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It’s that time of year! When apples get the spotlight and we start to cozy in for Autumn and sweater weather – We have had some of that this week around here for sure!
I decided to go through my database (glorified Excel sheet) to bring you a list of all the books we have read and enjoyed related to APPLES over the years.
You may have found this page because several homeschool curricula will likely have a unit in Autumn highlighting apples and you are curious about any additional books that might be found.
You may find a free printable of my list of 27 books on – again for FREE. 🙂
If you want to skip the download, you can find the list on both or
Some of the activities we enjoyed the most were going to the local apple orchard and picking out apples. Our nearest one (with the best *ahem* apples and cider) doesn’t allow the public to pick from the trees, but they have a sweet little shop and gobs of apples bagged up for you.
If you don’t have an orchard nearby, the grocery store is still an excellent option as there are such a variety of apples available. You can talk about the color, size, and even smell. Maybe grab a few different kinds and then compare taste and texture when you get home. Some apples are crisp, some are kind of crumbly, some are sweet, and some have a sour bite to them.
Cutting into apples is also a fun activity as cutting into wedges and also thin rounds produces different view inside the fruit. Cutting straight through the core between the stem and bottom will give you a beautiful star shape where the seeds are stored. You can throw a couple slices with a cinnamon stick in a small sauce pan with water to heat on low and get such a yummy apple-pie smell. Add some cloves for added scent. You can also dry them out a little in the oven and then use it as a stamp (although, I can never bring myself to make such a sweet fruit inedible). You can try making a watercolor of the cutting too and then eat the subject when finished.
Apple skin is a very fun subject for watercolor, especially when it has pretty pink, yellow and green splotches mixed throughout. We also decided to make ourselves an apple pie and we got creative with the top crust. But our favorite thing for a long time was homemade applesauce. I prefer splitting my recipe with half sweet apples and half sour apples. It helps me limit the sugar I add, but also gives a little tang to it. And, of course, a fair amount of ground cinnamon. Homemade applesauce reminds me of my grandma every single time I make it.
I hope you have as much fun as we have learning about apples and getting into the new season!
Disclaimer:This site uses some affiliate links. This costs you nothing, but helps supplement our homeschooling costs. Thank you for your support!
I am not generally a fan of autumn, mostly because it bears the unsavory burden of coming before winter. I am most definitely a summer girl, but I’ve been learning ways to appreciate Autumn more. I like learning about the astronomical significance surrounded the seasonal shift. I like learning about how wildlife changes behavior during this time. I will never learn to appreciate the bane of my existence, which is ragweed pollen. I can, however, be fascinated by the chemical processes within a leaf and other plants as they go into a time of dormancy.
Picture books about the Autumnal Equinox can be a tough find, but I’ve put together a list of 15 here for you. You may have found this page because several homeschool curricula will likely have a unit in Autumn highlighting the Equinox and you are curious about any additional books that might be found. I promise to only include books on my lists which I have read myself and with our kids.
You may find a free printable of my list on – again for FREE. 🙂
If you want to skip the download, you can find the list on both or
If you are looking for a good Autumn Equinox activity, I would recommend a scavenger hunt for fall nature items. Depending on your location, it may take a few more weeks to find all of the items, so you could extend it throughout the season until all the items are checked off, or you could watch some movies set in the fall and see what all you can spot – Halloween movies are excellent for this, if it something you celebrate in your home.
Disclaimer:This site uses some affiliate links. This costs you nothing, but helps supplement our homeschooling costs. Thank you for your support!
This may have been our favorite book as a whole from Volume 1. The kids loved the independence given to Mark, the main character and the author, and how he helped the family business. Children love to feel useful and I am always convicted to let them do more, mess and all.
Social Studies
The story takes place in New England, on the coast – but the original hot dog stand was found in Connecticut. We took the opportunity to learn about the original colonies in North America and the unique geography and culture found there now.
Math
We have developed our learning of money since this time, but this book introduced us to the different types of coins and bills we use today. I have also collected an assortment of money from a variety of countries – where I visited myself or was gifted from others. It is fascinating how each country designs their money and who or what they choose to immortalize.
Science
Neither kid had been to the ocean at this point of their lives, so we had to settle for books and videos on YouTube to take us there. Estuaries are just about the neatest places with incredible creatures and habitats. We found a livestream (unavailable now or else I would for sure share it) of jellyfish at an aquarium, but we also took a trip as a family to the nearby aquarium in Newport, KY. We have since visited the ocean and the great lakes and even taken a whale tour out into the St Lawrence River, which is an important estuary.
Other books
The Song of the Water Boatman isn’t about a saltwater environment, but I love finding different kinds of poetry to share with the kids. We also spend some time each week at a pond and we compared/contrasted the two habitats.
I love the artwork for this book! When I was younger, I discovered oil pastels and I really enjoyed working with it – actually rubbed my fingers sore blending the colors together. I was too intimidated with chalk-pastels back then, but the kids and I boldly took on practicing the medium and coming up with our own boat and sunset scene. I do enjoy learning new skills right along with my kiddos while we homeschool!
Disclaimer:This site uses some affiliate links. This costs you nothing, but helps supplement our homeschooling costs.
