20 Best Science Books for Homeschooling Grades 4-12

We love a good reference book for all of our subjects, and science is no exception.

This science encyclopedia has so many fun facts we always reference it when we start a new subject as a supplementary resource.

There are even a few experiments scattered into the mix.

We own all of the middle school study guides as they are an excellent way to check knowledge.

We completed this one in grade 6 along with some Crash Course videos, it's really good, however, we only use this as a supplement to a full science curriculum.

We have just started with this high school notebook for chemistry. It is as good as the middle school books just of course slightly more advanced.

Again I would only recommend these science books as a supplement.

We haven't tried the High School Biology book but this one will be next.

This is another excellent reference book for all aspects of science. It is from National Geographic so the pictures are excellent. A great elementary science book.

Starting with before science began in 3 MYA - 800BCE and talks about cave art, and early farming. Then travels through:

New Ideas of 800 - 1545

The Age of Discovery 1545 -1790

Revolutions 1790-1895

The Atomic Age 1895-1945

Modern Science 1945-present day.

We also use this book when we are studying world history to see what had been invented at the time we are looking at.

Dr. Bonyfide from Know Yourself are the best anatomy books for elementary-aged kids teaching children all about the human body. Absolutely perfect for 3rd grade students.

In fact, we used this in 6th grade and got a lot from them.

Check out our review of these anatomy books for kids here.

These are from the same company who did Horrible Histories another family favorite!

Check out their youtube channel too, they are aimed at elementary aged kids, but middle schoolers will find them hilarious too.

Biology 2 is the science curriculum we used in grade 6, and are continuing to use in 7th grade.

Check out our review of Real Science Odyssey

This is the second high school curriculum from Pandia Press and is the one we will be using in 9th grade.

In fact, we are so excited to start with it that we have already purchased our telescope!

Real Science-4-Kids is a highly rated and engaging science curriculum that focuses on fundamental concepts, making it a great choice for families who want just one science course before junior high.

This course introduces college-level terminology, but explains it at an introductory level, giving middle school students a familiarity with the concepts that they'll build upon later.

Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman combines art and science in this exciting and educational guide to the structure, function, and personality of the natural world.

These 4 living books in this series including nature, ocean, farm, and food anatomy.

The science of Harry Potter is a great science book for Potter fans, my son absolutely loved this book. It's of course not too serious, but a great way to get the kids interested in science.

He has just discovered that the author also wrote the science of Star Wars as well so I have just ordered it. If it is as good as the Harry Potter one he will finish it over the weekend!

This is a great read for the entire family and goes into why familiar products were created by mistake.

A great example is that potato chips were first cooked by a chef who was furious when a customer complained that his fried potatoes weren’t thin enough.

This is one of the best books about inventions for kids.

If you have a budding detective they will love this book. There are nine mysteries unlocked by modern science.

For example, Egypt's first female pharaoh disappears around 1457 BCE, was she murdered? Find out how DNA closes the case.

We love all of the Spectrum books and have used them for all subjects (except math) for grades 4-7. This is just the grade 7 book, but they have grades K-8.

These science workbooks cover Earth Science, Physical Science, Life Science, and more.

We don't use it as a full curriculum, but we interchange this with the Real Science Odyssey curriculum above.

The 180 days of science is in my opinion easier than the Spectrum books, and as such my son probably prefers it!

But they are great books that we have used for multiple subjects, including geography and history.

This is a really quick check-up of important science vocabulary. We use this every day along with whatever else homeschool science book we are using at the time.

There are 5 quick questions every lesson, for example, circle the best meaning of the word compound.

It is only a supplementary science workbook but it's very handy.

I like this book, however, if you are using it for younger grades (we started in grade 5) it is actually quite hard. So we have just pulled it out again in grade 7.

There are a lot of math questions in it, and despite being advanced in math, we still found this hard for 5th grade. But it is very good for grades 8 and above in my opinion.

This general science daily skills builder is great for additional practice, and not a stand-alone lesson.

There are no actual lessons in this book, so you will have to rely on other sources.

Help your grade 6 students develop a genuine understanding of standards-based scientific concepts and vocabulary using the 150 engaging activities in Daily Science!

A variety of rich resources, including vocabulary practice, hands-on science activities, and comprehension tests in multiple-choice format. Help you successfully introduce students to earth, life, and physical science concepts.