in the wild at church fairs, dusty book barns, library sales, and thrift store shelves. I began building our home library about two years ago, as the season of homeschooling approached. It all started with local book sales, and since then, I’ve gathered over 2,000 books, nearly 90% of them are secondhand treasures.

The Joy of the Hunt

Used book sales are a goldmine for bibliophiles and homeschoolers alike. They’re affordable, abundant, and often filled with out-of-print treasures that align beautifully with nature-based and classical education.
Here are a few places to keep an eye on:

• Library Friends' Sales – Most local libraries hold annual or seasonal sales. Ask your library if they have a mailing list or early-access events. I personally check this website frequently and mark the dates on my calendar for my local sales.
• Thrift Shops – Scan the shelves regularly. Even shops with small book sections can yield surprising finds.
• Church and Town Fairs – These often feature tables piled high with donated books, and prices are usually just right for building a large collection.
• Online Used Bookstores – Try ThriftBooks, Better World Books, AbeBooks, or even Book Finder (Set alerts for specific titles!)
• Facebook Marketplace and Homeschool Groups – Many families sell or give away books their children have outgrown.

What to Look For

When you're hunting for living books - those rich, narrative-driven texts that bring subjects to life - keep your eyes open for:

• Vintage Nature Readers (like the Burgess Animal Book or Among the Meadow People)
• Historical Biographies and Memoirs written in story form
• Old-fashioned Readers (McGuffey, Elson, and similar)
• Out-of-Print Picture Books with beautiful illustrations and classic storytelling
• Children’s Classics from authors like E. Nesbit, Elizabeth Enright, Arthur Ransome, and Marguerite de Angeli
• Field Guides & Nature Lore – Older editions often have lovely illustrations and less commercial formatting

And don’t be afraid of a little wear and tear. A library stamp or name in the front cover only adds to its charm.

If you’re just beginning to build your home library or adding to an already much-loved one, don’t overlook the charm of secondhand books. Our Used Book section is a curated collection of vintage finds, childhood classics, and living books full of heart. I hand-select each title with homeschooling families in mind. It’s a lovely place to start (or continue) your book-collecting journey, without breaking the budget.

Building with Intention

Your home library doesn’t have to be large to be meaningful. Focus on books that speak to your family’s values: stories steeped in wonder, rooted in nature, rich in language, and told with heart. 

Charlotte Mason, a 19th-century British educator, believed that children learn best through rich, meaningful experiences, and that includes the books they read. She championed the use of “living books”: well-written, narrative-driven works that spark the imagination and feed the mind, often penned by a single passionate author. Unlike dry textbooks, living books invite children into a subject, allowing knowledge to take root through story and connection.

Classic children’s books have a remarkable way of enduring, generation after generation returning to the same beloved pages. Stories like The Wind in the Willows, Charlotte’s Web, Little House in the Big Woods, and The Secret Garden have stood the test of time not because of flashy plots, but because they speak to something deeper: wonder, courage, friendship, and the rhythms of ordinary life. These books offer language rich in imagery, characters with heart, and worlds where children are capable, curious, and connected to nature and family. Whether read aloud by the fire or discovered independently under a tree, classics like these anchor a home library with timeless charm and wonder.

Rotate them seasonally, keep a basket by the reading chair, display them face-out like a bookstore, or tuck a favorite under a child’s pillow.

Think of your shelves not just as storage, but as a living collection - one that grows and shifts with your children, your studies, your days.

A Final Note

There’s no rush to build it all at once. Let it unfold organically. Some of the best finds come when you least expect them. Maybe on a summer Saturday, digging through a cardboard box under a library tent, you'll find a book you didn’t even know you needed until you hold it in your hands and recognize "the look" 😉

Happy hunting, and may your shelves be ever-growing and well-loved

Mae