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Resolutions Eligible for refund or replacement
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Susan Wise Bauer
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The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child: Volume 1: Ancient Times: From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor, Revised Edition Paperback – Illustrated, April 17, 2006

by Susan Wise Bauer (Author)
#1 Best Seller in Social Studies Teaching Materials
See all formats and editions
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Purchase options and add-ons

This first book in the four volume narrative history series for elementary students will transform your study of history. The Story of the World has won awards from numerous homeschooling magazines and readers' polls―over 150,000 copies of the series in print!

What terrible secret was buried in Shi Huangdi's tomb? Did nomads like lizard stew? What happened to Anansi the Spider in the Village of the Plantains? And how did a six year old become the last emperor of Rome?

Told in a straightforward, engaging style that has become Susan Wise Bauer's trademark, The Story of the World series covers the sweep of human history from ancient times until the present. Africa, China, Europe, the Americas―find out what happened all around the world in long ago times. This first revised volume begins with the earliest nomads and ends with the last Roman emperor. Newly revised and updated, The Story of the World, Volume 1 includes maps, a new timeline, more illustrations, and additional parental aids. This read aloud series is designed for parents to share with elementary school children. Enjoy it together and introduce your child to the marvelous story of the world's civilizations.

Each Story of the World volume provides a full year of history study when combined with the Activity Book, Audiobook, and Tests―each available separately to accompany each volume of TheStory of the World Text Book. Volume 1 Grade Recommendation: Grades 1 5. Illustrated throughout with black and white drawings and maps
Previous slide of product details
  1. Reading age
    6 - 10 years, from customers
  2. Book 1 of 4
    Story of the World
  3. Print length
    349 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Grade level
    1 - 4
  6. Dimensions
    5.3 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
  7. Publisher
    The Well-Trained Mind Press
  8. Publication date
    April 17, 2006
  9. ISBN-10
    9781933339009
  10. ISBN-13
    978-1933339009
  11. See all details
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The Story of the World, Activity Book 1: Ancient Times - From the Earliest Nomad to the Last Roman Emperor
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From the Publisher

The Story of the World Series

Suggested age ranges for each volume of the Story of the World series

Each of the four volumes of the Story of the World series are meant to be read by children, or read aloud to children. Here are suggested age ranges for each volume:

  • Volume 1 (978-1933339009): Children in grades 1-4
  • Volume 2 (978-1933339092): Children in grades 2-5
  • Volume 3 (978-1945841446): Children in grades 3-6
  • Volume 4 (978-1945841903): Children in grades 4-8

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This may well be the best multi-age read aloud narrative of world history yet to have been written."
― Homeschooling in Japan

Book Description

From the Earliest Nomads to the Last Roman Emperor

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1933339004
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Well-Trained Mind Press; Second Edition, Revised (April 17, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 349 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781933339009
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1933339009
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 6 - 10 years, from customers
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 1 - 4
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.3 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

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Susan Wise Bauer

Susan Wise Bauer

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Susan was born in 1968, grew up in Virginia, and was educated at home by pioneering parents, back when home education was still unheard of. She worked as a professional musician, wore a costume at Colonial Williamsburg, toured with a travelling drama group, galloped racehorses at a Virginia racetrack, taught horseback riding, worked in radio and newspaper ad sales, learned enough Korean to teach a Korean four-year-old Sunday school, and served as librarian and reading tutor for the Rita Welsh Adult Literacy Center in Williamsburg, Virginia.

In her less haphazard adult life, she earned an M.A., M.Div., and Ph.D. She has taught at the College of William & Mary in Virginia for the last sixteen years. Susan is married and the mother of four.

Susan's most recent book for Norton, The Story of Western Science: From the Writings of Aristotle to the Big Bang Theory (2015), guides us back to the original texts that have changed the way we think about our world, our cosmos, and ourselves.!

Her previous book, The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had (2003), is a guide to reading the classic works of fiction, poetry, history, autobiography, and drama. Norton also published The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home (with co-author Jessie Wise); originally published in 1999, this bestselling guide to education in the classical tradition was revised and updated in 2004 and again in 2009.

