Ezra Learning vs Master Books
Master Books is a Christian publisher whose print curriculum is bought by course or as a four-subject set for one grade; Ezra is an online curriculum for Grades 1–9 priced for the household. Here is how they compare, line by line. Facts checked October 14, 2026; sources at the end.
What each one is
Master Books homeschool curriculum is the homeschool curriculum of Master Books, a Christian publisher in Green Forest, Arkansas, that has published since 1975 and says "a biblical worldview is integral to all our curriculum." It sells print courses from preschool through Grade 12 in Mathematics, Language Arts, Science, History & Geography, Bible and electives, each with a suggested daily schedule, worksheets, quizzes and answer keys, and the lessons are story-based in the Charlotte Mason manner, with copywork, oral narration and hands-on activities. A full-grade Basic 4-Subject Set for Grade 3 — math, language arts, science and history for one child — is $194.34 (list price $242.94), and the sets run from $151.16 for Grade K to $331.11 for Grade 10.
Ezra Learning covers Grades 1–9 in Mathematics, English, Spelling, Bible and Geography, with about 6,900 hands-on practice skills and 1,220 narrated lessons, each with a printable sheet. Scripture (Berean Standard Bible) is read word for word in every strand of every subject; there are no cartoons, games or characters. The Family plan is $15 a month per household, up to six children, and the first two sections of every subject and grade are free.
Master Books fits best when…
Choose Master Books if you want books on the table and no screen, you want Science, History and high school from one Christian publisher with a Statement of Faith you can read, you like lessons told as a story the parent reads with the child, with copywork and narration, or you want a four-subject set with the year's schedule already laid out and books a younger child can use again.
Ezra fits best when…
Choose Ezra if your children are in Grades 1–9, you want a lesson the child can press play on by himself with a voice and a drawing, you want practice the child does with his hands that grades itself and shows you a report, you want a Bible verse read aloud in every strand of every subject, and you have more than one child — the price is for the household, with nothing to buy per grade.
The facts, line by line
 | Master Books | |
|---|---|---|
| Grades | Grades 1–9 | Preschool–Grade 12 |
| Subjects | Math, English, Spelling, Bible, Geography | Math, Language Arts, Science, History & Geography, Bible, electives |
| Price | $15 USD a month for the household (up to six children) | Per course or per set, per child: Grade 3 Basic 4-Subject Set $194.34 (list $242.94) |
| Free to start | Two sections of every subject and grade, always free | "Look Inside" sample PDFs and placement tests on the product pages; no free trial |
| How a lesson is taught | Narrated by a voice, drawings only, watch-only | Parent reads a story-based lesson with the child from the book; 15–30 minutes a math lesson |
| Practice | Hands-on: drag, tap, sort, build, drop a pin | Worksheets, copywork, oral narration and hands-on activities in the book |
| Scripture | A Bible verse in every strand of every subject, read aloud | "Teaching every subject through the lens of Scripture"; a Bible storybook in the Grade 3 set |
| Printables | A PDF sheet for every lesson + a library of 147 books and packs | Consumable worktexts; free classroom aids and unit studies on their site |
| High school | No | Grades 9–12 sets and courses |
| Science | No | Yes |
| History | No | Yes |
| Parent reports | Per child: minutes, mastery, needs-a-hand, PDF report | The parent marks the work with the answer key; no online report |
| No screen needed | Lessons and practice are on a screen; sheets print | Yes, the whole course is on paper; video classes are optional |
| Cartoons, games, characters | None | Story characters in the books (the Math 3 story follows a family, Charlie and Charlotte, to Peru); illustrated; no games or rewards |
Facts checked October 14, 2026 on the two sites. Prices and plans change; the links at the end go to Master Books's own pages, and we correct this table when we are told it is out of date.
What it costs your family
The biggest practical difference is how the price is counted. Master Books is priced per student. Ezra is priced per household, so a second, third or fourth child costs nothing more.
Ezra: $15 × 12 at the introductory price (normally $19 a month). Master Books: $194.34 a year per child, for the Grade 3 Basic 4-Subject Set (math, language arts, science, history) in print; the chart multiplies by the number of children. Master Books lists the Grade 3 set at $194.34 against a list price of $242.94; the sets run from $151.16 (Grade K) to $331.11 (Grade 10). Courses are also sold one at a time, and "Look Inside" sample PDFs are free on the product pages.
How a lesson is taught
A Master Books lesson is a few pages in a consumable book that the parent and child open together. In Math Lessons for a Living Education, Level 3, each of the 36 lessons begins with a story about a family's travels, then the child narrates back, copies, works the full-color worksheets and does a hands-on activity; the company says a lesson takes 15 to 30 minutes and gives a daily schedule for the 36 weeks. Language, science and history work the same way, from their own books, and the parent checks the work against the answer keys in the set. The strengths of paper are all here: no screen, no subscription, books the child keeps, and a younger brother who can use the teacher guide again.
