Year 1 of American History
Exploration & early colonies
About AD 1000–early 1700s
Norse voyages, European exploration, Jamestown, the Pilgrims, and the founding and growth of the early colonies.
Uses the Grade 3 History curriculum
Fostering Wonder · Family learning
History Family Path
One shared history course.
A book basket for each child.
Bring children in Grades 3–6 together for history. Use your chosen curriculum for the shared readings and lessons, then choose optional living books suited to each child’s current grade.
A free parent guide to using the full history curriculum family style.
Start with the shared course
Where will your family begin?
American History follows a three-year sequence. Ancient History is a one-year course. Use the overview below to see which periods your children have already studied and what comes next.
American History
Three school yearsYear 2 of American History
Colonial life & the Revolution
1600s–late 1700s
More colonial settlements, the French and Indian War, the struggle for independence, and the American Revolution. George Washington’s World carries the story into the founding of the new nation.
Uses the Grade 4 History curriculum
Year 3 of American History
The early republic & a growing nation
Late 1700s–World War I
The new republic, westward expansion, slavery and the Civil War, and the changing United States through the early 1900s and World War I.
Uses the Grade 5 History curriculum
The periods overlap as different books revisit events. Year 1, 2, and 3 refer to the American History sequence; children in any of Grades 3–6 can share the selected course.
Ancient History · One school year
Ancient civilizations & their world
The ancient world, with China continuing into the Tang and Song dynasties
Explore Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Hebrews, Greece, Rome, China, and early Christianity. The China readings extend beyond antiquity into the Tang and Song dynasties.
Uses the Grade 6 History curriculum
Listen together · Tell it back
Narration as a family
Share the reading from your chosen history curriculum. If younger listeners need shorter portions, pause for a brief oral narration between portions.
Build one telling together
Narration is telling back what was read or heard in your own words. Begin with the child who has the least narration experience, then let the others follow in order of experience. Each child adds details or offers a gentle correction so the family builds a full telling together.
As everyone becomes comfortable, call on children in varying order, pausing one to let another continue or add something. Use the curriculum’s prompt only if it helps the telling begin.
The Grade 4, 5, and 6 History curricula include written narration prompts. If a child is completing an oral narration for that assignment, use the same prompt and simply ask the child to tell back their response in their own words instead of writing it.
Term celebrations
The Grade 5 and 6 History curricula include optional written composition assignments during term celebrations. Students in Grades 3 and 4 do not need to participate in the written composition activity. Instead, they can tell back their favorite part or story from the term’s reading as an oral narration.
When support is needed
The child may begin orally and write the remainder after a gentle pause, or write for five minutes and finish orally. These supports apply to children completing written narration; Grade 3 remains oral only.
Written narration requirements
| Student grade | Weekly requirement |
|---|---|
| Grade 3 | Oral narration only; no written narrations. |
| Grade 4 | 1 written narration |
| Grade 5 | 2 written narrations |
| Grade 6 | 2 written narrations |
These are the child’s total weekly requirements, not additional amounts for history or for each curriculum. Parent and child choose which subjects to narrate in writing and may rotate subjects each week. A written narration replaces the oral narration for that selection; it is not an extra assignment.
Write on separate paper or in a notebook. Do not correct spelling or content during or immediately after narration. Address errors gently at the start of the next lesson that opens the same book.
Your family’s book basket
Choose a history path
For American History, choose the course year, then your child’s current grade. For Ancient History, go straight to your child’s grade.
American HistoryThree-year sequence · Choose a year, then a student grade
Which year of American History?
Choose the year your family will study together.
Year 1Exploration and Early ColoniesShared course: Grade 3 History curriculum
Use the full Grade 3 History curriculum for the shared spine readings and lessons. Follow its reading sequence and edition guidance.
Shared course books
- The Discovery of the AmericasBetsy Maestro
- This Country of Ours, Volume 1H. E. Marshall
- Three Young PilgrimsCheryl Harness
- The Landing of the PilgrimsJames Daugherty
Choose your child’s current grade
The curriculum grade identifies the shared course. Choose the student’s grade below for their optional book basket.
