Living Book List for Ancient History

This is the master list of all the living books I plan to use next year for our study of ancient history and a few other corresponding subjects (geography, archaeology, geology, and missionary studies, as well as our resources for learning Latin).  We will also use living books during our Together Time.  Many of those can be found here and here.

Not sure what I mean by living books?  No problem.  Read here to find out more about living books and how we use them for teaching history.

Before we get to the list:

Disclaimer #1

I have collected these titles from sources that I trust (more info on that here).  I have read some, but NOT most of them myself.  This is our book list for *next* year you see.  With that in mind, please take a careful look at each book before making a purchase.  After we have had a chance to read through them next year, I may come back to this post and edit the list to make any necessary changes.

Disclaimer #2

We approach Genesis from a young earth perspective.  It is possible that you disagree on that point.  If so, some of the recommendations may not be a good fit for your family.

However, I do not use ONLY young earth resources.  A few of the resources below come from a secular view point.

Take what you like, leave what you don’t.  No offense taken on either side.

And now, on to the book list!

 

Our 2018/2019 Living Book List for Ancient History

 

Qt. 1 Creation – First Civilizations

Genesis: Finding Our Roots by Ruth Beechick

Adam and His Kin by Ruth Beechick

I’m a bit undecided about these Ruth Beechick books. It seems that people either love them or hate them. I happen to own one already, so I think I’ll read it over the summer to see if it will be a good fit for us. Have you read them? Leave your opinion in the comments!

Is Genesis History? (Amazon Prime Video) by Thomas Purifoy

Incredible Creatures that Defy Evolution (Amazon Prime Video) by Steve Greison

Planet Earth (Amazon Prime Video) by Alastair Fothergill

This is a BBC production made from a secular perspective, but we find very little to disagree with. We own these and have watched them hundreds of times. They are absolutely beautiful and very educational.

The Riot and the Dance Adventure Book by Dr. Gordon Wilson

I’m hoping that by next fall The Riot and the Dance motion picture will be available for purchase.. anybody know if this is a possibility?

It Couldn’t Just Happen: Knowing the Truth About God’s Creation by Lawrence O. Richards

Dry Bones and Other Fossils by Gary Parker

The Great Dinosaur Mystery and the Bible by Paul S. Taylor

Dinosaurs by Design by Duane Gish

What Really Happened to the Dinosaurs? John D. Morris

Life in the Great Ice Age by Michael Oard

Uncovering the Mysterious Wooly Mamoth by Michael Oard

Answers Book for Kids Volumes 1 and 2 by Ken Ham

The True Story of Noah’s Ark by Tom Dooley

Gilgamesh the King by Ludmila Zeman

The Revenge of Ishtar by Ludmila Zeman

The Last Quest of Gilgamesh by Ludmila Zeman

 

Qt. 2 Ancient Egypt / Moses

Tirzah by Travis Lucille

The Golden Goblet by Eloise McGraw

The Egyptians Knew by Tillie Pine

The Riddle of the Rosetta Stone by James Giblin

Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphics by James Rumford

The 5,000 Year-Old Puzzle: Solving a Mystery of Ancient Egypt by Claudia Logan

The Cat of Bubastes by G.A. Henty

God King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah by Joanne Williamson

Pyramid by David Macaulay

Who Built the Pyramids? by Chisholm & Reid

Cat Mummies by Kelly Trumble

Cleopatra by Diane Stanley

Tutankhamen’s Gift by Robert Sabuda

Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

The Great Pyramid: The story of the farmers, the god king, and the most astounding structures ever built by Elizabeth Mann

Pharoah’s Boat by David L. Weitzman

Boy of the Pyramids: A Mystery of Ancient Egypt by Ruth Fosdick Jones

The Art of the Ancient Egyptians by Baby Professor

A Story-Teller’s Version of Pharaohs and Queens of Egypt by Jim Weiss

Egyptian Treasures: Mummies and Myths by Jim Weiss

 

Qt. 3 Ancient Greece / Israel

Victory on the Walls: A Story of Nehemiah by Frieda Clark Hyman

Archimedes and the Door to Science by Jeanne Bendick

Herodotus and the Road to History by Jeanne Bendick

Galen and the Gateway to Medicine by Jeanne Bendick

The Librarian Who Measured the Earth by Kathryn Lasky

Greek Myths for Young Children by Heather Amery

D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths by Ingri d’Aulaire

Our Little Athenian Cousin of Long Ago by Julia Darrow Cowles

Our Little Spartan Cousin of Long Ago by Julia Darrow Cowles

The Parthenon by Elizabeth Mann

The Wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff

The Children’s Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy by Padraic Colum

Alexander the Great by Jane Bingham

What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras? by Julie Ellis

Pythagoras and the Ratios by Julie Ellis

The Trojan Horse: How the Greeks Won the War by Emily Little

DK Readers: Trojan Horse by David Clement-Davies

Wise Guy: The Life and Philosophy of Socrates by M.D. Usher

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Lynn Curlee

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Peter A. Clayton

Classical Myths to Read Aloud by William F. Russell

Gods and Goddesses of Olympus by Aliki

A Child’s Introduction to Greek Mythology: the story of gods, goddesses, heroes, monsters, and other mythical creatures by Heather Alexander

