Side-by-side comparison
Build Your Library vs Sonlight
A side-by-side from Build Your Library and Sonlight Curriculum.
Build Your Library and Sonlight are both literature-based homeschool curricula built around daily lesson plans, read-alouds, and living books. The biggest difference is worldview: Build Your Library is intentionally secular, Sonlight is explicitly Christian. Families searching this comparison are typically deciding between the depth and institutional weight of Sonlight and the affordability plus secular framing of BYL.
Sonlight has been publishing since 1990 and covers PreK through 12. The History / Bible / Literature (HBL) cores integrate Bible study throughout, and the Christian worldview is globally minded and missions-aware. All-Subjects Packages run ~$700 per student per year. The Instructor's Guide format walks the family through daily read-alouds, discussion, and activities. The community is large, the used-book market is robust, and the program scales through high school transcripts.
Build Your Library, by Emily Cook, takes the Charlotte Mason method into a secular literature-based program — one of the few comprehensive secular options on the market. Levels 0 through 12 follow a historical timeline (Level 1–6 cycle ancient through modern over six years). The teacher's guide PDFs are $30–$60 per level, with the reading list adding $300–$600 annually (less with library access). Book selections emphasize diverse perspectives and quality writing across history, science, literature, poetry, art, and geography. Math, spelling, grammar, and phonics aren't included.
The honest difference: Sonlight is a complete Christian curriculum delivered as a polished retail package. Build Your Library is a secular curriculum delivered as a PDF guide that asks the family to source materials.
At a glance
The specifics
| Build Your Library | Sonlight | |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | Build Your Library | Sonlight Curriculum |
| Established | 2012 | 1990 |
| Price | $30–$60/grade | $250–$700/year |
| Grades | PreK, K–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12 | PreK, K–2, 3–5, 6–8, 9–12 |
| Subject | Language Arts, Science, History | Language Arts, Science, History, Bible, Full Program |
| Method | Charlotte Mason, Literature Based | Literature Based |
| Format | Print, Digital | |
| Worldview | Secular | Christian |
The verdict
How to choose
Choose Sonlight if your family is Christian and you want Bible study woven into history and literature, you appreciate having books arrive in a box ready to use, you want a curriculum through high school, or you value the large active community. The cost is higher but so is the package convenience.
Choose Build Your Library if you're a secular, interfaith, or worldview-neutral family, you want Charlotte Mason methods implemented thoroughly, budget matters and you have library access, or you'd rather curate your own book sourcing for flexibility. BYL is the right call for secular families who want what Sonlight offers without the Bible integration — and significantly cheaper.
Read the full reviews
Keep exploring
More comparisons
Build Your Library vs IEW (Institute for Excellence in Writing)
Build Your Library · Institute for Excellence in Writing
BookShark vs Build Your Library
BookShark · Build Your Library
BookShark vs Sonlight
BookShark · Sonlight Curriculum
My Father's World vs Sonlight
My Father's World · Sonlight Curriculum
Picked one?
Track your curriculum with Homeschool Fox
Log activities by voice or text and stay compliant with your state's requirements automatically.
No credit card required.