For Peace Hill Press, Susan has written a four-volume world history series for children, The Story of the World, for Peace Hill Press. Volume 1, Ancient Times, was published in 2002 (revised edition 2006); Volume 2, The Middle Ages, in 2003 (revised edition 2007); and Volume 3, Early Modern Times, in 2004. The final volume, The Modern Age, was published in 2006. She has also written a best-selling elementary writing program, Writing With Ease.

Susan is also the author of The Art of the Public Grovel (Princeton University Press) and many articles and reviews. Visit her blog at http://www.susanwisebauer.com/blog.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
2,332 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book's content good and engaging, covering history in a story format. They also describe the writing style as very easy to read and engaging. Readers say the educational benefit is good for children, as it covers most of the major events in. They mention the biblical content as short, sweet, and to the point. Opinions are mixed on the illustrations, with some finding them simple and accessible while others say they're poor. Reader opinions are mixed also on the correctness, with others finding it accurate and relatable while others find it inaccurate and revisionist.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
ContentWriting styleReadabilityEducational valueBiblical contentStructureIllustrationsCorrectness
193 customers mention "Content"182 positive11 negative

Customers find the book a good way to cover a lot of history in story format. They say it's very educational and interesting enough for lower elementary. Readers also appreciate the questions and answers for each chapter. They like the format of the history book, saying the timeline and pronunciation guide are very helpful. They also say the book inspires great conversation and covers a variety of different cultures.

"...I would too! There are lots of stories and myths from some of the different cultures of those times...." Read more

"...They are a must as they not only provide questions and answers for each chapter, corresponding pages in Kingfisher and Usborne Encyclopedias..." Read more

"...If you're looking for a good elementary level book for teaching history, this is the one that you should get...." Read more

"...It covers a lot of different cultures and I like the story format and the questions it asks the kids to think about...." Read more

111 customers mention "Writing style"101 positive10 negative

Customers find the writing style of the book very easy to read, conversational, and storytelling. They also say it's a great book to do together in the summers or to work on.

"...They love it! The chapters are short and easy to understand. The book itself is not intense and it wasn't made to be. The earliest age is six!..." Read more

"...Susan Wise Bauer uses an easier to read writing style with Vol. 1, but by Vol. 4 the reader is exposed to more information and more intense themes...." Read more

"...She loves it and the book is easy to read from. Before class starts, I give her 2 quizzes from the 2 chapters read in the previous class...." Read more

"...I absolutely LOVE how the book is written...." Read more

109 customers mention "Readability"93 positive16 negative

Customers find the book engaging, entertaining, and informative. They say the teacher's guide has a wonderful assortment of activities to include with each chapter. Readers also mention that the text never dumbs down the reader and covers most of the major events in a period of time.

"...There are numerous activities to pick and a parent can find those to fit the personality and learning style of the student...." Read more

"Good reading but for older children as in 7+. Don't expect colorful pages. These are quite lengthy, not simplified history tellers...." Read more

"...facts, the author writes history as a real-life story that is much more engaging and fun to read...." Read more

"...This text never dumbs down the reader nor those listening to the lessons. The word usage makes it fun to read and engaging...." Read more

97 customers mention "Educational value"97 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's educational value good for children, covering most of the major events in a period. They also say it's a good story for any child, appropriate for all age levels, and well written to be interesting to adults but easily understandable to children. Customers also say the book is awesome for that purpose and something the entire family can enjoy.

"...The book is also helpful to enrich their understanding of what was happening in the world around the same time as some biblical events...." Read more

"...it's great for what it aims to do: spark discussion and develop life long learners." Read more

"...All in all it's a good introduction to familiarize little ones with terms and time periods...." Read more

"...using this for educational purposes, I think the book is a good story for any child (I'm guessing 1-3 grades)...." Read more

53 customers mention "Biblical content"42 positive11 negative

Customers find the biblical content engaging, short, sweet, and to the point. They also say the book includes good timelines, maps, pronunciation guides, and illustrations. Readers mention that the book fits nicely into a school year. However, some complain about the actual language.

