We are new to Charlotte Mason and her living books list has floored me. The books look amazing but who has that kind of money? Not me! So we had to get creative. Here are some of the ways we’ve been able to purchase books for literally 10% of the new listed price.

Living Books that Cost a Living
This school year we are using the free Ambleside online reading list and schedule (read more about this here). Their list is extensive and the living books look great. But as I added up the cost to build our library it appeared unattainable. As a huge fan of the library I wondered if I could loan the books but that wouldn’t work either. Many of the books on the list were not available through our library and if they were they were only available as eBooks. I try to avoid ebooks because I’m old fashioned, I like to hold books and turn the pages. So the library was not an option. Unfortunately I was back where I started, I would need to purchase the books. It was time to get creative, which meant purchasing books at deeply discounted prices.
I am pleased to say that by the Lord’s help we’ve purchased all but 5 of the books as used. I’m going to share our resources and how we’ve scoured the book world to find our living books.
Go to a Physical Bookstore
Thrift Stores One of our favorite places to find books is the Goodwill. Admittedly the books may not be very organized but that’s to be expected. If you have time you can find some great living books gems here.
Used Bookstores, I stumbled upon 2nd and Charles a few weekends ago. I went in with $20 hoping I would find a few books from the AmblesideOnline booklist. To my pleasant surprise there were dozens of books from the AO website. It was such a goldmine, I spent my $20 and can’t wait to go back and purchase the books I had to leave on the shelves. Pro Tip: Shop in store do not shop online. I have done a price comparison and search comparison to their online database, the two aren’t even close. The online prices are much higher and the selection much smaller.
Charlotte Mason Libraries I stumbled upon a lady, whom I’m assuming is a former homeschooler and she has a Charlotte Mason living books library in her home. I don’t know how common that is, but if you use this tool you can look for similar resources in your city.
Little Free Library, have you heard of the Little Free Library? The fist one I ever saw was at the end of pay parents block. It’s essentially a dollhouse on a wood post filled with books. You can take or leave a book as you please. There are know limits on what types of books you may find in these mini libraries. You may have some in your community. It’s always a fun treat for my children to look choose a book from these little houses. There is a search feature on their website so you can look for a little free library near you.
Friends of the Library Bookstore, this bookstore has been a lifesaver for our family. If you do a quick internet search for “friend of the library” bookstore, you might discover that your library system has an organization similar to this. The books in our store are used and new, some are discarded by the library or donated by private citizens. We pay a nominal annual fee so that we can buy one get one 1/2 off and can participate in the “fill a bag” days. My kids can go into the story with $1 and leave with 2 amazing hardback books, such a gem.


Buy Used Books Online
Amazon “Used” books. It’s super convenient for most of us to purchase books on Amazon, but have you purchased their used books. The sellers are often independent but I have great success with my purchases so far. You can safe a ton of money and choose books that are in great condition.
Online Used Bookstores – these are some of our favorites
- AbeBooks, they ship internationally and usually have a great selection of hardback and softcover books. I purchase the majority of my books from AbeBooks, I’ve never had a problem with them and highly recommend them.
- Better World Books – I haven’t used them yet, but have used their search feature and found several books from our list.
- Ebay – This is usually my last online option just because the sellers are independent may not have a great track record. So do your due diligence before making a Ebay purchase.


Listen to Audiobooks
We’ve found that audiobooks work well for long car rides to and from the beach. A 40 minute car ride is great time for my kids to listen to a book that’s entertaining and enriching. Currently we’re listening to Winnie the Pooh and I’ve found myself laughing quietly during the readings. The British accents and the blundering statements by Pooh and the other characters are amusing even for adults.
In fact we also use audiobooks during quiet time or as read alongs if we have a copy of the book. If my kids don’t mind listening to a book multiple times then I let them go for it. The theatrical aspect of listening to a children’s audiobook is relaxing for the entire family. The voices and music between chapters can really help set the imaginative scene. And if you have any sick kiddos as I did recently, an listening to an audiobook is a nice way to spend time feeling better.

Print Living Books for Free
Ok hear me out of this one. There are several living books in the Public Domain. Consequently these books can be printed by you. Some great people have already done the work of scanning the pages into different platforms. Basically all you need to do is download and print. I realize that ink and paper can be a barrier, but if it’s not this may be the way to go. Currently I’m reading Charlotte Mason’s Home Education that I printed on our home computer. For right now I’m printing one section at at time because it’s a long book. But I wasn’t able to purchase the book when I needed it so I took the print at home option.
Try looking at Project Gutenberg for classic books such as Pilgrim’s Progress.
This website is where I downloaded and printed by Charlotte Mason Home Education book.
Books.google.com and search for books such as “Just So Stories” by Rudyard Kipling
Closing Reminders
My last piece of advice would be to choose the books that are most important to your family and make those purchases. This may mean loaning a book from the library to pre read before making a purchase. Perhaps you can listen to the audiobook until you can make a purchase. Get creative mama, don’t let your budget no matter how slim deter you. There are so many ways to get living books into your home library.
In closing, my grandma called me last night and she mentioned her budget. She told me, “my budget’s so tight it’s squeakin’.
Well if your budget is squeaking ask the Lord for a work around and so what happens!
Happy reading!
-Courtney
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