For homeschoolers and families who love to explore, books can be one of the best ways to experience places, people, and history. The stories below are all based in Nova Scotia (or are written by Nova Scotian authors) and may just inspire your next weekend adventure!
Picture Books (Ages 2–7)
- Mi’kmaw Animals by Alan Syliboy
- With Our Orange Hearts by Phyllis Webstad
- Mi’kmaw Daily Drum: Mi’kmaw Culture for Every Day of the Week by Alan Syliboy
- Why I Love Nova Scotia by Daniel Howarth
- Sea Glass Summer by Heidi Jardine Stoddart
- Sweetgrass by Theresa Meuse
- Walking Together by Elder Dr. Albert D. Marshall
- G is for Gael: An Alphabet of Nova Scotia’s Gaelic Culture by Shelayne Hanson
- T Is for Terry: An ABC of Courage by Denise Dias
- One Lighthouse, One Moon by Anita Lobel
- Atlantic Animal ABC by Angela Doak
- She is Hope for Wildlife: The Story of Wildlife Rescuer Hope Swinimer by Wanda Baxter
- A Halifax Time-Travelling Tune by Jan Coates
- King of Keji by Jan Coates
- Evangeline for Young Readers by Hélène Boudreau
- Terry Fox by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
- The Home Sweet Home Nova Scotia Collection (Box Set) by Vernon Oickle
- The Oak Island Treasure Kids by S. L. Boudreau
- Africville by Shauntay Grant
- EveryBody’s Different on EveryBody Street by Sheree Fitch
- The Flying Squirrel Stowaways: From Halifax to Boston by Marijke Simons
- I Lost My Talk by Rita Joe
- She Dreams of Sable Island: A Paper Doll Book by Briana Corr Scott
- A Giant Man from a Tiny Town: A Story of Angus MacAskill by Tom Ryan
- The Trailblazing Life of Viola Desmond: A Civil Rights Icon by Rachel Kehoe
- A Tulip in Winter: A Story About Folk Artist Maud Lewis by Kathy Stinson
- L’Nu’k: The People: Mi’kmaw History, Culture and Heritage by Theresa Meuse
Chapter & Middle Grade Books (Ages 8–12)
- The Gravesavers by Sheree Fitch
- No Safe Harbour: The Halifax Explosion Diary of Charlotte Blackburn by Julie Lawson
- Run by Eric Walters
- The Harbour Explosion: The Nova Scotia Episode by Lisa Tasca Oatway
- Pit Pony by Joyce Barkhouse
- Amazing L’nu’k: A Celebration of the People of Mi’kma’ki by Julie Pellissier-Lush
- To Every Thing There Is a Season: A Cape Breton Christmas Story by Alistair MacLeod
- I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 by Lauren Tarshis
- Flying With a Broken Wing by Laura Best
- This Is It, Lark Harnish by Laura Best
- Sea Change by Frank Viva
- Amazing Black Atlantic Canadians: Inspiring Stories of Courage and Achievement by Lindsay Ruck
- Into the Wind: A Novel of Acadian Resilience by A. J. B. Johnston
- Dear Canada: Banished from Our Home by Sharon Stewart
- The Selkie’s Daughter by Linda Crotta Brennan
- Tonight on the Titanic by Mary Pope Osborne
- The Island Horse by Susan Hughes
- SWAN: The Girl Who Grew by Sidura Ludwig
- Hope for Wildlife by Ray MacLeod
For more ideas to bring Nova Scotia learning to life, check out A Complete Guide to Homeschool Field Trips
Young Adult & Adult Reads
- The Birth House by Ami McKay
- Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
- Rockbound by Frank Parker Day
- Barometer Rising by Hugh Maclennan
- Broken Man on a Halifax Pier by Lesley Choyce
- The Lost Salt Gift of Blood by Alistair MacLeod
- Secret Treasure of Oak Island: The Amazing True Story of a Centuries-Old Treasure Hunt by D’Arcy O’Connor
- The Spoon Stealer by Lesley Crewe
- The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
- Promises to Keep by Genevieve Graham
- Tides of Honour by Genevieve Graham
- The Great Halifax Explosion: A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism by John U. Bacon
- Her Mother’s Daughter by Lesley Crewe
- Mercury by Hope Larson
- No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod
- The Sea Wins by Eric Allaby
- Heave by Christy Ann Conlin
- Come from Away by Genevieve Graham
- Brighten the Corner Where You Are by Carol Bruneau
- A Sure Cure for Witchcraft by Laura Best
Ready to keep exploring? Explore Canada Through Books
Have you read any of these books already? Do you know of more books I should add to our list?