Grade 33 optional books
Grade 3 book basket
Choose one optional book at a time as its setting connects with the shared history reading. Read together when helpful. The basket adds no extra lesson requirements.
Fiction short historical novel
A Lion to Guard Us
Time period: 1609-1610; England, Bermuda and Virginia
Amanda and her younger siblings leave England to find their father in Virginia. Their voyage brings a shipwreck, an unexpected stay in Bermuda, and the struggle to reach Jamestown, with a small brass lion's head offering a reminder of home.
Reading: Independent or shared.
View on Amazon (paid link) — A Lion to Guard Us; opens in a new tab
Fiction short historical novel
Viking Adventure
Time period: About AD 1000; Norway and voyages to Vinland
Sigurd longs to sail from Norway to the distant land called Vinland. When his chance comes, rough seas and treachery aboard the ship test the courage and judgment he has learned from his father.
Reading: Shared reading or a confident reader.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Viking Adventure; opens in a new tab
Nonfiction dramatized biography
Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims
Time period: Early 1600s; Patuxet, Europe and Plymouth
This biography follows Squanto from his Patuxet home through journeys to Europe, captivity, and his return to New England. It recounts the losses he finds there and his later work helping the Plymouth settlers. Scenes and dialogue are dramatized.
Reading: Shared or supported independent reading.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims; opens in a new tabGrade 43 optional books
Grade 4 book basket
Choose one optional book at a time as its setting connects with the shared history reading. Read together when helpful. The basket adds no extra lesson requirements.
Fiction short historical novel
A Lion to Guard Us
Time period: 1609-1610; England, Bermuda and Virginia
Amanda and her younger siblings leave England to find their father in Virginia. Their voyage brings a shipwreck, an unexpected stay in Bermuda, and the struggle to reach Jamestown, with a small brass lion's head offering a reminder of home.
Reading: Independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — A Lion to Guard Us; opens in a new tab
Fiction diary novel
Pedro’s Journal
Time period: 1492-1493; Columbus's first Atlantic voyage
A fictional ship's boy records Columbus's first Atlantic voyage in short diary entries. As Pedro watches the sailors, their commander, and the people they encounter, excitement about exploration gives way to more complicated questions about what the voyage means.
Reading: Independent reading.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Pedro’s Journal; opens in a new tab Nonfiction dramatized biography
Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims
Time period: Early 1600s; Patuxet, Europe and Plymouth
This biography follows Squanto from his Patuxet home through journeys to Europe, captivity, and his return to New England. It recounts the losses he finds there and his later work helping the Plymouth settlers. Scenes and dialogue are dramatized.
Reading: Independent with conversation.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims; opens in a new tabGrade 53 optional books
Grade 5 book basket
Choose one optional book at a time as its setting connects with the shared history reading. Read together when helpful. The basket adds no extra lesson requirements.
Fiction historical novel
Blood on the River: James Town, 1607
Time period: 1606-1610; England and Jamestown
Young Samuel Collier travels to Virginia as John Smith's servant and helps establish Jamestown. Hunger, illness, rivalries, and encounters with the Powhatan people force him to learn whom to trust and how a struggling settlement can survive.
Reading: Independent for a comfortable reader.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Blood on the River: James Town, 1607; opens in a new tab
Fiction historical novel
Children of the Longhouse
Time period: 1491; a Mohawk community in the Northeast
A Mohawk boy and his twin sister grow up within the work, games, and responsibilities of their community. Conflict with other children tests courage and self-control, while family relationships reveal daily life before European settlement.
Reading: Independent or shared.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Children of the Longhouse; opens in a new tab
Nonfiction narrative biography
The Double Life of Pocahontas
Time period: Early 1600s; Virginia and England
Jean Fritz traces Pocahontas's life in the Powhatan world, her encounters with English settlers, and her eventual journey to England. The biography follows a young woman whose family ties and changing circumstances place her between two cultures.