"...They love it! The chapters are short and easy to understand. The book itself is not intense and it wasn't made to be. The earliest age is six!..." Read more

"...Don't expect colorful pages. These are quite lengthy, not simplified history tellers...." Read more

"...It covers a lot of different cultures and I like the story format and the questions it asks the kids to think about...." Read more

"...I love that they are short enough to keep the kids interested...." Read more

9 customers mention "Structure"7 positive2 negative

Customers like the structure of the book. They say the chapters are conveniently divided into short sections, which is great for checking understanding. They also appreciate the book recommendations to coordinate with what they are studying for all age levels, and the different formats of content are done very well. Customers also mention that the book has Christian based history with plenty of worksheets, tests, map lessons, and references.

"...The narration, the segues between events, and different formats of content are done very well...." Read more

"...It has book recommendations to coordinate with what they are studying for all age levels that you can pick up at your local library and have in a..." Read more

"...The chapters are conveniently divided into short sections, which is great both for checking understanding and retention and maintaining interest...." Read more

"...I find myself with red pen in hand crossing out inaccurate and misleading dates and slanted "facts" before I teach my son...." Read more

24 customers mention "Illustrations"16 positive8 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the illustrations in the book. Some find the maps easy to read, colorful, and realistic. They also appreciate the simplified tone and map lessons. However, others say the book has poor illustrations and very few pictures or maps. They say the coloring sheets are dopey.

"...What I really like about this book is that it is designed to introduce young kids to history...." Read more

"...Perhaps the lack of colorful pictures here isn't such a bad thing after all!" Read more

"...It teaches them language arts skills, art, geography, and much more...." Read more

"This is a good intro to ancient times for children. My son enjoyed it last year, though he wanted pictures...." Read more

16 customers mention "Correctness"6 positive10 negative

Customers are mixed about the correctness of the book. Some mention that it's accurate and very real for them, while others say it'll make them feel like revisionists. They also say that the details need to be accurate and the test books don't always correlate with the questions and answers in the activity.

"...One problem I did notice with the test books is they do not always correlate with the questions and answers in the activity books...." Read more

"...story of the world according to this four book volumes series is quite accurate thus quite long!..." Read more

"This book has some inaccuracies, some typos, and some fictional stories created to help a child understand historic periods...." Read more

"...Not perfectly accurate but gets kids into history through an interesting and easy-to-read set of books." Read more

Finally a book my kids beg me to read!
5 out of 5 stars
Finally a book my kids beg me to read!
This is such a great way to introduce kids to history. Interesting and compelling writing that leads to great discussions and even more discovery on the topics we read about. This won’t be a one time read, we’ll be able to revisit it for my younger children as well.
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Top reviews from the United States

M. Holmes
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for ADHD adults and children!
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2012
Verified Purchase
I am a homeschooling mom with a preschooler, a kindergarten student, and a fourth-grader. This book is great for all of them. I will alternately read aloud or play the audio version (in the car, during lunch, etc.). They love it! The chapters are short and easy to understand. The book itself is not intense and it wasn't made to be. The earliest age is six! If the language is too sophisticated or dry, the children will lose interest. I would too! There are lots of stories and myths from some of the different cultures of those times. It gives my children insights to different cultures and their traditions. The book is also helpful to enrich their understanding of what was happening in the world around the same time as some biblical events. It puts into perspective events like Abram moving, Joseph in Egypt, David, all the fighting and wars, etc. But in a way a child can grasp. As a Christian parent, it is hard to fill in the historical gaps or make sense of certain events. This book certainly helps. As far as I can tell, this book in no way, modifies or takes away the gospel message found throughout the Bible and history. So, for the reviewer who complained about the author's adding that Abram's father was scared, so they moved the family......duh! Who wouldn't be scared about constant fighting, being killed, and the threat of losing everything? Many ancient peoples moved for those very same reasons. It isn't unreasonable to make that jump, especially when you are trying to explain these complicated topics to a young child.

The negative reviews are garbage. What are people expecting? The Economist? Newsweek? An SAT study guide? This book is an introduction (condensed version) of the ancient world. The accompanying activity book has additional resources and activities for people who want more information. As for the claims of how a person felt at a particular time, of course that is speculation! Much of history is speculation! We use what we can find evidence of and fill in the gaps based on the collective information we have for that time period. I delve more into the information with my older child by using the activity guide and test booklet. If you're not keen on using this as a textbook, then read it to your children before bed. I guarantee your kids will get excited about history. Isn't that the goal of education? Not to get them to memorize a bunch of nameless faceless facts, but to get them excited, spark their curiosity, and encourage them to learn independently. This book is certainly a tool that can be used for that purpose.

