With Bookshark your children will learn through great literature and stories. These packages are a strong faith-neutral curriculum choice. Let’s look at the pros, cons, and costs, and I will give some other thoughts.

Founded in 2013 as a sister company to Sonlight, Bookshark is a provider of literature-based homeschool curriculum packages. 

Taking a faith-neutral, Charlotte Mason-inspired approach, Bookshark offers parents complete packages that are designed to make teaching easier and more convenient.

Bookshark doesn’t divide itself up by grade or age. Instead, its packages are divided up according to Levels, A-J, which cover pre-kindergarten to approximately grade 10. 

They also feel very strongly that homeschooling doesn’t have to be intimidating. That is true. It doesn’t have to be.

They have added BookShark Virtual, an online platform that you can add to your curriculum package.This which allows you access to the lessons online, which also includes assessments, grading and record keeping. It is minimal time online as your children will still read their real books. They will access their reading schedules, take assessments and get immediate grades for those assessments. 

Pros of Bookshark

• High quality and engaging literature choices – literature based teaching
• NGSS (Next generation science standards) aligned science kits
• Very detailed and easy to follow lesson plans. Pretty much open and go.
• Provides a lot of educational material
• Hands-on learning
• A neutral approach to faith and faith-based teaching. (It is not a Christian curriculum but will discuss religion and faith as it relates to the books, if applicable.) There are no religious lessons. 
• You are not limited to the math curriculum. Bookshark offers a choice of Math U See, Singapore Math, Saxon and Right Start. 
• You can do some customization of the packages.
• You can choose an advanced or regular reading level.

Cons of Bookshark

• Can be expensive compared to other curricula options
• Some parents may find it to be very parent-intensive and time consuming, even though it is open and go, you are actively involved in the lessons
• Contains a reasonable amount of busy work
• If your child is not interested in reading, it can be a struggle with the amount of reading in the curriculum. 
• You might need to supplement for different lessons (meaning, going beyond just what the lesson contains, or maybe you need to add what is missing)

Cost of Bookshark Packages

These are the costs of the whole curriculum packages. You can just order individual subjects and electives. Prices vary for those.

The packages cost $350 for Pre-K, and then range from $848 to $1045 (depending on the level).  

You can add the virtual seat for the whole package of $275 for levels A to C, $300 for levels D to H and $355 for level I. You can also add a virtual seat for individual subjects and those prices also vary.

So, if you did a complete package and virtual seat you are looking at over $1000 for the year’s worth of curriculum.  You can reduce cost by borrowing the required books from the library if you don’t want to purchase them. 

Other thoughts

• It is not going to work for you if you want a lot of flexibility and choice. It is extensive, and if you like to have everything available for you and strongly literature based, this can be a great option. 
• The historical fiction used is excellent. For some children, having historical fiction makes it a lot more alive than non-fiction books. 
• It is planned for a 4-day school week. This can be helpful, as we know that things come up unexpectedly. It also allows for field trip days, etc. 
• I also like that it is not grade dependent. By working with levels, you can choose where your child is at. These are multi age levels. If you have children close together in age or ability, you could have them do the same level.

Check out other curricula reviews:
MiAcademy
Gather ‘Round
Monarch
….and there are more!