Reading: Independent with help for names.
View on Amazon (paid link) — The Double Life of Pocahontas; opens in a new tabGrade 63 optional books
Grade 6 book basket
Choose one optional book at a time as its setting connects with the shared history reading. Read together when helpful. The basket adds no extra lesson requirements.
Fiction historical novel
Blood on the River: James Town, 1607
Time period: 1606-1610; England and Jamestown
Young Samuel Collier travels to Virginia as John Smith's servant and helps establish Jamestown. Hunger, illness, rivalries, and encounters with the Powhatan people force him to learn whom to trust and how a struggling settlement can survive.
Reading: Independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Blood on the River: James Town, 1607; opens in a new tab
Fiction historical novel
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Time period: 1687; Connecticut
Kit Tyler leaves Barbados for her relatives' strict Connecticut household. Her friendship with an isolated Quaker woman, difficulty fitting into the community, and willingness to help others lead to dangerous accusations and a test of conscience.
Reading: Independent for an established reader, or shared.
View on Amazon (paid link) — The Witch of Blackbird Pond; opens in a new tab Nonfiction narrative biography
The Double Life of Pocahontas
Time period: Early 1600s; Virginia and England
Jean Fritz traces Pocahontas's life in the Powhatan world, her encounters with English settlers, and her eventual journey to England. The biography follows a young woman whose family ties and changing circumstances place her between two cultures.
Reading: Independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — The Double Life of Pocahontas; opens in a new tabYear 2Colonial Life and the RevolutionShared course: Grade 4 History curriculum
Use the full Grade 4 History curriculum for the shared spine readings and lessons. Follow its reading sequence and edition guidance.
Shared course books
- This Country of Ours, Volume 2H. E. Marshall; use the course edition
- George Washington's WorldGenevieve Foster
Choose your child’s current grade
The curriculum grade identifies the shared course. Choose the student’s grade below for their optional book basket.
Grade 33 optional books
Grade 3 book basket
Choose one optional book at a time as its setting connects with the shared history reading. Read together when helpful. The basket adds no extra lesson requirements.
Fiction short illustrated story
Sam the Minuteman
Time period: 1775; Lexington, Massachusetts
Sam accompanies his father when the minutemen gather at Lexington. What begins as an exciting interruption of ordinary farm life becomes a frightening encounter with battle, bringing the opening of the Revolution into a child's experience.
Reading: Independent.
View on ThriftBooks — Sam the Minuteman; opens in a new tab
Fiction short historical novel
The Courage of Sarah Noble
Time period: 1707; Connecticut
Young Sarah accompanies her father into the Connecticut wilderness while he builds their new home. As she faces loneliness and unfamiliar surroundings, friendship with nearby Native people helps her discover what courage looks like in everyday life.
Reading: Independent or shared.
View on Amazon (paid link) — The Courage of Sarah Noble; opens in a new tab
Nonfiction illustrated biography
And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?
Time period: Colonial Boston and the Revolution
This lively biography follows Paul Revere as a craftsman, family man, and active participant in colonial resistance. It places his famous ride among the messages, meetings, and responsibilities that connected him to the coming Revolution.
Reading: Read together, then let the child narrate.
View on Amazon (paid link) — And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?; opens in a new tabGrade 43 optional books
Grade 4 book basket
Choose one optional book at a time as its setting connects with the shared history reading. Read together when helpful. The basket adds no extra lesson requirements.
Fiction historical novel
The Cabin Faced West
Time period: 1784; western Pennsylvania
Ann Hamilton misses her former home after her family moves to western Pennsylvania. The work and loneliness of frontier life, a fierce storm, and a visit from George Washington gradually change how she sees her family's new beginning.
