Summary

With these books your family will spend a delightful time getting to know the people, events, places, and culture of the Middle Ages around the world, plus the Renaissance and Reformation. Geography will focus on South and Central America and Australia, and you will begin to work your way through the epistles of the Bible. (Since the Bible history narratives are the focus in our three Ancients studies, the rest of the Bible books are spread throughout the remaining three studies.) Older students will learn how to study the Bible on their own, focusing on the same epistles that the Family does, and work on a six-year project of looking for doctrinal truths as they read through the Bible.

• Daily lesson plans are available in the corresponding book, Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation & Epistles.
• You can also view all the books below in the CM Bookfinder for easy scheduling in our CM Organizer.

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 2 and 7, you will want to get the books under Family, Grades 1–3, 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

Family (all students)

• [Book Store]Around the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz
• Bible
• [Book Store]The Bible Smuggler by Louise Vernon
• [Library]Castle by David Macaulay
• [SCM]A Castle with Many Rooms: The Story of the Middle Ages by Lorene Lambert
• [Library]Cathedral by David Macaulay
• [SCM]Material World and [SCM]Hungry Planet by Peter Menzel
• [SCM]The Stuff They Left Behind: From the Days of the Middle Ages portfolio
• [SCM]Visits to South & Central America, Australia notebook by Sonya Shafer (one for each student)

plus . . .
Grades 1–3

• [Library]Brother Francis and the Friendly Beasts by Margaret Hodges
• [Library]Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess by Richard Platt
• [Library]Marguerite Makes a Book by Bruce Robertson
• [Library]A Medieval Feast by Aliki
• [Library]Pippo the Fool by Tracey E. Fern
• [Library]The Sword in the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla
• [Library]Viking Adventure by Clyde Robert Bulla
• [Book Store]Are We There Yet? A Journey around Australia by Alison Lester (optional, used with Visits to South & Central America, Australia. This book is out of print but will give a great overview of Australia if you can find a copy.)
• [Book Store]Elena’s Story by Nancy Shaw (optional, used with Visits to South & Central America, Australia)
• [Library]Hands of the Rain Forest: the Embera People of Panama by Rachel Crandell (optional, used with Visits to South & Central America, Australia. This book is out of print, but a library near you may have a copy.)
• [Book Store]Herbert: The True Story of a Brave Sea Dog by Robyn Belton (optional, used with Visits to South & Central America, Australia)
• [Book Store]A Mango in the Hand: A Story Told through Proverbs by Antonio Sacre (optional, used with Visits to South & Central America, Australia)
• [Book Store]Not Just Tacos by Shirley Solis (optional, used with Visits to South & Central America, Australia)
• [Book Store]Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown (optional, used with Visits to South & Central America, Australia)

Grades 4–6

• [Library]Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray
• [Book Store]King Arthur and His Knights audio recording by Jim Weiss
• [Public Domain]“The Pied Piper of Hamelin” poem by Robert Browning
• [SCM]The Vikings by Elizabeth Janeway
• [Book Store]Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl (optional, used with Visits to South & Central America, Australia)

Grades 7–9

• [SCM]Book of Centuries (one for each student)
• [SCM]Discovering Doctrine by Sonya Shafer (one for each student)
• [Public Domain]In Freedom’s Cause: A Story of Wallace and Bruce by G. A. Henty
• [SCM]Life in the Word by Sonya Shafer (one for each student)
• [SCM]The Magna Charta by James Daugherty
• [Public Domain]The Prince and the Pauper by Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)
• [Book Store]The Shining Company by Rosemary Sutcliff
• [Public Domain]The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle
• [Book Store]The White Stag by Kate Seredy
• [Book Store]Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl (optional, used with Visits to South & Central America, Australia)

Grades 10–12

• [Public Domain]The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson
• [SCM]Book of Centuries (one for each student)
• [SCM]Discovering Doctrine by Sonya Shafer (one for each student)
• [Book Store]Famous Men of the Middle Ages, with extra chapters by Rob Shearer (2008 edition, published by Greenleaf Press)
• [Book Store]Famous Men of the Renaissance and Reformation by Rob Shearer
• [Library]The King’s Fifth by Scott O’Dell
• [Book Store]The Lantern Bearers by Rosemary Sutcliff
• [SCM]Life in the Word by Sonya Shafer (one for each student)
• [Public Domain]Men of Iron by Howard Pyle
• [Book Store]The Second Mrs. Giaconda by E. L. Konigsburg
• [Book Store]Voices of the Renaissance and Reformation edited by Rob Shearer
• [Book Store]Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl (optional, used with Visits to South & Central America, Australia)

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!

• The Beggars’ Bible by Louise Vernon (Family)
• Ink on His Fingers by Louise Vernon (Family)
• Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley (Family)
• Leonardo da Vinci by Diane Stanley (Family)
• The Man Who Laid the Egg by Louise Vernon (Family)
• The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle (Family)
• Michelangelo by Diane Stanley (Family)
• Thunderstorm in Church by Louise Vernon (Family)
• The Apple and the Arrow by Mary and Conrad Buff (Grades 1–3)
• Leif the Lucky by Ingri and Edgar Parin D’Aulaire (Grades 1–3)
• The Minstrel in the Tower by Gloria Skurzynski (Grades 1–3)
• The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli (Grades 4–6)
• The World of Columbus and Sons by Genevieve Foster (Grades 4–6 or Family)
• Mansa Musa and the Empire of Mali: A True Story of Gold and Greatness from Africa by P. James Oliver (Grades 4–9)