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

Here are a few of my favorites:

The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons (4-7yo)

Apple Pie Fourth of July by Janet S Wong (4-7yo)

One Green Apple by Eve Bunting (4-7yo)

The Apple Orchard Riddle by Margaret McNamara (4-8yo)

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!

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