Reading: Independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — The Cabin Faced West; opens in a new tab
Fiction historical novel
Toliver’s Secret
Time period: 1776; British-occupied New York
When her grandfather cannot carry a secret message, Ellen Toliver takes his place. Disguised as a boy, she sets out through British-occupied New York, where an ordinary-looking errand becomes a dangerous mission for George Washington.
Reading: Independent or shared.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Toliver’s Secret; opens in a new tab
Nonfiction illustrated biography
Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George?
Time period: 1700s; George III and the American Revolution
Jean Fritz tells the story of George III and his bewilderment at the American colonies' resistance. Personal habits, royal expectations, and political decisions reveal how a king who expected obedience responded to the movement for independence.
Reading: Shared or independent reading.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George?; opens in a new tabGrade 53 optional books
Grade 5 book basket
Choose one optional book at a time as its setting connects with the shared history reading. Read together when helpful. The basket adds no extra lesson requirements.
Fiction historical novel
The Sign of the Beaver
Time period: 1768; Maine
Left to guard his family's Maine cabin, Matt struggles to manage alone. A friendship with Attean, a Native boy, introduces him to new skills and a different way of life, challenging his assumptions about independence and belonging.
Reading: Independent with discussion.
Parent note: Discuss the story's older portrayals and assumptions about Native people.
View on Amazon (paid link) — The Sign of the Beaver; opens in a new tab Fiction historical novel
Toliver’s Secret
Time period: 1776; British-occupied New York
When her grandfather cannot carry a secret message, Ellen Toliver takes his place. Disguised as a boy, she sets out through British-occupied New York, where an ordinary-looking errand becomes a dangerous mission for George Washington.
Reading: Independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Toliver’s Secret; opens in a new tab
Nonfiction illustrated narrative history
George vs. George: The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides
Time period: 1700s; Britain and revolutionary America
George Washington and George III stand at the center of this illustrated account of the Revolution. The book follows their lives and the growing conflict between Britain and the colonies, explaining events and grievances from both sides.
Reading: Independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — George vs. George: The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides; opens in a new tabGrade 63 optional books
Grade 6 book basket
Choose one optional book at a time as its setting connects with the shared history reading. Read together when helpful. The basket adds no extra lesson requirements.
Fiction historical novel
Johnny Tremain
Time period: 1773-1775; Boston
After an injury ends his prospects as a silversmith, Johnny finds new work and becomes involved with Boston's revolutionary movement. His changing friendships and responsibilities unfold alongside the Tea Party and the first battles of the war.
Reading: Independent or shared.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Johnny Tremain; opens in a new tab
Fiction historical novel
The Fighting Ground
Time period: 1778; New Jersey
Jonathan leaves his family's farm eager to join the Revolutionary fighting. A brief, frightening encounter with battle and captivity overturns his expectations, forcing him to confront the confusion and human cost hidden behind dreams of military glory.
Reading: Parent preview, then shared or independent.
Parent note: Includes deaths, captivity, moral conflict, and some profanity.
View on Amazon (paid link) — The Fighting Ground; opens in a new tab Nonfiction illustrated narrative history
George vs. George: The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides
Time period: 1700s; Britain and revolutionary America
George Washington and George III stand at the center of this illustrated account of the Revolution. The book follows their lives and the growing conflict between Britain and the colonies, explaining events and grievances from both sides.
Reading: Independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — George vs. George: The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides; opens in a new tabYear 3The Early Republic through World War IShared course: Grade 5 History curriculum
Use the full Grade 5 History curriculum for the shared spine readings and lessons. Follow its reading sequence and edition guidance.
Shared course books
- This Country of Ours, Volume 3H. E. Marshall / Donna-Jean A. Breckenridge
- Abraham Lincoln's WorldGenevieve Foster
Choose your child’s current grade
The curriculum grade identifies the shared course. Choose the student’s grade below for their optional book basket.
Grade 33 optional books
Grade 3 book basket
Choose one optional book at a time as its setting connects with the shared history reading. Read together when helpful. The basket adds no extra lesson requirements.
