Masterbooks

Master Books is an imprint of New Leaf Publishing Group, which the publisher calls the parent publishing company behind Master Books. It sells homeschool curriculum for pre-school through high school and says it teaches every subject through the lens of Scripture.

Last updated: 2026-10-09 · Every Homeschool Editorial Team

At a glance

Method	Eclectic, in the publisher's words: elements of the Montessori and Charlotte Mason methods and other research-based teaching strategies (Master Books)
Worldview	Christian. The publisher states a biblical worldview and a Statement of Faith and names no denomination. Every Homeschool directory classification: Christian-evangelical
Grades	Pre-school through high school (publisher's careers page)
Formats	Paperback books and eBooks (example product page), audiobooks (listed in the site menu), and online courses through Master Books Academy
Cost tier	Budget (Every Homeschool classification, based on the prices below)
Parent intensity	3 (Every Homeschool rating)
ESA-common	Yes (Every Homeschool classification). The publisher's ESA page lists 16 state programs through which Master Books is available (retrieved October 2026)
Accredited	No. The publisher states that curriculum cannot be accredited and that Master Books is a curriculum publisher, not a school
Established	1975, the year the publisher's 50th-anniversary timeline lists for the establishment of Master Books
Website	masterbooks.com

Our scoreboard (1-5)

Scores and one-line reasons are Every Homeschool's judgment. Publisher statements are linked.

Criterion	Score	One-line reason
Academic rigor	3	The publisher describes its lessons as developmentally appropriate
Ease of teaching	4	Open-and-go daily schedules and perforated Course Guides, per the publisher's About page
Content quality	4	Biblical content is built into each course, as the publisher states
Flexibility	4	Sold as grade-level sets and as individual courses by subject; the publisher calls its materials flexible
Value for money	5	Grade K set at $151.16 up to $376.68 for the Grade 11 Civics & Economics set (retrieved October 2026)
Worldview scope	1	Narrow: the publisher states that a biblical worldview is integral to all of its curriculum, under one Statement of Faith
Visual/design	4	The Math Lessons and Language Lessons product pages describe full-color workbooks
Support resources	3	Placement tests, a knowledge base, a Facebook group and app, and Academy online courses, per the publisher; the weighting is ours

Who the publisher is

Master Books is an imprint of New Leaf Publishing Group (NLPG). The publisher's careers page says NLPG maintains three primary imprints, Master Books (with Master Books Academy), New Leaf Press and Attic Books, and that Master Books and Master Books Academy serve students from pre-school through high school. Its 50th-anniversary page lists 1975 as the year Master Books was established, and the same timeline records that in August 1996 Master Books became the primary publisher of many Answers in Genesis resources. The footer of masterbooks.com gives the publisher's office as Green Forest, Arkansas, and the careers page describes a distributed workforce with the main office in Green Forest.

Master Books also publishes books outside homeschool curriculum. The site menu lists Apologetics, Books (including activity books, audiobooks, Bibles, Christian living, devotionals, fiction, parenting and timelines) and Kids categories alongside Homeschool.

The publisher's position is stated plainly. Master Books calls itself an unapologetically Christian publisher. Its About page says it teaches every subject through the lens of Scripture, that a biblical worldview is integral to all of its curriculum, and that biblical apologetics are embedded in each course rather than added as an occasional verse or story. The same page publishes a Statement of Faith, which describes the Bible as inerrant, the Genesis account of origins as a factual presentation of actual events, and the Genesis Flood as global. The Statement of Faith names no denomination. The publisher's Young Earth category page says the Bible is explicit that the earth is young.

Master Books sells its curriculum two ways: as grade-level Basic 4-Subject Sets, which the publisher's knowledge base says give teacher and student materials for 180 days of math, language arts, history and science, and by subject (the site menu lists Homeschool by Grade Level and by Subject). Master Books Academy adds self-paced online courses with 18 months of on-demand access.

The core pedagogy

Master Books describes its own teaching style as eclectic. The same article says the approach integrates elements of the Montessori and Charlotte Mason methods and other research-based strategies, and that for the Charlotte Mason strand it offers literature-rich materials, nature study guides and living books. The publisher's author page says Kristen Pratt developed the Master Books Method.

The format is open-and-go. The About page says a family can open the box and start immediately, that each course has a daily schedule based on a 180-day school year with pre-planned lessons, and that Course Guides (also called Teacher Guides) are perforated and three-hole punched.

