Summary
In this study your family will cover Bible history from Matthew through Acts and the history of Ancient Rome, since the life of Christ and the early church occurred during that time period. The study of Rome will take you through many lands as you trace its rise and fall: Italy, Greece, Spain, Macedonia, more of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Geography will be covered through locating the regions read about and a modern-day look at the continent of Europe (since the Roman Empire was centered there). Older students will complete a study of the book of Romans, which was written to believers in Ancient Rome, and work on a six-year project of looking for doctrinal truths as they read through the Bible.

Daily lesson plans scheduling these books are available in Matthew through Acts and Ancient Rome.
Book List for History, Geography, Bible
Read the books listed under Family to all the students together. Add the grade-level books as individual reads for any children you have in those grades. For example, if you have students in grades 4 and 8, you will want to get the books under Family, Grades 4–6, and Grades 7–9.
[SCM]: Available from SCM
[Book Store]: Purchase from your favorite book store
[Library]: Check your library
[Public Domain]: Available free in the public domain
You can also view all the books below in the CM Bookfinder for easy scheduling in our CM Organizer.
Family
- Bible
- [Library]City by David Macaulay
- [Library]The Roman Colosseum by Elizabeth Mann
- [Book Store]Peril and Peace (History Lives series, Volume 1) by Withrow
- [Book Store]The Story of the Romans by H. A. Guerber (Nothing New Press, third edition; This edition has 102 chapters and contains some additional helpful material in the Publisher’s Preface. If you have the fourth edition, see these suggestions for adjusting the lesson plans.)
- [SCM]The Stuff They Left Behind: From the Days of Ancient Rome portfolio
- [Book Store]Then and Now Bible Maps from Rose Publishing
- [SCM]Visits to Europe notebook (one for each student)
- [SCM]Hungry Planet by Peter Menzel (used with Visits to Europe)
- [SCM]Material World by Peter Menzel (used with Visits to Europe)
plus . . .
Grades 1–3
- [Book Store]Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfeld (optional, can listen in with grades 4–6 if desired)
- [Book Store]Mystery of the Roman Ransom by Henry Winterfeld (optional, can listen in with grades 4–6 if desired)
- [Book Store]Children of the Northlights by Ingri and Edgar D’Aulaire (optional, used with Visits to Europe)
- [Book Store]Hanna’s Cold Winter by Trish Marx (optional, used with Visits to Europe)
- [Book Store]Katje the Windmill Cat by Gretchen Woelfle (optional, used with Visits to Europe)
- [Book Store]Megan’s Year: An Irish Traveler’s Story by Gloria Whelan (optional, used with Visits to Europe)
- [Book Store]My Tour of Europe: By Teddy Roosevelt, Age 10 edited by Ellen Jackson (optional, used with Visits to Europe)
- [Book Store]Orani: My Father’s Village by Claire A. Nivola OR [Book Store]Dancing on Grapes by Graziellla Pacini Buonanno (optional, used with Visits to Europe)
Grades 4–6
- [Book Store]Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfeld
- [Book Store]Mystery of the Roman Ransom by Henry Winterfeld
- [Library]Galen and the Gateway to Medicine by Jeanne Bendick
- [Public Domain]The British Empire and the Great Divisions of the Globe by Charlotte M. Mason (optional, used with Visits to Europe)
Grades 7–9
- [SCM]Augustus Caesar’s World by Genevieve Foster
OR [Public Domain]Beric the Briton by G. A. Henty and [Public Domain]For the Temple by G. A. Henty - [SCM]Book of Centuries (one for each student)
- [Library]The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
- [SCM]Discovering Doctrine by Sonya Shafer (one for each student)
- [SCM]Foundations in Romans by Sonya Shafer (one for each student)
- [Public Domain]The British Empire and the Great Divisions of the Globe by Charlotte M. Mason (optional, used with Visits to Europe)
Grades 10–12
- [Book Store]The Apostle: A Life of Paul by John Pollock
- [SCM]Augustus Caesar’s World by Genevieve Foster
- [Public Domain]Ben Hur by Lew Wallace
- [SCM]Book of Centuries (one for each student)
- [SCM]Discovering Doctrine by Sonya Shafer (one for each student)
- [SCM]Foundations in Romans by Sonya Shafer (one for each student)
- [Public Domain]Plutarch’s Lives, biographies of Julius Caesar and Marc Antony, by Plutarch
- [Public Domain]The British Empire and the Great Divisions of the Globe by Charlotte M. Mason (optional, used with Visits to Europe)
Bonus Titles
Here are more great titles that you can use for substitutions or leisure reading or to create your own heritage history stream as desired. We will add to this list as we discover and review more new-to-us books. Sign up to be notified when we add new bonus titles to our history book lists!
Coming soon!