A world map – Best History Books for Homeschool Students

Best History Books for Homeschool Students (Engaging Reads for Learning the Past)

Updated September 2026

The Best World History Books for Homeschool: Quick Answer

For world history, the best history books for homeschool are one narrative "spine" that moves through the centuries plus a few living books for each era. We recommend The Story of the World as the spine for elementary ages and A Little History of the World for middle school, then two or three of the era books below each term.

The era books are novels, biographies and illustrated histories, the kind children ask to keep reading. This guide is about world history; for the United States, see our separate list of American history books for homeschool.

Title Author Year Era Ages
The Story of the World (4 vols.) Susan Wise Bauer rev. eds. 2006–2021 Spine: ancient to modern 6–11
A Little History of the World E.H. Gombrich 1936 (English 2005) Spine 10–14
The Story of Mankind Hendrik Willem van Loon 1921 Spine 12+
The History of the Ancient World Susan Wise Bauer 2007 Spine (high school) 15+
The Golden Goblet Eloise Jarvis McGraw 1961 Ancient Egypt 9–13
Black Ships Before Troy Rosemary Sutcliff 1993 Ancient Greece 9–13
Augustus Caesar's World Genevieve Foster 1947 Rome and the ancient world 10–14
The Eagle of the Ninth Rosemary Sutcliff 1954 Roman Britain 11–15
The Bronze Bow Elizabeth George Speare 1961 First-century Galilee 11–15
Castle David Macaulay 1977 Medieval Wales 8–14
The Door in the Wall Marguerite de Angeli 1949 Medieval England 8–12
The Trumpeter of Krakow Eric P. Kelly 1928 Poland, 1460s 10–14
A Single Shard Linda Sue Park 2001 12th-century Korea 9–12
The World of Columbus and Sons Genevieve Foster 1965 Age of exploration 10–14
I, Juan de Pareja Elizabeth Borton de Treviño 1965 17th-century Spain 11–15
The Hiding Place Corrie ten Boom 1971 World War II 12+
A Long Walk to Water Linda Sue Park 2010 Sudan, 1985 and 2008 10–14

In this guide:

Choosing a World History Spine

A spine is the book you read a chapter of each week to keep the big story moving. Pick one per student level and stick with it.

The Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer

The most widely used homeschool world history, told as a read-aloud story in four volumes: Ancient Times, The Middle Ages, Early Modern Times and The Modern Age. The current revised editions came out between 2006 and 2021. Each volume covers roughly a year, which is why so many families use a four-year history cycle. It works best read aloud to ages 6–11; activity books with maps, questions and projects are sold separately. Content note: Volume 4 covers the twentieth century's wars and genocides, simplified but not skipped.

A Little History of the World by E.H. Gombrich (1936; English 2005)

An art historian wrote this for children in Vienna, famously at the pace of about a chapter a day. Yale published the first English edition in 2005. It's warm and conversational, and short enough for a middle schooler to read in one year. Content note: nothing of concern; wars and persecutions are described plainly but briefly.

The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loon (1921)

The winner of the very first Newbery Medal in 1922. Opinionated, readable and full of the author's own drawings. Content note: it reflects the attitudes of 1921, so later chapters and some descriptions of non-European peoples need a parent's framing. Best as a supplement for 12 and up rather than a sole spine.

For high school: Bauer's History of the World series

Bauer's adult series, The History of the Ancient World (2007), The History of the Medieval World (2010) and The History of the Renaissance World (2013), is a natural next step for a student who grew up on The Story of the World. They're long and serious, and they work well as a spine for ages 15 and up.

Ancient History: Egypt, Greece and Rome

  • The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw (1961). An orphaned apprentice in Egypt around 1400 B.C. uncovers a ring of tomb robbers. A 1962 Newbery Honor book. Content note: an abusive older half-brother; otherwise mild.
  • Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff (1993). The Iliad retold for young readers, with illustrations by Alan Lee that won the Kate Greenaway Medal. Follow it with The Wanderings of Odysseus (1995). Content note: battle deaths, as in Homer.
  • Augustus Caesar's World by Genevieve Foster (1947). Foster's "World" books show what was happening everywhere at once during one person's lifetime. This one spans roughly 44 B.C. to A.D. 14 and is excellent for connecting Rome to the rest of the world.
  • The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff (1954). A young Roman officer travels beyond Hadrian's Wall to recover his father's lost legion's standard. Content note: combat and a war wound; some older descriptive passages move slowly for modern readers.
  • The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare (1961). A young Jewish rebel in first-century Galilee wants to drive out Rome, then meets Jesus. The 1962 Newbery winner and a favourite with Christian homeschool families. Content note: violence and a boy's consuming hatred, which is the point of the story.