Scope and sequence varies by subject.

• Language arts. The Language Lessons for a Living Education series runs from Level 1 to Level 12 (grades 1 to 12). Kristen Pratt is the contributor listed on the Level 3 product page, which describes picture study, memorization, punctuation, spelling, vocabulary, poems, psalms, letters, creative writing and Scripture copy work.
• Math. Math Lessons for a Living Education covers Levels K to 6, and the publisher's knowledge base says Level 6 transitions into Principles of Mathematics 1. Principles of Mathematics (Books 1 and 2) is listed for grades 7 and 8. The grade sets for grades 9 to 12 include Elementary Algebra, Geometry, Principles of Algebra 2 and Consumer Math.
• History. America's Story 1 is listed for grades 3 to 6. The publisher's glossary describes a "HIStory" framing in America's Story in which history is taught as God's story, emphasizing God's providence (Master Books glossary).
• Science. See our review of Master Books science.

Features the publisher describes:

1. Short daily lessons. Lesson lengths are stated course by course: Math Lessons for a Living Education 15 to 30 minutes on the Level 1 to 5 product pages (the series page says 20 to 30, the Level K and Level 6 pages say 30 minutes, and the Level 6 Set page lists both 30 minutes and 15 to 30), Language Lessons 3 approximately 20 to 30 minutes, Language Lessons 7 approximately 40 minutes, Writing Strands 30 to 45 minutes, Principles of Mathematics 30 to 45 minutes, America's Story 1 approximately 45 minutes, and Elementary Algebra 45 to 60 minutes.
2. Literature-rich materials. The publisher's getting-started article says its materials include living books.
3. Low parent preparation. The publisher's own description is that a family can open the curriculum box and start, with pre-planned lessons and simple daily schedules.
4. Biblical worldview in every subject. Master Books states that a biblical worldview is integral to all of its curriculum (About page). Bible story reading appears in the sets: the Grade 3 set includes 101 Favorite Stories from the Bible, which the Language Lessons 3 page also lists as a required resource.

A day in the life

The Grade 3 Basic 4-Subject Set contains Math Lessons for a Living Education Level 3, Language Lessons for a Living Education 3, 101 Favorite Stories from the Bible, Adventures on Planet Earth Level 3, America's Story 1 and its Teacher Guide. The set page says it provides materials for 36 weeks of coursework, including suggested daily schedules, instruction, student worksheets and quizzes, and answer keys.

The course pages state how long each lesson runs. Math Lessons for a Living Education Level 3 lists 15 to 30 minute lessons. Language Lessons 3 is scheduled for five days a week at approximately 20 to 30 minutes, and its product page lays out a weekly pattern: Day 1 focuses on a short story, poem, picture study and selected Bible verses; Days 2 and 3 on writing topics such as grammar and punctuation; Day 4 on reading from 101 Favorite Stories of the Bible with Scripture copywork and memorization; and Day 5 on creating a dictionary with a focus on spelling and vocabulary. Adventures on Planet Earth Level 3 is designed to be studied five times a week at approximately 20 to 30 minutes, and America's Story 1 lists approximately 45 minutes per lesson, four to five days per week. The publisher does not state a total daily time for the set.

At grade 9, the Basic 4-Subject Set with U.S. History contains Elementary Algebra (with its Revised Teacher Guide), Master's Class High School Biology (with its Teacher Guide), American History (Revised Edition) with its Teacher Guide, Language Lessons for a Living Education 9 and Pilgrim's Progress: The Journey Journal. A second Grade 9 set lists World Geography and Cultures with its Course Guide in place of the American History titles. Elementary Algebra is designed for lessons five days a week at 45 to 60 minutes. The publisher's knowledge base says its courses for grades 9 to 12 are designed around the Carnegie Unit, which it defines as 120 hours of instruction and coursework per credit.

What they do exceptionally well

Priced as a four-subject core. In our assessment, the Basic 4-Subject Set prices make Master Books affordable for a family that wants one publisher's recommended math, language arts, history and science for a grade. The sets are listed at $151.16 (Grade K) to $376.68 (Grade 11 Civics & Economics set) at the publisher's current selling prices, retrieved October 2026; the cost section below links each grade.

