How to Use Living Books to Teach Music in Your Homeschool

Hi friends! I’m Gena Mayo from Music in Our Homeschool, and today I want to share one of my favorite ways to make music education fun, easy, and meaningful in your homeschool—by using living books.

As a music teacher for over 30 years and a homeschooling mom of eight (four of whom have graduated and two from college), I know many homeschool parents feel unsure about teaching music. But don’t worry—you don’t need to be a musician to give your children a rich music education. One of the best tools in your toolbox is living books.

Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through affiliate links in this post.

What Are Living Books?

The term “living book” comes from 19th-century British educator Charlotte Mason. Living books are engaging, beautifully written, and full of life. Rather than dry textbooks, these books tell stories that capture your child’s imagination and interest. They are often written by a single passionate author and can include narrative biographies, historical fiction, or imaginative storytelling related to a topic—like music!

Becky Aniol defines a living book as:
“A living book is a whole narrative beautifully written by an authority with contagious delight in his or her subject, which engages both the mind and the heart, capturing the imagination and inspiring interest in the subject, igniting a sense of virtue worthy of imitation, and compellingly inviting the reader, both young and old, to read on and read again.”

You can find living books for nearly every subject—and today, I’ll show you how to use them for homeschool music education.

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5 Powerful Ways to Use Living Books to Teach Music in Your Homeschool

1. Teach About Composers

Learning about composers through living books makes music history come alive! Try these:

Chapter-style composer biographies from Zeezok Publishing (Opal Wheeler series):

• Franz Schubert and His Merry Friends
• Mozart, The Wonder Boy 
• Joseph Haydn the Merry Little Peasant 

These are wonderful for read-alouds or independent reading, and they often include musical excerpts and sheet music.

Engaging picture books:

• Johann Sebastian Bach: Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers – includes illustrations and even photographs of Bach’s handwriting and home.
• Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue – beautifully captures the life and music of George Gershwin.
• Frederic Chopin (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers) 
• Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince & His Orchestra 

Anthologies:

• Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull
  This book offers short, quirky biographies of multiple composers and is great for sampling different musicians.

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2. Explore Styles and Genres of Music

Understanding genres helps children recognize and appreciate the wide world of music.

For multiple styles:

• Music Is… by Stephen T. Johnson
  This oversized accordion-style book covers classical, jazz, hip hop, pop, rock, country, Latin, and more. It’s interactive and visually stunning—great for sparking curiosity.

For hymn study:

• Then Sings My Soul (or similar hymn-story books)
  Read the background of beloved hymns and connect them with your family’s faith and history.

For folk music:

• Experience History Through Music by Diana Waring
  • America
  • Westward Ho!
  • Musical Memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder

These books include lyrics, and sometimes background stories and a CD or digital tracks.

• Yankee Doodle by Patti Goodnow
• There’s a Hole in the Bucket by John M. Feierabend 
• Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star by Iza Trapani

They pair beautifully with American history studies!

For general American folk songs:

• From Sea to Shining Sea: A Treasury of American Folklore and Folk Songs
  This large anthology is a goldmine of classic songs and cultural tales.

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3. Learn About Instruments

Introduce your kids to the orchestra and various musical instruments:

• The Story of the Orchestra by Robert Levine
  Comes with a CD and includes sections on composers and musical eras. The book explores each family of instruments (strings, brass, percussion, woodwinds) and highlights instruments like violin, trumpet, cello, and more.
• Library Picks
  Check out books on specific instruments—like the saxophone, piano, tuba, or percussion. These make great companions to unit studies or music lessons.

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4. Sing Through Picture Books

Turn story time into music time with singable books—great for preschool and early elementary!

• The Little Drummer Boy by Ezra Jack Keats
• There Once Was a Man Named Michael Finnegan by Mary Ann Hoberman and illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott. Whimsical and perfect for singing!
• The Itsy, Bitsy Spider by Iza Trapani – by Marianne Hoberman
• Hush Little Baby by Sylvia Long
• Nursery Rhymes collections – chant, sing, or recite these classic rhymes to build rhythm and memory

Make it a habit to sing a song-book before nap or bedtime—it’s a beautiful bonding tradition!

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5. Dive Into Specific Musical Pieces

Some of the best classical pieces have companion books:

• Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf
• Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker
• Saint-Saen’s The Carnival of the Animals
• Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite
• Haydn’s Farewell Symphony (Once Upon a Masterpiece) by Anna Harwell Celenza
• Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue by Anna Harwell Celenza
• Vivaldi’s Four Seasons by Anna Harwell Celenza

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Final Thoughts about Using Living Books to Teach Music

Living books bring music education to life in a way that dry worksheets and textbooks never could. Whether you’re reading a composer’s biography, exploring jazz through a picture book, or singing lullabies at bedtime, you’re giving your children a meaningful and joyful connection to music.

Tip: Check your local library or homeschool curriculum store for many of these titles. You don’t have to buy them all—just borrow and enjoy!

Check out my course: A Folk Song a Week!

Learn to sing 36 different songs.

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See the YouTube Video “Using Living Books To Make Music Education FUN For Homeschoolers”

Listen to Podcast Episode 59: How to Use Living Books to Teach Music in Your Homeschool (A Charlotte Mason Inspired Idea!)

Listen here or subscribe and follow The Music in Our Homeschool Podcast through your favorite podcast app, such as Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

Read the Podcast Transcript here.

Related Posts:

• How to Use Picture Books to Teach Music in Your Homeschool
• How to Successfully Include Music Education in a Charlotte Mason Homeschool? Tips, Methods, and Resources (E21)
• 7 Top Reasons Fine Arts in Your Homeschool is an Absolute Must Plus How To Do It! (E14 and E15)
• Tips for Teaching Music in your Homeschool When Your Child Isn’t Interested (E3)