The Middle Ages Around the World

  • Castle by David Macaulay (1977). Detailed pen drawings show a castle and town being built in 13th-century Wales. Children who don't like narrative history often pore over this for hours.
  • The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli (1949). Robin loses the use of his legs during the plague years and learns to serve in a new way. The 1950 Newbery winner. Content note: illness and the Black Death, handled gently.
  • The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly (1928). A family guarding a mysterious jewel in Kraków in 1461–62. The 1929 Newbery winner, with alchemy, a great fire and a fine sense of place. Content note: some sword fighting and peril.
  • A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (2001). An orphan longs to become a potter in a 12th-century Korean village. The 2002 Newbery winner and a reminder that medieval history isn't only European.

Exploration, Early Modern and Modern History

  • The World of Columbus and Sons by Genevieve Foster (1965). Columbus's life set against Leonardo, Luther and the rest of his world. Foster's George Washington's World (1941) and Abraham Lincoln's World (1944) were both Newbery Honor books and do the same for later centuries.
  • I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Treviño (1965). The enslaved assistant of the painter Velázquez tells his own story, set in Seville and the Spanish court. The 1966 Newbery winner, and a natural bridge between art study and history. Content note: slavery, portrayed without graphic cruelty.
  • The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom with John and Elizabeth Sherrill (1971). A Dutch watchmaker's family hides Jewish refugees, and Corrie and her sister are sent to Ravensbrück. Content note: concentration camp conditions and a sister's death. 12 and up. More titles, sorted by age, in our best World War II books for students.
  • A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park (2010). Two Sudanese children, one in 1985 and one in 2008. Salva's story is based on Salva Dut, a real "Lost Boy" who later founded a charity to drill wells. Content note: war, deaths and a lion attack; short and suitable from about 10.

How to Build a World History Year

  1. Pick an era for the year. The classic four-year cycle runs ancient, medieval, early modern, modern, and repeats in more depth at each stage of school.
  2. Read the spine once or twice a week. Keep it short: one chapter, then have the child tell back what they heard. That spoken narration builds memory far better than worksheets.
  3. Add one living book per month. Use the lists above to pick a novel or illustrated history set in the era you're reading. Our living books guide for homeschool families has more beyond history.
  4. Keep a timeline and a map. Every person and book goes on the wall. Foster's books are especially good for this because they show events happening side by side.
  5. Mix in geography and myth. Our picks of geography books for homeschool families and mythology books for fifth graders pair naturally with ancient history.

For older students, trade the spine for Gombrich or Bauer's adult series, and add primary sources: Herodotus, a chapter of Bede, a letter from Columbus.

Stocking a History Shelf Secondhand

Many of these titles have been in print for fifty years or more, so used copies are plentiful, and older hardcovers often have better bindings than today's paperbacks. Browse our history collection and historical fiction, or search for Genevieve Foster and Rosemary Sutcliff. Orders over $15 ship free.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best world history curriculum spine for homeschool?

The Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer is the most widely used for elementary ages. For middle school, A Little History of the World by E.H. Gombrich is a strong single-volume choice.

How many volumes are in The Story of the World?

Four: Ancient Times, The Middle Ages, Early Modern Times and The Modern Age. Many families read one volume per year.

What age is The Story of the World for?

It works best read aloud to roughly ages 6 to 11. Older children can read it on their own, and Volume 4 covers harder twentieth-century history.

What are living books for history?

Living books are narrative books written by one author with a passion for the subject, like The Door in the Wall or The Golden Goblet, rather than textbooks written by committee.

What world history books work for high school homeschool?

Susan Wise Bauer's History of the Ancient World, Medieval World and Renaissance World, plus Gombrich and selected primary sources.

Is The Hiding Place appropriate for middle schoolers?

For most children 12 and up, yes. It describes concentration camp conditions and a death, but without graphic detail, and its faith and forgiveness themes make it a family favourite.

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