A stated method with a Charlotte Mason strand. The publisher describes Math Lessons for a Living Education on its Grade 3 set page as having a Charlotte Mason flavor of stories, copy work, oral narration and hands-on experience, and describes America's Story 1 as taught through a Charlotte Mason approach. In our assessment, a family does not need to study Charlotte Mason's writings to use these courses, because the publisher describes copy work, oral narration and short lessons within its courses.

What they do poorly

The Statement of Faith takes positions on origins and the Flood. The Statement of Faith on the publisher's About page describes Genesis as a factual presentation of actual events and the Flood as global, and the publisher's Young Earth page says the earth is young. In our assessment, a family that wants science presented from the mainstream scientific consensus will need a different science source.

Math is a fit question. In our assessment, Math Lessons for a Living Education suits a gentle pace better than a rigor-first approach. The publisher's knowledge base calls it slower-paced, and it uses 5 to 10 focused problems per lesson. Master Books sells math through high school, so the question is whether the pace fits the child. A family that wants a faster or more drill-based math program should look at other publishers.

The publisher states a biblical worldview in all of its curriculum. The publisher states that a biblical worldview is integral to all of its curriculum, and its knowledge base says Math Lessons for a Living Education is generally not recommended for secular homeschoolers. In our assessment, a family that does not hold the positions in the Statement of Faith may meet a biblical worldview in every subject.

Who it fits / who it doesn't

• Pick Master Books if: you share the positions in its Statement of Faith, including its account of origins; you want open-and-go daily schedules; you want one publisher's recommended courses for each grade in a set; you want biblical content integrated across subjects; you want shorter lessons in the early grades.

• Skip Master Books if: you want a secular program or one built on a different statement of faith; you want science taught from the mainstream scientific consensus; you want a faster-paced or more drill-based math program.

Cost honest assessment

Master Books lists its Basic 4-Subject Sets at a current selling price beside a list price. The publisher's sales page states that MasterBooks.com offers 20% off retail every day of the year, and product pages describe the list price as the publisher's suggested retail price. Prices below are the current selling prices (list prices in parentheses), retrieved October 2026.

Grade	Selling price (list)
K	$151.16 ($188.96)
1	$236.72 ($295.92)
2	$163.16 ($203.96)
3	$194.34 ($242.94)
4	$194.34 ($242.94)
5	$234.33 ($292.93)
6	$276.72 ($345.92)
7	$280.72 ($350.92)
8	$280.72 ($350.92)
9, with U.S. History	$300.72 ($375.92)
9, with World Geography	$320.72 ($400.92)
10, with World History	$323.90 ($404.90)
10, with U.S. History	$331.11 ($413.91)
11, with Civics & Economics	$376.68 ($470.88)
11, with World History	$324.71 ($405.91)
12	$341.47 ($426.87)

Individual courses are priced separately; for example, a Math Lessons for a Living Education student book is $39.19 (list $48.99) and a Writing Strands course is $31.19 (list $38.99).

ESA eligibility notes

Master Books' ESA page lists 16 state programs through which Master Books is available (retrieved October 2026): the Arkansas Education Freedom Account, Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account, The CHOOSE Act (Alabama), Florida's Step Up For Students, Georgia Promise Scholarship Program, Indiana Education Scholarship Account, Louisiana GATOR Scholarship Program, Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program, New Hampshire Children's Scholarship Fund, North Carolina Education Student Accounts (ESA+) scholarship, New York Children's Scholarship Fund (CSF New York), South Carolina Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program, Texas Education Freedom Accounts, Utah Fits All (UFA) Scholarship Program, West Virginia Hope Scholarship Program and Wyoming Education Savings Account. The page says "We are adding new states frequently!" and invites families who do not see their state to contact Master Books.

The publisher's knowledge-base answer on ESA funds begins "Probably!" and also lists 16 programs, but its list includes the Ohio Afterschool Child Enrichment Educational Savings Program, which the ESA page does not, and omits the Wyoming program, which the ESA page lists. Check the current list and your program's rules before ordering. The ESA page also says ClassWallet can be used for purchases on MasterBooks.com but is not currently supported for Master Books Academy courses, and that a direct-pay upload to ClassWallet must show tax in the total.

Alternatives

A family that wants a different structure or worldview framing from the one Master Books describes for itself can compare Abeka, Sonlight and The Good and the Beautiful on their directory pages. See also our guide Master Books vs The Good and the Beautiful.