I recently put together a list of resources for teaching music study in your homeschool for Free Homeschool Deals (coming soon). As I was compiling the list of online resources, I thought it might be nice to have a list of some of the many books available for the various composers. Whether you purchase the books or look for them at your local library, they are sure to add depth to your homeschool routine.

The Amazon links in this post are affiliate posts, which means I earn a very small commission if you purchase something after clicking on the link. This costs you nothing and helps to offset the costs of maintaining the blog. You also have my gratitude, which let’s face it, is priceless.

I have divided the composers by time period and most composers have more than one title available. Some of the books come with CD’s with audio files to enjoy as well.

Updated to note: A lovely reader commented with a good reminder that you will always want to preview material before reading it to your children. She specifically noted the first book by Kathleen Krull as having material that some may not consider appropriate for children. Thank you, Heather, for the heads up!

Multiple Composers

• Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull
• Meet the Great Composers Book 1 (Learning Link) by June Montgomery
• Meet the Great Composers: Book 2 (Learning Link) by Maurice Hinson
• Bach, Beethoven and the Boys by David W. Barber
• Story of the Orchestra : Listen While You Learn About the Instruments, the Music and the Composers Who Wrote the Music! by Robert Levine
• Can You Hear It? by William Lach
• Music: 450 A.D. to 1995 A.D., Grades 5 – 8 by Mark Ammons

Early/Medieval Composers 476-1600

When it comes to medieval times, I could not find more than the one book below that would work for composer study. I did come across a section on About.com called Composers/Musicians of the Middle Ages that had some listed with links to other resources. You may find that interesting.

Guido D’Arezzo

• Do Re Mi: If You Can Read Music, Thank Guido D’Arezzo by Susan Roth

Baroque Composers 1600-1760

Johann Sebastian Bach

• Sebastian Bach, The Boy from Thuringia by Opal Wheeler and Sybil Deucher
• Johann Sebastian Bach (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers) by Mike Venezia
• Bach’s Goldberg Variations by Anna Harwell Celenza
• Johann Sebastian Bach (First Discovery: Music) by Paule du Bouchet
• Johann Sebastian Bach (Hero of Faith) by Barry L. Bobb

George Frideric Handel

• Handel at the Court of Kings by Opal Wheeler
• George Handel (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers) by Mike Venezia
• George Frideric Handel, Composer of Messiah (Sowers) by Charles Ludwig
• George Frideric Handel (First Discovery: Music) by Mildred Clary

Henry Purcell

• Henry Purcell (First Discovery: Music) by Mariell Khoury

Antonio Vivaldi

• I, Vivaldi by Janice Shefelman
• Vivaldi’s Four Seasons by Anna Harwell Celenza
• Vivaldi and the Invisible Orchestra (Christy Ottaviano Books) by Stephen Costanza
• Antonio Vivaldi (First Discovery: Music) by Olivier Baumont

Classical Composers 1730-1820

Joseph Boulogne/Saint-George

• Before There Was Mozart: The Story of Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-George by Lesa Cline-Ransom
• The Other Mozart: The Life of the Famous Chevalier de Saint-George by Hugh Brewster

Franz Joseph Haydn

• Joseph Haydn, The Merry Little Peasant by Opal Wheeler and Sybil Deucher
• Franz Joseph Haydn (Primary Source Library of Famous Composers) by Eric Michael Summerer

Maria Mozart

• For the Love of Music: The Remarkable Story of Maria Anna Mozart by Elizabeth Rusch

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

• Mozart, The Wonder Boy by Opal Wheeler and Sybil Deucher
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers) by Mike Venezia
• Mozart Finds a Melody by Stephen Costanza
• The Magic Flute: An Opera by Mozart by Kyra Teis
• Mozart (Famous Children) by Ann Rachlin
• Wolferl: The First Six Years in the Life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : 1756-1762 by Lisl Weil
• Play, Mozart, Play! by Peter Sis
• Musical Genius: A Story about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Creative Minds Biography) by Barbara Allman