Fiction short story based on a real family
Wagon Wheels
Time period: 1878; Kansas
The Muldie family moves to Kansas after the Civil War, hoping to build a new life. When their father must travel ahead, three young brothers face hardship and eventually make a journey of their own. The story draws on a real family.
Reading: Independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Wagon Wheels; opens in a new tab
Fiction short historical story
The Drinking Gourd
Time period: 1850s; the Underground Railroad
Tommy discovers that his father is helping an enslaved family escape. As he becomes involved in their dangerous journey, he learns why the North Star matters and why his father is willing to defy an unjust law.
Reading: Shared or independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — The Drinking Gourd; opens in a new tab
Nonfiction chapter biography
The Story of Harriet Tubman
Time period: 1800s; slavery, escape and the Civil War
Short chapters trace Harriet Tubman's childhood in slavery, her escape, and her repeated efforts to bring others to freedom. The account also introduces her courage and service during the Civil War, following one life through slavery and resistance.
Reading: Shared or supported independent reading.
View on Amazon (paid link) — The Story of Harriet Tubman; opens in a new tabGrade 43 optional books
Grade 4 book basket
Choose one optional book at a time as its setting connects with the shared history reading. Read together when helpful. The basket adds no extra lesson requirements.
Fiction historical novel
By the Great Horn Spoon!
Time period: 1849; voyage to California and the Gold Rush
Jack and his aunt's butler, Praiseworthy, head for California hoping to make enough money to save the family home. Their sea voyage and adventures among the goldfields mix resourcefulness, friendship, narrow escapes, and comic surprises.
Reading: Independent or shared.
View on Amazon (paid link) — By the Great Horn Spoon!; opens in a new tab
Fiction short historical novel
Sarah, Plain and Tall
Time period: Late 1800s; the American prairie
A woman from Maine answers a widowed prairie farmer's advertisement and comes to meet his family. Through his daughter's eyes, the story follows the children's hopes and fears as they discover whether Sarah will make her home with them.
Reading: Independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Sarah, Plain and Tall; opens in a new tab
Nonfiction illustrated narrative from journals
How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis and Clark
Time period: 1804-1806; the Lewis and Clark expedition
Selections from expedition journals, illustrations, and maps follow Lewis and Clark's journey to the Pacific. Encounters with Native communities, difficult river travel, and unfamiliar landscapes show the practical work and uncertainty of crossing the continent.
Reading: Independent or shared reading.
View on Amazon (paid link) — How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis and Clark; opens in a new tabGrade 53 optional books
Grade 5 book basket
Choose one optional book at a time as its setting connects with the shared history reading. Read together when helpful. The basket adds no extra lesson requirements.
Fiction historical novel
Caddie Woodlawn
Time period: 1860s; Wisconsin
Caddie grows up on a Wisconsin farm during the Civil War years, sharing outdoor adventures and family mishaps with her brothers. Her impulsive choices and growing responsibilities reveal community life, family loyalties, and the process of becoming more thoughtful.
Reading: Independent with discussion.
Parent note: Discuss older racial language and portrayals of Native people.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Caddie Woodlawn; opens in a new tab
Fiction historical novel based on a real journey
Bound for Oregon
Time period: 1852; Arkansas to Oregon
Young Mary Ellen travels with her family from Arkansas toward Oregon in a covered wagon. Illness, difficult crossings, and uncertain supplies test their determination as the story follows the daily experience of a long overland migration.
Reading: Independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Bound for Oregon; opens in a new tab Nonfiction chapter biography
The Story of Harriet Tubman
Time period: 1800s; slavery, escape and the Civil War
Short chapters trace Harriet Tubman's childhood in slavery, her escape, and her repeated efforts to bring others to freedom. The account also introduces her courage and service during the Civil War, following one life through slavery and resistance.
Reading: Independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — The Story of Harriet Tubman; opens in a new tabGrade 63 optional books
Grade 6 book basket
Choose one optional book at a time as its setting connects with the shared history reading. Read together when helpful. The basket adds no extra lesson requirements.
