Re: I was homeschooled...
I have no idea if my home school experience was "typical" because I have met so many homeschoolers and hardly any seem to do the same thing, it is a very customized area. Each family customizes their program. I will add that my mother was an elementary school teacher by profession before I was born, which certainly helps, in the beginning anyway. (But it is by no means necessary).
The government (in our state anyway) requires 4 hours a day. I am sure some people do a good bit more. When I was younger I did a more consistent daily regimen of about 4-5 hrs. (Keep in mind that a LOT of time is wasted in attending schools, what with changing classes, taking roll, answering frivolous questions, getting kids to be quiet, etc.) When I got older, I would look at my assignments on more of a weekly basis. Some days I would work almost all day; other days I would do very little. It also gives flexibility for those things that pop up - we didn't have to skip school to go somewhere.
That time does not include the several hours of reading and 1-2 hours of practicing the piano daily. (My parents did not make me, that is what I love to do; in fact sometimes my parents would have to ask me to STOP playing!) I also learned to cook and would cook a lot at home which was a bonus in many ways.
I recommend all types of books. For children, I think fiction is great because it really engages the imagination. Non-fiction is great, too. The main thing for children is to get them to read something they enjoy, so that they will have a good impression on reading, and therefore continue. When they get older it is easier to appreciate non-fiction. Of course some books are of higher quality than others but that doesn't mean there won't be any benefit in reading science fiction or "baby-sitters club" or some such. The important thing is to make sure that quality books are in the mix. My favorite children's (5th grade +) and youth author is Gordon Korman - I own all of his books I could get my hands on and still read them! Things like "Little House on the Prairie" series and "Chronicles of Narnia" are excellent.
My favorite classic literature is Jane Austen. There are many lists out there of good literature for different ages, you can select off of them. Not all the items on the lists are worth reading, of course; and I personally advise against reading books that involve things like witchcraft and sorcery and such. Also, making sure that not too many of the books have negative images of families, fatherhood, self-image, etc.
I have met some dumb-as-rocks kids that were homeschooled, this is mostly the parent's fault as I doubt these kids did very much school at all. Homeschooling is actually a way to accelerate learning. Some child geniuses drop out of regular school to do home-schooling because they can move much faster that way. Home schoolers sometimes start college at 15 or 16. That means it has the potential to be what you want it to be.
There are a LOT of books and associations out there these days, for you to learn more. Hope this helps.