Perseus by Geraldine McCaughrean

Tanglewood Tales: Greek Mythology for Kids by Nathaniel Hawthorne

A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Heroes by Charles Kingsley

The Iliad and the Odyssey for Boys and Girls by Alfred J. Church

Bulfinch’s Greek and Roman Mythology: The Age of Fable by Thomas Bulfinch

Courage and A Clear Mind: True Adventures of the Ancient Greeks by Jim Weiss

Heroes in Mythology: Theseus, Prometheus, and Odin by Jim Weiss

King Midas and the Golden Touch by Eric Metaxas

Pegasus by Marianna Mayer

Greek Myths by Jim Weiss

 

Qt. 4 Ancient Rome / Christ

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

Twice Freed by Patricia St. John

The Runaway by Patricia St. John

Augustus Caesar’s World by Genevieve Foster

City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction by David MaCaulay

The Roman Colosseum by Elizabeth Mann

Peril and Peace: Chronicles of the Ancient Church by Mindy Withrow

The Story of the Romans by H.A. Guerber

Pompeii: Buried Alive by Edith Kunhardt

Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile by Kristiana Gregory

Young Reader’s Shakespeare: Julius Caesar by Adam McKeown

Julius Caesar and the Story of Rome by Jim Weiss

Vinegar Boy by Alberta Hawse

Saint Valentine by Robert Sabuda

Rome and Romans by Heather Amery

Stories from the History of Rome by Mrs. Beesly

See Inside Ancient Rome by Katie Daynes

Androcles and the Lion by Dennis Nolan

Hannibal and His 37 Elephants by Marilyn Hirsh

 

 

Corresponding Subjects

Bible

We’ll be starting where we left off (wandering in the desert) and read through the rest of the Old Testament and Life of Christ if we can get that far.  We use the Wellspring Children’s Bible by Lowell Hagen.  This children’s translation is unbelievably well-written in an engaging, narrative form.  It is long and in-depth and I’m thankful to have it, but unfortunately I don’t believe it is available for purchase anywhere.  🙈  So sorry!

 

Geography

Draw Asia Volume 1 (Middle East & India) by Kristin J. Draeger

Draw Africa by Kristin J. Draeger

Africa and the Middle East GeoPuzzle  Geo Toys

 

Africa

Africa: A True Book by Mel Friedman

Ashanti to Zulu by Margaret Musgrove

We All Went on Safari by Laurie Krebs

Mama Panya’s Pancakes: A Village Tale from Kenya by Mary Chamberlin

Beatrice’s Goat by Page McBrier

Yatandou by Gloria Whelan

Star of Light by Patricia St. John

Patricia St. John’s books are AMAZING. They are my ten year old’s very most beloved books. Read them all!

Whatever You Do, Don’t Run! True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide by Peter Allison

Okay, okay.  This one’s for me.  The title caught my eye and the reviews said it’s hilarious.  I’m a sucker for hilarious.  So, I plan to read this one myself while we’re studying Africa and am hoping that at least a few of the chapters will be suitable for children.  Some definitely are not (according to reviewers).  We’ll see.

 

Missionaries to Africa

The Story of David Livingstone by Vautier Golding

David Livingstone: Who is the bravest? by Catherine MacKenzie

Mary Slessor: Forward into Calabar by Janet Benge

Mary Slessor: What is it like? by Catherine MacKenzie

Kisses From Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption by Katie Davis

Daring to Hope: Finding God’s Goodness in the Broken and Beautiful by Katie Davis

 

Science

Dinosaurs, Fossils, Archaeology

Covered in Qt. 1 History Readings and Videos (Creation, Flood, Ice Age, etc..)

Geology

Beyond Is Genesis History? Volume 1: Rocks and Fossils (Amazon Prime Video) by Thomas Purifoy

Answers in Genesis Kids Videos Page

Rocks, Rivers, and the Changing Earth by Herman Schneider

Madam How and Lady Why by Charles Kingsley

The Story of Our Rocks and Minerals: A Ladybird Nature Book by Allen White

The First Book of the Earth by Opal Irene Sevrey

The Strange Adventures of a Pebble by Francis Blake Atkinson

The Adventures of a Grain of Dust by Francis Blake Atkinson

How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the Earth by Faith McNulty

Let’s Go Rock Collecting by Roma Gans

The Rock Factory: The Story About the Rock Cycle by Jacqui Bailey

Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth, Rough by Natalie Rosinsky

Rocks in His Head by Carol Otis Hurst

Millions and Millions of Crystals by Roma Gans

Geology Rocks: 50 Hands-On Activities to Explore the Earth by Cindy Blobaum

Peterson Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals by Frederick H. Pough

The Birth of an Island by Millicent Selsam

The First Book of Caves by Elizabeth Hamilton

The Story of Caves by Dorothy Sterling

All About Our Changing Rocks by Anne Terry White

Picture Study

Rembrandt Picture Study Portfolio by Simply Charlotte Mason Picture Study Portfoli

Rubens Picture Study Portfolio by Simply Charlotte Mason

Raphael Picture Study Portfolio by Simply Charlotte Mason

Copy Work

Aesop’s Fables by Lisbeth Zwerger

Language

Song School Latin 1 by Classical Academic Press – All the kids

Latina Christiana by Memoria Press – 5th grader only

 

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