Nicolo Paganini

• Paganini, Master of Strings by Opal Wheeler
• Dark Fiddler (Creative Editions) by Aaron Frisch

Romantic Composers 1815-1910

Ludwig Beethoven

• Ludwig Beethoven and the Chiming Tower Bells by Opal Wheeler
• Ludwig Van Beethoven (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers) by Mike Venezia
• The Heroic Symphony by Anna Harwell Celenza
• Beethoven for Kids: His Life and Music with 21 Activities (For Kids series) by Helen Bauer
• Ludwig van Beethoven (First Discovery: Music) by Yann Walcker

Hector Berlioz

• Hector Berlioz (First Discovery: Music) by Christian Wasselin

Johann Brahms

• The Young Brahms by Sybil Deucher
• Johannes Brahms (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers) by Mike Venezia

Frederic Chopin

• Frederic Chopin, Son of Poland, Early Years by Opal Wheeler
• Frederic Chopin, Son of Poland, Later Years by Opal Wheeler
• Frederic Chopin (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers) by Mike Venezia
• Fryderyk Chopin (First Discovery: Music) by Catherine Weill

Franz Schubert

• Franz Schubert and His Merry Friends by Opal Wheeler and Sybil Deucher
• Franz Schubert (First Discovery: Music) by Paue du Bouchet
• Franz Peter Schubert (The Primary Source Library of Famous Composers) by Eric Michael Summerer

Robert Schumann

• Robert Schumann and Mascot Ziff by Opal Wheeler

John Philip Sousa

• John Philip Sousa (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers) by Mike Venezia

Peter Tchiakovsky

• The Story of Peter Tchaikovsky by Opal Wheeler
• Peter Tchaikovsky and the Nutcracker Ballet by Opal Wheeler
• Peter Tchaikovsky (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers) by Mike Venezia
• Tchaikovsky (Famous Children) by Ann Rachlin

Giuseppe Verdi

• Verdi for Kids: His Life and Music with 21 Activities (For Kids series) by Helen Bauer

Richard Wagner

• Adventures of Richard Wagner by Opal Wheeler

Twentieth Century Composers 1900-2000

Leonard Bernstein

• Leonard Bernstein (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers) by Mike Venezia
• Music Was It: Young Leonard Bernstein (Junior Library Guild Selection (Charlesbridge Hardcover)) by Susan Goldman Rubin

Aaron Copland

• Aaron Copland (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers) by Mike Venezia

Duke Ellington

• Duke Ellington (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers) by Mike Venezia
• This Jazz Man by Karen Ehrhardt
• Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra by Andrea Pinkney
• Duke Ellington: His Life in Jazz with 21 Activities (For Kids series) by Stephanie Stein Crease
• Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite by Anna Harwell Celenza

George Gershwin

• George Gershwin (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers) by Mike Venezia
• Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue by Anna Harwell Celenza
• Summertime : From Porgy and Bess by Dubose Heyward

Marvin Hamlisch

• Marvin Makes Music by Marvin Hamlisch

Charles Ives

• When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky: Two Artists, Their Ballet, and One Extraordinary Riot by Joanne Stanbridge

Sergei Prokofiev

• Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf: With a Fully-Orchestrated and Narrated CD by Janet Schulman

Igor Stravinsky

• Igor Stravinsky (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Composers) by Mike Venezia
• When Stravinsky Met Nijinsky: Two Artists, Their Ballet, and One Extraordinary Riot by Lauren Stringer

Additional Resources

• Great Composers (Dover History Coloring Book)
• One-Page Composer Bios: 50 Reproducible BIographies of Famous Composers (Teacher’s Handbook)
• Coloring Book of Great Composers: Bach to Berlioz
• Musical Instruments Coloring Book (Dover Design Coloring Books)
• A Coloring Book of Early Composers
• 101 Music Games for Children: Fun and Learning with Rhythm and Song (SmartFun Activity Books)
• The Big Book of Music Games, Grades K – 5
• Classics for Kids

I am adding this post to Teach Beside Me’s Share It Saturday and Upside Down Homeschooling’s Hearts for Home.