So which books do I get?
1st edition, 2nd edition, 3rd, edition, 4th edition, homeschool edition, hardcover, softcover, solution manual, test manual, is it common core.... HELP!!!!
Trying to figure out which Saxon math book to get can be quite crazy. We have compiled the list below showing what is mandatory and which is optional and why. The ISBN links take you to Amazon, where if you purchase said book we get a 5% referral fee (which we use to keep this site up and running!) None of the books listed below have anything to do with the Common Core standards and the educational sham that it is!
If you are trying to maximize your dollar (who isn't?) this is what I recommend you purchase:
The main core hardcover textbooks I would purchase USED - Good Quality or better.
Any softcover answer key (solutions manual) would be USED - Good Quality or better.
Any Test & Worksheet book (5/4, 6/5, 7/6, 8/7) needs to be NEW. One per student.
Any Test Forms book can be USED - Good Quality or better. We bought ours new and just scanned them in for reprinting as needed.
Definitions you need to know:
Solutions Manual - Contains the "worked out" answers to the problems. Good to have if you want to check the actual "work"of your student.
Answer Key & Homeschool Packet - Only contains the final answers, NOT the solution to get there.
Saxon 5/4
Saxon Math 5/4, 3rd edition/Homeschool edition. ISBN# 1591413176. Main core textbook. Softcover.
Saxon Math 5/4 Solutions Manual, 3rd edition. ISBN# 1591413257. Contains the Problem Solutions and Test Solutions.
Saxon Math 5/4 Tests & Worksheets, 3rd edition. ISBN# 1591413214. One per student. Mandatory if you are using 3rd edition book.
There is a box set which contains all 3 of the above books. ISBN# 1591413311. Buy NEW only for this. Buying the 3 books individually is usually cheaper.
Saxon 6/5
Saxon Math 6/5, 2nd edition. ISBN# 1565770366. This is a hardcover book. Problems are identical to 3rd edition softcover book.
or
Saxon Math 6/5, 3rd edition. ISBN# 1591413184. This is a softcover book. Problems are identical to 2nd edition hardcover book. 3rd edition also has reference #s next to the problems.
Saxon Math 6/5 Homeschool Solutions Manual, 3rd edition. ISBN# 1591413265. Works with 2nd edition hardcover book. Contains the Problem Solutions and Test Solutions.
Saxon Math 6/5 Homeschool Tests & Worksheets, 3rd edition. ISBN# 1591413222. One per student. Mandatory if you are going to use the 3rd edition book.
There is a box set which contains all the 3rd edition books listed above. ISBN# 159141332X. Buy NEW. The 6/5 box set is usually cheaper than buying all the 3rd edition books separately if buying them new.
Saxon 7/6
Saxon Math 7/6, 3rd edition, student edition ISBN# 1565771532. Hardcover.
Saxon Math 7/6 Homeschool Packet, 3rd edition. ISBN# 1565771567. Includes facts practice answers, textbook answers and test solutions.
Saxon Math 7/6 Test Forms, 3rd edition. ISBN# 1565771575.
Saxon Math 7/6 Solutions Manual, 3rd edition. ISBN# 1591413273. Contains the textbook solutions.
Saxon 8/7
I purposely left out "with Prealgebra" in the book titles I listed below for clarity. 3rd edition hardcover has it in the name, softcover doesn't. 2nd edition hardcover doesn't. Yet the 3rd edition softcover workbooks etc all include it in the title. Confusing yes? Don't stress over the words "with Prealgebra" or lack of in the title. Trust the ISBN #s.
Saxon Math 8/7, 3rd edition, student editionISBN# 1565775090. Hardcover. People butcher this title and call it by many different names; 3rd edition or student edition or 8/7 prealgebra, etc. To make it worse, the softcover versions of the book drops the pre-algebra from the name. Trust the ISBN# and you will be fine! MANDATORY.
Saxon Math 8/7 Homeschool Solutions Manual, 3rd edition ISBN# 1591413281. Includes facts practice answers, textbook answers and test solutions. MANDATORY.
