BookShark

What's in the box: A grade-level package of real books, a scheduled instructor's guide, and subject materials for the levels and subjects you choose.

BookShark is a secular homeschool curriculum company that ships complete, ready-to-teach packages. It is not a monthly surprise box. You pick a subject or an all-subjects package, choose your child's level, customize it, and get the books and materials in one shipment. Subjects include science, history, math and language arts. The program is built around reading, and students read roughly 50 books a year, so history and other subjects are taught mostly through real books instead of textbooks alone. Lesson plans are fully scheduled on a four-day week, which leaves a fifth day for field trips, co-ops or catching up. That structure is the main draw for parents who don't want to plan from scratch. The program is also set up so siblings can share some subjects. An optional add-on called BookShark Virtual puts schedules and auto-graded assessments online, though children still read physical books. There are trade-offs. A reading-heavy approach suits kids who love books but may frustrate reluctant readers, and a parent still needs to read aloud and lead discussions. The homepage does not list prices, so comparing costs takes extra clicks. Families who want a story-driven program with the planning done for them will find a lot to like.