Fiction historical novel
Iron Thunder
Time period: 1862; the Monitor and the Virginia/Merrimack
Tom takes work helping build the ironclad Monitor after his father's death. Drawn into naval preparations and the danger of wartime secrets, he witnesses how a new kind of ship changes fighting on the water.
Reading: Independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Iron Thunder; opens in a new tab Fiction historical novel
By the Great Horn Spoon!
Time period: 1849; voyage to California and the Gold Rush
Jack and his aunt's butler, Praiseworthy, head for California hoping to make enough money to save the family home. Their sea voyage and adventures among the goldfields mix resourcefulness, friendship, narrow escapes, and comic surprises.
Reading: Independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — By the Great Horn Spoon!; opens in a new tab
Nonfiction narrative biography
Lincoln: A Photobiography
Time period: 1809-1865; Lincoln’s life and presidency
Photographs and a connected life story trace Abraham Lincoln's childhood, work, political rise, and presidency. The biography places his choices about slavery and the Civil War alongside family experiences and the pressures of leading a divided country.
Reading: Independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Lincoln: A Photobiography; opens in a new tabAncient HistoryOne-year course · Choose a student grade
One shared year of Ancient History
Use the full Grade 6 History curriculum for the shared spine readings and lessons. Follow its reading sequence and edition guidance.
Shared course books
- The Book of the Ancient WorldDorothy Mills
- The Book of the Ancient GreeksDorothy Mills
- Augustus Caesar's WorldGenevieve Foster
- The Pageant of Chinese HistoryElizabeth Seeger
Choose your child’s current grade
The curriculum grade identifies the shared course. Choose the student’s grade below for their optional book basket.
Grade 33 optional books
Grade 3 book basket
Choose one optional book at a time as its setting connects with the shared history reading. Read together when helpful. The basket adds no extra lesson requirements.
Fiction short historical mystery
Boy of the Pyramids
Time period: Ancient Egypt; pyramid-building era
Kaffe and his friend Sari become caught up in a mystery involving jewels missing from a pyramid. Their search for the truth unfolds among Egyptian homes, farms, festivals, and the Nile, bringing ordinary activities into an adventurous story.
Reading: Shared or independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Boy of the Pyramids; opens in a new tab
Fiction historical chapter story
Our Little Athenian Cousin of Long Ago
Time period: Fifth century BC; Athens under Pericles
Hiero and his friend Duris explore life in Athens during the age of Pericles. Their visits to homes, markets, schools, artists' workshops, and festivals introduce the customs and creative work of the city through children's experiences.
Reading: Shared reading is recommended.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Our Little Athenian Cousin of Long Ago; opens in a new tab
Nonfiction illustrated narrative biography
The Librarian Who Measured the Earth
Time period: Third century BC; Eratosthenes and Alexandria
This illustrated biography follows Eratosthenes from his early curiosity to his work in Alexandria. His questions about geography lead to an ingenious way of estimating the Earth's circumference using shadows, distance, and mathematical reasoning.
Reading: Read together.
View on Amazon (paid link) — The Librarian Who Measured the Earth; opens in a new tabGrade 43 optional books
Grade 4 book basket
Choose one optional book at a time as its setting connects with the shared history reading. Read together when helpful. The basket adds no extra lesson requirements.
Fiction short historical mystery
Boy of the Pyramids
Time period: Ancient Egypt; pyramid-building era
Kaffe and his friend Sari become caught up in a mystery involving jewels missing from a pyramid. Their search for the truth unfolds among Egyptian homes, farms, festivals, and the Nile, bringing ordinary activities into an adventurous story.
Reading: Independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Boy of the Pyramids; opens in a new tab
Fiction historical mystery
Detectives in Togas
Time period: Ancient imperial Rome; school and city life
When one of their classmates is accused of a crime, a group of Roman schoolboys begins investigating. Their search through the city gathers clues, mistaken suspicions, and unexpected discoveries while revealing school and street life in ancient Rome.
