Fiction Books for Homesteaders

Are you looking for a good book to read on the porch swing this summer? Try one of these fiction books for homesteaders. They will inspire your homestead dream, while you sip sweet tea in the shade.

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Best Friend Ever

In college, I made a friend that enjoyed reading just as much as I did. We met an hour before class each day to sit next to each other and read. One morning I got a text, “I’m running late, but you can just keep reading when I get there.” She understood that once I started reading, I didn’t want to be interrupted. She showed up and without even a simple hello, she pulled out her book and we read together in silence. It was one of the best friendships I’ve ever had.

If non-fiction is more your thing, try my list of Must Read Homesteading Books.

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Best Fiction Books for Homesteaders

You are going to notice that in my list of fiction books for homesteaders, most of the novels are written for middle aged kids. That is because those are the books that I enjoy reading. I feel like books for teens and adults focus on romance in various settings. I would rather read something with a good plot and less kissing.

Little House Series

Of course the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder made the list of fiction books for homesteaders. If you’ve been following me for long, you will know that she is my favorite author and homesteading hero. Travel back to the late 1800’s with America’s favorite pioneer family. Although the books were written for children, reading them as an adult brings an entirely new feeling to the books. Ma and Pa faced the hardships of homesteading and raising a family. Bears, unexpected pests, poverty, and harsh weather all cause strife in the lives of the Ingalls family.

My Side of the Mountain

I can remember thinking of running away like Sam after reading this book. My Side of the Mountain tells a story of survival and self-sufficiency. Sam has to learn many skills that we as homesteaders are also striving to learn. He must learn how to feed himself using various methods of hunting. With winter coming he learns to make clothing from deer hides. He must even learn how to build a shelter that will keep him warm, but not trap all of the poison gasses. This book fulfills that desire to run away into the woods and test our survival skills.

Rascal

To this day, I want a pet racoon because of reading the book Rascal. What many people do not realize is that Rascal is not actually fiction. It is an autobiography of Sterling North. I’ve included it on the list anyway because it reads like a novel. At 11 years old Sterling adopts a baby racoon. He lived with his father in Wisconsin around the time of World War I. The boy is making a canoe in the living room of their small home and raising a racoon indoors. This book will make you laugh and remind you of “the good ol’ days” and simpler times. Although not directly homesteading related, it does include rural living and the events would definitely not have occurred in the home of a city slicker.

Moo

I will offer a warning, this book will make you cry. Moo is a recent publication by Sharon Creech. It was a New York Times Best Seller. Moo is about a family that has moved from the city to rural Main. Reena and Luke are volunteered by their parents to help an elderly neighbor with her farm. Reena wanted to compete at the fair, but first she must train the stubborn cow. I read and enjoyed this book with my fourth grade class. If it’s animals you enjoy then this is the book for you this summer.

Paint the Wind

Did anybody else never outgrow that horse-crazy-girl stage? Yea, me neither. Paint the Wind is for the homesteader that still dreams of horses. Maya is living with her grandmother who is a bit overprotective. Her grandmother fills her head with lies about her deceased mother. When Maya goes to live with her mother’s family in Wyoming, she discovers the wonderful world of horses and bonds with a particular paint that belonged to her mother. I’m including it on the fiction books for homesteaders list, to scratch the itch of the crazy horse girls.

Best Fiction Books for Little Homesteaders

These books are for the younger crowd, mostly. I couldn’t leave out the littles when it came to fiction books for homesteaders. Once they see you reading, they will want to do the same. Some of these are for very young kids, but some are for the older and more mature kids.

My First Little House Books

Everybody gets a bit of Laura. The My First Little House books are picture books based upon the original novels. They take small parts of the stories and illustrate them. These are perfect for the kids not quite ready for chapter books yet, but you still want them to enjoy life with Laura.

Just Plain Fancy

Patricia Pollaco writes incredible historical fiction. Just Plain Fancy is not meant for the younger crowd. They may enjoy the story, but the older children will be able to understand the book.l This book is about an Amish girl, whose job it is to care for the chickens. She finds a fancy egg and hatches it. From the fancy egg comes a fancy bird. She is worried that the bird will be shunned for being too fancy.

Click Clack Moo

How could I make a list of fiction books for homesteaders and not include this classic? Click Clack Moo is a hilarious book for young children. The cows find a typewriter in the barn and start to write letters to the farmer with demands. They go on strike and get the other animals on board. There are more books in this series if your little homesteader enjoys this one.

The Cow that Went Oink

The Cow that Went Oink is perfect for even the youngest homesteaders. My preschool classes really enjoy it. There is a cow that only knows how to say oink and a pig that only knows how to moo. They teach each other how to say oink and moo. Little kids find this unexpected twist absolutely hilarious.

Going to Sleep on the Farm

If you need a perfect bedtime story try Going to Sleep on the Farm. The illustrations are gorgeous and the words are very simple. A little boy is playing with his father and asking how each animal sleeps. There is a bit of truth tucked within this fiction book for homesteaders.