BookShark is a secular, literature-based curriculum for homeschooling. It emphasizes reading real stories to teach subjects like history and science without religious content.
Most homeschool families report completing core academic subjects in 3-4 hours per day for elementary students, compared to the 6-7 hours typical of traditional schools, due to the one-on-one instruction and absence of classroom management overhead (NHERI, 2024).
What is BookShark?
BookShark started in 2013 as a non-religious option to Sonlight. It offers a curriculum filled with literature, focusing on history, biographies, and narrative nonfiction. Students read about 50 books each year. This helps them grow their vocabulary and comprehension while enjoying real stories instead of boring textbooks. The program runs on a 36-week, 4-day schedule, leaving time for field trips or other activities. Parents get complete instructor guides with daily lesson plans. BookShark covers history, language arts, and science, and partners with programs like Math-U-See and Singapore Math for math.
BookShark vs. Sonlight
BookShark and Sonlight are similar in that they both use literature to teach. They provide ready-to-teach packages. However, the big difference is their worldviews. Sonlight includes Christian teachings and Bible lessons, while BookShark keeps things secular. Some books might be similar, but BookShark swaps in non-religious titles where Sonlight uses Christian ones. Sonlight has both 4-day and 5-day options, but BookShark sticks to a 4-day schedule.
How the curriculum works
Every level of BookShark comes with an instructor guide that outlines each day for the entire 36-week year. Parents don’t need to prep much—just follow the guide and read together. Subjects blend naturally. For instance, when studying ancient civilizations, students read historical fiction from that time and do related writing tasks. The science packages include hands-on experiments that meet NGSS standards. This setup is great for families with kids close in age, as siblings can learn together using the same materials.
What makes it secular
BookShark takes a neutral stance on faith and tough topics. Its science and history programs don’t cover evolution, creationism, or intelligent design—those talks are up to parents. There's also no political bias or revisionist history. This neutrality makes BookShark a popular choice for diverse homeschool co-ops and explains why 153 charter schools use it. The idea is simple: provide strong academics and let families add their own religious lessons if they want.
The bottom line
BookShark keeps its promise of a solid, literature-based education without religious content. The pre-planned lessons save parents a lot of prep time, and the focus on reading helps kids build literacy skills naturally. The cost ranges from $800 to $1,200 per level, which is significant but similar to other full programs. Families who enjoy reading together and want a secular approach with less daily planning should seriously consider BookShark. Plus, the materials can be reused, so future children only need about $300 a year for consumables.
