Ochorus for schools
Free Christian classics for your classroom
Primary sources from twenty centuries of the church, free for every student on any device. Augustine, Athanasius, Bunyan and Chesterton, true lives of faith, and many classics retold for children and teens.
- books
- 295
- sermons
- 251
- reading plans
- 36
- languages
- 10
One story, three reading levels
Many classics come as a children’s edition, a teens edition and the full text, so readers of every age can read the same book, and a child can grow into the original.
For children
Begin reading
The Pilgrim's ProgressJohn Bunyan12 chapters · 16 min readFor teens
Begin reading
The Pilgrim’s ProgressJohn Bunyan12 chapters · 44 min readThe original
Begin reading
The Pilgrim's ProgressFrom This World to That Which Is to ComeThe Pilgrim's ProgressJohn Bunyan22 chapters · 9 hr 7 min read
Printable leader’s guides
A week-by-week guide to each of these books for children and teens: a summary for the leader, a memory verse, questions with their answers and an activity, one chapter a week. Print it, or lead from the screen.
Why schools use Ochorus
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Assigned reading at no cost
Every book is free to read, so a whole class can read the same text with no textbook budget and no licences to manage.
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One text, several reading levels
Many classics come in a children’s edition, a teens edition and the full original, so a mixed class can read the same story at different levels.
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Biographies for every era
Long-form lives of the writers, from the early church to the twentieth century, give students the history behind each book.
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Quotations with their sources
Each quotation links to the chapter it comes from, so students can check a quote in context and cite it properly.
Good places to start
Primary sources for history
Twenty centuries of the church, read in the words of those who lived them.
Literature with a Christian heritage
Allegory, fantasy, poetry and essays for the literature class.
For younger students
Teens and children’s editions for the lower years.
Plans to read together
One short reading a day. Start on the same day and everyone reaches the same chapter together, each reader ticking off their own progress as they go.
Voices of the Early Church
128 days·~2 min/dayThe first Christian centuries in their own words. Clement of Rome writes from the church at Rome while the apostles' own generation still lived, Ignatius of Antioch sends his letters on the road to martyrdom, and Athanasius of Alexandria sets out the heart of the faith — why God himself became man — in On the Incarnation. Short daily readings over about four months.
Day 1 ·The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians
Brave for God: 24 True Stories
24 days·~2 min/dayThree and a half weeks of true stories for young readers, one each day: all four books of Brave for God, twenty-four ordinary people from every part of the world who trusted God and were made brave.
Day 1 ·Brave for God
They Were Young: Two Weeks of True Stories
14 days·~14 min/dayTwo weeks of true stories for readers aged 13 to 17: both books of They Were Young — Called and Tested — one life a day, from Spurgeon in a snowstorm and Richard Allen in Delaware to Patrick, Perpetua and the Uganda Martyrs, each ending with questions to think through.
Day 1 ·They Were Young – Book 1: Called
Start a reading group
Choose a plan and the day you begin, then pass on the link. Everyone who opens it is on the same day of the plan. Nobody needs an account, and nothing about anyone is collected.
“Thou awakest us to delight in Thy praise; for Thou madest us for Thyself, and our heart is restless, until it repose in Thee.”
Ways to use it in your school
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Church history from the sources
Read Athanasius’ On the Incarnation, Augustine’s Confessions and Foxe’s Book of Martyrs alongside the history they lived through.
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Literature with a Christian heritage
Teach The Pilgrim’s Progress, George MacDonald and G. K. Chesterton, with editions for younger readers where they exist.
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Biography projects
Let each student pick a writer, read the biography, and present what that person believed and why it mattered.
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Chapel and devotions
Use a reading plan or a short sermon for a school chapel or a class devotion.
Meet the writers
The lives behind the books: each one has a full biography, with the books and sermons they left.
Pass it on
A message ready for a bulletin, a group chat or an email. Copy it as it is, or make it your own.
Questions
Is Ochorus really free?
Yes. Every book and sermon on Ochorus is free to read, with no paywall, no subscription and no ads. The classics themselves are in the public domain, and Ochorus is a ministry, not a business.
Do students need accounts?
No. Students can read without signing up. A free account is optional: it keeps a reader’s progress, notes and saved books in step across their devices.
What ages is it suitable for?
The children’s editions suit younger pupils and reading aloud, the teens editions suit older children and teenagers, and the full originals suit senior students.
Can we print or download the books?
Some books can be downloaded as free PDF and EPUB files from the book’s page. If you would like to print books for your school, please contact us first.
Bring the classics into your classroom
Browse the library, or start with the books written for teens.