Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation, & Epistles

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.

Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation & Epistles history lesson plans

Daily lesson plans scheduling these books are available in Middle Ages, Renaissance, Reformation & Epistles.

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

You can also view all the books below in the CM Bookfinder for easy scheduling in our CM Organizer.

Family (all students)

Book StoreAround the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz
Bible
Book StoreThe Bible Smuggler by Louise Vernon
LibraryCastle by David Macaulay
SCMA Castle with Many Rooms: The Story of the Middle Ages by Lorene Lambert
LibraryCathedral by David Macaulay
SCMMaterial World and SCMHungry Planet by Peter Menzel
SCMThe Stuff They Left Behind: From the Days of the Middle Ages portfolio
SCMVisits to South & Central America, Australia notebook by Sonya Shafer (one for each student)

plus . . .
Grades 1–3

LibraryBrother Francis and the Friendly Beasts by Margaret Hodges
LibraryCastle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess by Richard Platt
LibraryMarguerite Makes a Book by Bruce Robertson
LibraryA Medieval Feast by Aliki
LibraryPippo the Fool by Tracey E. Fern
LibraryThe Sword in the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla
LibraryViking Adventure by Clyde Robert Bulla
Book StoreAre 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 StoreElena’s Story by Nancy Shaw (optional, used with Visits to South & Central America, Australia)
LibraryHands 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 StoreHerbert: The True Story of a Brave Sea Dog by Robyn Belton (optional, used with Visits to South & Central America, Australia)
Book StoreA Mango in the Hand: A Story Told through Proverbs by Antonio Sacre (optional, used with Visits to South & Central America, Australia)
Book StoreNot Just Tacos by Shirley Solis (optional, used with Visits to South & Central America, Australia)
Book StoreWaiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown (optional, used with Visits to South & Central America, Australia)

Grades 4–6

LibraryAdam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray
Book StoreKing Arthur and His Knights audio recording by Jim Weiss
Public Domain“The Pied Piper of Hamelin” poem by Robert Browning
SCMThe Vikings by Elizabeth Janeway
Book StoreKon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl (optional, used with Visits to South & Central America, Australia)

Grades 7–9

SCMBook of Centuries (one for each student)
SCMDiscovering Doctrine by Sonya Shafer (one for each student)
Public DomainIn Freedom’s Cause: A Story of Wallace and Bruce by G. A. Henty
SCMLife in the Word by Sonya Shafer (one for each student)
SCMThe Magna Charta by James Daugherty
Public DomainThe Prince and the Pauper by Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)
Book StoreThe Shining Company by Rosemary Sutcliff
Public DomainThe Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle
Book StoreThe White Stag by Kate Seredy
Book StoreKon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl (optional, used with Visits to South & Central America, Australia)

Grades 10–12

Public DomainThe Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson
SCMBook of Centuries (one for each student)
SCMDiscovering Doctrine by Sonya Shafer (one for each student)
Book StoreFamous Men of the Middle Ages, with extra chapters by Rob Shearer (2008 edition, published by Greenleaf Press)
Book StoreFamous Men of the Renaissance and Reformation by Rob Shearer
LibraryThe King’s Fifth by Scott O’Dell
Book StoreThe Lantern Bearers by Rosemary Sutcliff
SCMLife in the Word by Sonya Shafer (one for each student)
Public DomainMen of Iron by Howard Pyle
Book StoreThe Second Mrs. Giaconda by E. L. Konigsburg
Book StoreVoices of the Renaissance and Reformation edited by Rob Shearer
Book StoreKon-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.