I have purchased the next book and my family cannot wait to begin that book as well.
55 people found this helpful
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R. Simmons
5.0 out of 5 stars A Woderful Elementary History Curriculum For a Classical Education
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2016
Verified Purchase
After using Bauer's complete set of "Story of the World", Ancient through Modern, with 3 of my children starting in the 1st grade and ending the 4th I felt I could give a brief review.

Susan Wise Bauer uses an easier to read writing style with Vol. 1, but by Vol. 4 the reader is exposed to more information and more intense themes. For this reason, I believe a 1st or 2nd grader would enjoy Vol. #1 but an older child may find it a bit childish. Respectively, 4th graders would enjoy the 4th volume as it is written at a higher grade level and provides a greater amount of information.

I highly recommend purchasing the activity books as well. They are a must as they not only provide questions and answers for each chapter, corresponding pages in Kingfisher and Usborne Encyclopedias (I believe he newer publications no longer use the Kingfisher as it is no longer published), and a list of books for further reading; but maps and other hands on activities are included as well. There are numerous activities to pick and a parent can find those to fit the personality and learning style of the student. The activity books for the first Volumes are geared toward younger students (coloring pages, etc.) but the 4th Volume has the student learning how to outline, completing a timeline and doing more map work (2 maps per chapter instead of the one).

The test books are not necessary, but provide the parent with a way to verify the student's retention. Tests for the early volumes consist of multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank and 1 essay. By the 4th volume the tests are more intense: gone are the multiple choice and true/false questions and instead the tests are almost solely essay, a few fill-in-the-blank and placing events in chronological order. One problem I did notice with the test books is they do not always correlate with the questions and answers in the activity books. Many times the questions in the activity books would focus on a certain topic, but the student would be tested on something else. (To be fair the information is covered in the text book.)

Bauer has attempted to provide ancient through modern history in 4 volumes written at the elementary grade levels. Therefore, some events in history are skipped entirely and other events are covered briefly; but all together the amount of information presented is quite impressive.

Consequently, this is a good beginning history curriculum for grades 1-4 which children will enjoy and, more importantly, retain.
In conclusion, for those who want an all encompassing curriculum, that takes little prep time on the parents part; or those that want to follow the Trivium, this series may be for you.
51 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Mom_in_Canada
5.0 out of 5 stars LOVED!
Reviewed in Canada on May 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
A wonderful book that brings history to life in a way that engages the reader/listeners. My kids fully invested in the reading and always asking for another chapter.
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carolina araujo nunes melo
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente livro
Reviewed in Brazil on January 6, 2022
Verified Purchase
Esse livro é fantástico! Conta a história do mundo, das civilizações de um jeito muito didático e com uma linguagem simples. Mesmo sendo em inglês, quem tem domínio intermediário da língua consegue ler perfeitamente pro seu filho. O meu filho de 9 anos consegue ler até sozinho.
One person found this helpful
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Ginnie
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this history book
Reviewed in the United Arab Emirates on March 22, 2023
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My 8 yr old can’t get enough of this book. It’s great for Christian based as it relates the biblical world to real in terms of timeline. It’s even interesting for me to read, it’s simply an interesting book that you can’t put back. We are reading a chapter a day as a homeschooling family. Try to get it along with the workbook online which comes with students pages. Love it and you won’t regret it.
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NPP
5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfiwd
Reviewed in India on June 30, 2021
Verified Purchase
Delivered in good condition and within a good tine frame. Quality of the book is good and new edition
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Hideki
5.0 out of 5 stars 大人が読んでも面白い
Reviewed in Japan on September 20, 2022
Verified Purchase
オリエントからローマ帝国滅亡に至るまでの世界史の教材です。アメンホテプの宗教改革、ハンムラビ法典、アテネの民主政、インドのカースト制といった内容が大変わかりやすく説明されています。英語は平易で、ネイティブでなくても十分読みこなせるので、英語の学習者にもお薦めできます。
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