Reading: Shared or confident independent reading.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Detectives in Togas; opens in a new tab
Nonfiction illustrated narrative history
The Emperor’s Silent Army: Terracotta Warriors of Ancient China
Time period: Third century BC Qin China; discovery in 1974
The discovery of buried terracotta soldiers opens an account of China's first emperor and the army created for his tomb. Photographs and historical explanation connect modern archaeological work with the ambitions, power, and beliefs of the Qin ruler.
Reading: Shared or supported independent reading.
View on Amazon (paid link) — The Emperor’s Silent Army: Terracotta Warriors of Ancient China; opens in a new tabGrade 53 optional books
Grade 5 book basket
Choose one optional book at a time as its setting connects with the shared history reading. Read together when helpful. The basket adds no extra lesson requirements.
Fiction historical novel
The Golden Goblet
Time period: Ancient Egypt; Thebes in the New Kingdom
Ranofer dreams of becoming a goldsmith but lives under the control of his cruel older brother. Suspicious events and a valuable goblet draw him and his friends into a mystery involving theft, skilled craftsmanship, and Egyptian tombs.
Reading: Independent for a strong reader, or shared.
Parent note: Includes cruelty toward a child and threats of violence.
View on Amazon (paid link) — The Golden Goblet; opens in a new tab Fiction historical mystery
Detectives in Togas
Time period: Ancient imperial Rome; school and city life
When one of their classmates is accused of a crime, a group of Roman schoolboys begins investigating. Their search through the city gathers clues, mistaken suspicions, and unexpected discoveries while revealing school and street life in ancient Rome.
Reading: Independent.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Detectives in Togas; opens in a new tab
Nonfiction narrative scientific biography
Archimedes and the Door of Science
Time period: Third century BC; Syracuse and the Hellenistic world
Jeanne Bendick follows Archimedes's curiosity through problems in mathematics, measurement, and invention. Stories of his discoveries and illustrated explanations show how a thinker in the Greek world used observation and reasoning to understand practical questions.
Reading: Independent with parent help for mathematical explanations.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Archimedes and the Door of Science; opens in a new tabGrade 63 optional books
Grade 6 book basket
Choose one optional book at a time as its setting connects with the shared history reading. Read together when helpful. The basket adds no extra lesson requirements.
Fiction historical novel with biblical setting
God King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah
Time period: About 701 BC; Kush, Egypt, Assyria, and Judah
Taharka is drawn from a sheltered life into the responsibilities and dangers of kingship. Political upheaval sends him into a wider conflict involving Egypt, Assyria, and Judah, where his story intersects with King Hezekiah's stand against Assyrian power.
Reading: Independent or shared.
Parent note: Distinguish the novel's imagined scenes from the biblical account.
View on Amazon (paid link) — God King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah; opens in a new tab
Fiction historical novel
Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan
Time period: AD 630; Tang China and the Silk Road
Chengli joins a Silk Road caravan hoping to learn what happened to his father. Desert travel, a royal passenger, and threats from bandits carry him through the trading world of Tang China as he searches for family and identity.
Reading: Independent reading with map support.
Use with the later China readings in this course.
View on ThriftBooks — Chengli and the Silk Road Caravan; opens in a new tab
Nonfiction biography in an imagined first-person voice
Herodotus and the Road to History
Time period: Fifth century BC; Greece, Egypt, Persia and nearby lands
Bendick imagines Herodotus telling the story of his travels and questions about the past. Encounters with different peoples, customs, and accounts of war introduce the work of gathering evidence and deciding how history should be told.
Reading: Read together or support names and vocabulary.
Parent note: The first-person voice is Bendick's reconstruction, not Herodotus's own text.
View on Amazon (paid link) — Herodotus and the Road to History; opens in a new tabHave children in more than one grade? Open each child’s grade to choose from their basket while keeping the same shared history course.