An Ezra lesson is a short narrated slideshow: one voice reads every word while a simple line drawing builds up on the slide — no cartoons, no characters, no questions asked of the child inside the lesson. The lesson ends with a Bible verse read aloud, and every lesson has a printable sheet for the child to do on paper. Then the child goes to the practice skills of that strand, which are hands-on: drag the pieces, tap the picture, build the number, sort the words, drop a pin on the map.
Where the Bible sits
Both programs are Christian. Master Books publishes a Statement of Faith on its site — "the 66 books of the Bible are the written Word of God", "divinely inspired and inerrant throughout", and Genesis "a simple but factual presentation of actual events" — and says it ensures "a biblical worldview is integral to all our curriculum", teaching every subject "through the lens of Scripture". The Grade 3 set includes a Bible storybook, and the science lessons carry "Hidden Treasures" that connect the lesson to the Bible. In Ezra, Scripture is not a subject on the side. Every strand of Mathematics, English, Spelling and Geography closes with a verse from the Berean Standard Bible, read aloud word for word, and a Scripture practice skill sits at the end of every strand. Bible is also a subject of its own in every grade, with a character strand (obey right away, tell the truth, no quarrelling) in each. The verses are never paraphrased.
What Master Books has that Ezra does not
Preschool, kindergarten and Grades 10–12. Science and History as full courses, with a Statement of Faith on creation printed for any family to read. Lessons told as stories, with copywork and narration, in the Charlotte Mason manner. A four-subject set with the year already scheduled. Apologetics books and Bibles from the same publisher. Optional video classes through Master Books Academy. And books on paper — no screen, no subscription, and a set that can be passed down or sold on.
What Ezra has that Master Books does not
A Bible verse in every strand of every subject, read aloud word for word from the Berean Standard Bible, and a Bible subject of its own in every grade with a character strand. A narrated lesson the child can press play on by himself, with a simple line drawing on every slide, so a parent of several children is not needed at the table for every lesson. Practice the child does with his hands — dragging, sorting, building, dropping a pin on a map — generated endlessly, graded on the spot, with a parent report that shows mastery, minutes and where he needs a hand. Spelling and Geography as subjects of their own. A printable sheet for every lesson and a library of 147 books and packs. No story characters, games or rewards. One price for the household, however many children and whichever grades. And two free sections of every subject and grade, so a family can see all of it before paying anything.
Questions families ask
Is Master Books cheaper than Ezra Learning?
For one child in Grade 3, the Master Books Basic 4-Subject Set is $194.34 (list price $242.94) and covers math, language arts, science and history for the year; Ezra is $15 USD a month, $180 a year, at the introductory price. Master Books is bought per child and per grade, so two children in different grades are two sets; Ezra is one price for the household, so two children are still $180.
Does Ezra Learning cover high school?
No. Ezra covers Grades 1–9. Master Books sells sets and courses for Grades 9–12, so a family with a student past Grade 9 needs Master Books or another program for those years.
Does Ezra have Science or History?
No, on purpose. Ezra teaches Mathematics, English, Spelling, Bible and Geography. Master Books includes Science and History in every Basic 4-Subject Set, and sells them on their own as well.
Is Master Books Christian?
Yes. Master Books publishes a Statement of Faith that calls the Bible inspired and inerrant and Genesis a factual account, and says a biblical worldview runs through all its curriculum. Ezra is Christian as well, and reads a verse from the Berean Standard Bible in every strand of every subject.
Which one needs less of the parent's time?
Master Books is parent-led: the parent reads the story-based lesson with the child, listens to the narration and marks the worksheets with the answer key. Ezra's lessons are narrated, so the child presses play and watches, and the practice grades itself; the parent reads the report.
Can I try either one for free?
Master Books offers "Look Inside" sample PDFs and placement tests on its product pages, and free unit studies and classroom aids on its site; there is no free trial of a course. Ezra keeps the first two sections of every subject and grade free, with no time limit and no card.
Are these facts current?
They were checked on October 14, 2026 on masterbooks.com and ezralearning.com. Prices and plans change; the links under Sources go to Master Books' own pages, and we correct this page when we are told it is out of date.
Where the facts come from
- Full-grade Basic 4-Subject Sets — masterbooks.com
- Grade 3 Basic 4-Subject Set — masterbooks.com
- Math Lessons for a Living Education: Level 3 — masterbooks.com
- About Master Books and Statement of Faith — masterbooks.com
- Ezra Learning: pricing and curriculum pages, October 14, 2026.
Master Books is the name of its owner, used here only to identify the product. If you represent Master Books and a fact here is wrong, write to hello@ezralearning.com and we will correct it.
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