Teaching Story of the World Volume 2 (Middle Ages to Renaissance)
This is a continuation of my Story of the World Volume 1 post here. As with that article, I am using this as a sort of “file folder” to share the resources that I’m finding as I prepare. I will not necessarily use all of the books and links listed below, but I wanted to share my research with you.
Please note: this is an ongoing process, so this list is not complete.
Heads up: This post contains affiliate links. That just means, if you use one of my links to a product, I may earn a commission on that purchase, but it won’t cost you any extra money. Learn more.
What is Story of the World?
Worldview: Secular
Check out my first post to read more about this story-like history series for elementary kids and to see where you can purchase it.
Volume 2 covers the “Fall of Rome to the Rise of the Renaissance.”
This curriculum is considered secular as in it does not promote any specific religion.
Various Age and Grade Recommendations:
We LOVED this book during the (2025-2026) school year. I bought the text as well as the audiobook, and we have predominantly listened to the audiobook while in the car driving to sports, etc.
It is intended for an elementary audience (esp. as a read-aloud), but I find it very interesting to compare the age and grade recommendations from various sources. I’ll list them below.
One thing to keep in mind is that some age recs are based on read-aloud level while others are based on independent reading level. But they don’t always specificy which they mean. Nevertheless, this will give you some good reference points to decide for your family.
The Well Trained Mind (the publisher):
The Series (volumes 1-4) is intended for grades 1-8.
Volume 2 is intended for grades 2-6.
Rainbow Resource:
Volume 2 is recommended for grades 2-8.
Amazon:
Volume 2says Grade Levels 1-5
Volume 2 - Customers suggest Ages 7-11
Christianbook.com:
The Series is recommended to read aloud to Grades 1-4
This book also suggested for grades 5-8 to read independently
I agree with these general suggestions. It is perfect for a family read-aloud, but could be read independently by a 4th or 5th grader and above. The content might be a bit much for very young children if you prefer not to read about any violence. Granted, it’s history so there will be death and destruction. My kindergartener did not particularly love it, but my 2nd and 4th graders were big fans. My 4th grader in particular was always very excited when I turned on the audiobook.
Again, this series is intended to be used as a family subject that you can scale up or down with various other resources and activities.
Year Long Resources
Claritas Publishing
Worldview: Christian
I’m very excited to try out this memory work system this coming year. My kids and I previously participated in another classical program called Classical Conversations and enjoyed the weekly memory work (and the friends!). While we have pivoted to a different style of co-op, I am eager to see how Claritas Publishing’s memory work flows with this history series - since it was written to directly correlate with the Story of the World (SOTW).
In addition to the weekly history sentences that link to specific chapters in SOTW (see this PDF for specifics), Claritas also includes weekly memory work for other subjects. Some of these include science facts, English grammar, Latin and even hymns and Scripture memory.
I will plan to update this after we use the program this coming school year (2025-2026) to give more information.
References
Alongside doing my own searching I have used websites and books for recommendations in compiling this. Thank you to:
Claritas Cycle 2 Reading List from Naturally Holistic
The Story of the World Activity Book Two
Claritas Cycle 2 Book List from Laura McKinney Adams
The Ultimate Guide to Using SOTW in Your Homeschool from Learning Mama
SOTW Chapter by Chapter Resources from Living Loving Learning As We Go
Book List
This coming year I will be homeschooling all three of my kids in the following grades: 4th, 2nd, and Kindergarten. So, my selection of books below is with these varying grade levels in mind. I’d like a selection of read-aloud picture books as well as chapter books either for read-aloud or for my independent reader(s) to enjoy.
Also, I am gathering the recommended ages from various sources. However, sometimes these ages may be referencing the age of comprehension versus reading it independently or vice versa. So, be sure to check them out yourself! I plan to add notes as we read various ones and I’ll try to let you know how the ages panned out.
Beric the Briton: A Story Of The Roman Invasion by G.A. Henty. This book won’t be on our reading list this year but I wanted to include it because it’s fantastic for older readers. I’d suggest high school reading level for style more than content. G.A. Henty was a prolific writer but his style can be verbose. My husband and my brothers were all huge fans of G.A. Henty back in the day. And I read and really enjoyed this one myself!
The Chronicles of Prydain by L. Alexander. I purchased this set for my 4th grader due to the high ratings and the fact our library had 3 people on the waiting list for book one. A tthe time of updating this post, he has read 1-2 of the books. He enjoyed them but was a bit bored by the large amount of dialogue at the beginning of the books. I suspect this series may be better for him in a year or two with more maturity and a longer attention span.
The Usborne Encyclopedia of World History by Bingham, Chandler, & Taplin. This edition has internet links and appears to be the same page numbers as the one abbreviated “UILE” throughout the SOTW Vol 2 Activity Guide. I own this book and have used it for a reference as needed. It is very colorful with numerous illustrations on every page.
The Squire’s Tale by Gerald Morris. This book is on Sonlight’s reading list and is highly recommended on Amazon. Suggested for grades 5-7. I thought I would read this aloud to my kids or let my 4th grader read it independently. But I forgot about ordering it and after considering it more I am going to hold off for now. I suspect it would be better suited for my kids when they are middle-school age.
Audio Books
I have purchased some of these but am planning to use my local library’s Hoopla account to listen to most of them (if available). The exception to borrowing them is the textbook itself. I really like having a hard copy as well as the audio recording. So, I purchase that for each level. I’ve listed these in alphabetical order by title after the textbook.
Also, many of the audiobooks are short (approx 40 minutes). So before purchasing them confirm the length to make sure you’re getting what you think you’re paying for.
Story of the World Volume 2 by S.W. Bauer. (read by Jim Weiss, rec. grades 2nd-5th, 10 hrs, 42 min.)
Galileo and the Star Gazers by J. Weiss. (written & read by Jim Weiss, rec. ages n/a, published by Well Trained Mind who publishes SOTW)
King Arthur and His Knights by J. Weiss. (written & read by Jim Weiss, rec. ages n/a, published by Well Trained Mind who publishes SOTW)
Men of Iron by H. Pyle. (read by Jim Weiss, rec. ages 8-13, highly rated on Amazon)
The Queen’s Pirate: The Adventures of Queen Elizabeth I & Sir Francis Drake, Pirate Extraordinaire by J. Weiss. (written & read by Jim Weiss, rec. ages 7-10, I think the word “pirate” automatically ensures my boys will be interested)
Who in the World was the Acrobatic Princess? by R. Phillips. (read by Jim Weiss, rec. grades 2nd-4th; this book tells the story of Empress Theodora the wife of Emperor Justinian)
Who in the World was the Unready King? by C. Clark. (read by Jim Weiss., rec. grades 2nd-4th; this book tells the story of King Ethelred who became king at age ten.)
Online Resources
I will add to this area as I collect more resources.
