California Living Books & Resources
Some of these books may be rare and difficult to find. Try Bookfinder or Addall. These books have not been fully previewed and may contain historical language that is offensive, inappropriate content, or scary incidents that may be unsuitable for younger students. Please review any books prior to reading with young children. Covers may vary. Not all books are living books – some are reference books, original source documents, poetry or children’s picture books.
Please submit any book suggestions for this page to: admin@charlottemasoneducation.org
Martha of California – James Otis (Heritage History)
Famous Missions of California – W. H. Hudson (Heritage History)
Junipero Serra—the Man and his Work – A. H. Fitch (Heritage History)
The Land of Little Rain by Mary Austin. An AmblesideOnline YR9 book. Free on Gutenberg.
We Were There with the California Rancheros by Stephen Holt. Listed on Archive.org
California: A Romantic Story For Young People by J. Walker McSpadden. History of the development of California told in story form, a father speaking to his children.
Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana Jr. A memoir by the American author Richard Henry Dana Jr., published in 1840, having been written after a two-year sea voyage from Boston to California on a merchant ship starting in 1834.
The Story of My Boyhood and Youth by John Muir. Fascinating autobiography. Free on Gutenberg.
The Botanical Lore of the California Indians by John Bruno Romero. Free on Gutenberg.
The Bells of Carmel: Mission Days in California
Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi tells the famous story of the yearly return of the swallows to the Mission San Juan Capistrano through the eyes of a small child.
Songs of the Sierras by Joaquin Miller, a poet who took on a bandit’s name. Free online here.
Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Houston and James D. Houston. A schedule correlating with AmblesideOnline YR6 is available at Afterthoughts.
The Wild Muir: Twenty-Two of John Muir’s Greatest Adventures. A schedule correlating with AmblesideOnline’s YR5 is available at Afterthoughts.
Jessie Benton Fremont: California Pioneer by Marguerite Higgins A schedule correlating with AmblesideOnline’s YR5 is available at Afterthoughts.
The Cruise of the Arctic Star Paperback by Scott O’Dell. A 36 week schedule for this book is available at Afterthoughts.
The Balloon Boy of San Francisco by Ms. Dorothy Kupcha Leland
Redwood Pioneer
By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman
Jed Smith Trailblazer Of The West by Frank Latham
The Keeper of the Bees by Gene Stratton Porter.
Bears, Pirates and Silver Lace by Anne B. Fisher
Stories California Indians Told by Anne B. Fisher
The mission Indians of California by Sonia Bleeker
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell.
Fly High Fly Low by Don Freeman
Stella and Roy Go Camping by Ashley Wolff
Maybelle the Cable Car by Virginia Lee Burton
Tales Along El Camino Sierra: A Sentimental Journey Along Highway 395 by David & Gayle Woodruff. Look for Part 2 and 3 also.
California Coast Trails: A Horseback Ride from Mexico to Oregon in 1911 by J. Smeaton Chase
Kildee House by Rutherford G. Montgomery
The Lonesome Gods by Louis L’Amour
Pop’s Bridge by Eve Bunting
Two Bear Cubs: A Miwok Legend from California’s Yosemite Valley by Robert D. San Souci