Saxon Math 8/7 Homeschool Tests & Worksheets, 3rd edition ISBN# 9781591413240. This is a softcover book. You need ONE PER STUDENT. It contains the tests, the Facts Practice sheets, and everything you need for the investigations. It also includes the Saxon Recording Forms (same as 5/4 through 8/7) to make your life a bit easier (dubious value on the recording forms, but the rest is worth it).
Saxon Math 8/7 Solutions Manual, 3rd edition. ISBN# 1591413281. Contains the problem solutions to the textbook.
Why didn't I include 8/7 2nd edition in the list? Couple reasons: 1. It is out of print, getting hard to find. 2. 3rd edition is also hardcover and cheaper. 3. The problem sets inside the book are identical (same math problems, sometimes different graphics).
Algebra 1/2
Saxon Algebra 1/2, 3rd edition/student edition ISBN# 1565771494. Mandatory.
Saxon Algebra 1/2 Homeschool Packet, 3rd edition ISBN# 1591411742. Contains the Test Solutions and the Problem Set Answers.
Saxon Algebra 1/2 Test Forms, 3rd edition ISBN# 1591411734. If you are going to test, you need this book.
Saxon Algebra 1/2 Solutions Manual, 3rd edition ISBN# 1565771311. This contains the solutions to the problems in the main text book.
Algebra I
Saxon Algebra 1, 3rd edition. ISBN# 1565771346
Saxon Algebra 1 Homeschool Packet, 3rd edition. ISBN# 1565771389. Contains the problem set answers and the test solutions for testing manual below. Mandatory.
Saxon Algebra 1 Test Forms, 3rd edition. ISBN# 1565771397
Saxon Algebra 1 Solutions Manual, 3rd edition. ISBN# 1565771370
Algebra II
Saxon Algebra 2, 3rd edition ISBN# 1565771400. The only difference between the 2nd and 3rd editions of Algebra 2 are this: 3rd edition contains the reference #s on the problems for the previous lessons they correspond to. They are otherwise IDENTICAL. Reference #s are amazing when you need to go back to review a problem/lesson. Mandatory
Saxon Algebra 2 Homeschool Packet, 3rd edition ISBN# 1600321178. Contains the problem set answers and the test solutions for testing manual below. Mandatory
Saxon Algebra 2 Test Forms, 3rd edition ISBN# 1600320147. If you want to test, then this is it. Optional
Saxon Algebra 2 Solutions Manual, 3rd edition ISBN# 1565771435. Contains the "worked out" solutions to the problem sets.
Advanced Mathematics
Saxon Advanced Mathematics, 2nd edition ISBN# 1565770390. Mandatory.
Saxon Advanced Mathematics Home School Packet, 2nd edition ISBN# 156577485X. Contains all the problem set answers and the test solution answers. Mandatory
Saxon Advanced Mathematics Test Forms, 2nd edition ISBN# 1565771605. If you want to test, this is what you need. Optional
Saxon Advanced Mathematics Solutions Manual, 2nd edition ISBN# 1565770420. Contains the "worked out" solutions to the problem sets. Optional
Calculus
Saxon Calculus, 2nd edition ISBN# 156577146X. Often goes out of stock. Buy it before you need it. Mandatory
Saxon Calculus Solutions Manual, 2nd edition ISBN# 1565771486. Often goes out of stock. Buy it before you need it. Mandatory.
You may be asking yourself, how do you know all this? Simple, we purchased EVERY book listed above (often in multiple copies) and verified all the material matched up as it is listed.
Wait! You left out "such-and-such" book. Yup. This isn't meant to be a all-inclusive list of everything Saxon published or publishes. It is meant to streamline your purchasing decisions, so that you get the most material available for the least amount of money. Saxon puts out a lot of identical material under different names with cosmetic variations (hardcover, softcover, student edition, homeschool edition, etc.)
Now you get to sleep easier knowing when it is time to buy a book, you know which one to get. If you found the information valuable, use the links we have provided so we can keep this site going and buy groceries for our six kids, three dogs, 14+ cats, 3 miniature pot belly pigs, 49 chickens, 2 goats, 2 ducks, and a miniature donkey.