Today, I have a list of engaging living books ancient history your kids will love. Also, look at my Ancient Civilizations page for fun hands-on ideas and free lapbooks to go with studying ancient history.
Studying ancient history is a fascinating and wide-reaching topic.
It should be taught in a way that draws a child into the period you’re studying about.
That is what a living book does as opposed to a dry boring textbook which kids can loathe.
Too, when I first started homeschooling, I knew what we were reading for history wasn’t presented to my kids in a way they could understand.
A list of dry boring facts does not stir critical thinking skills or nurture my sons’ love for wanting to learn more.
I wanted my sons to read books like I did while growing up.
Little did I know then, there was a name for a book that is lively, engaging, encourages conversations and that is a living book.
WHAT ARE LIVING BOOKS FOR KIDS
Also, through the years I’ve read many excellent definitions of what is a living book.
Be sure you take time to understand what they are so that when you study any topic, especially ancient history, you can bring the topic to life.
Besides, not all, but a lot of them are older books.
They were written at a time when authors did not talk to children, even very young children. And they were written before there was a banned book list or before libraries adopted politically correct views.
However, one of the best features of living books is that the author usually talk about the topic in a story or narrative form. All ages love stories. We never outgrow them.
Additionally, the author is not a textbook writer but an authority on the topic who has infectious enthusiasm for the topic.
This excites the reader.
Even books that are fictional history, the author can weave in dates, events, and details that are true. However, while the story is untrue it still can bring the history period to life.
It helps readers to understand the stream of time.
Additionally, keep this balance in mind as you learn about living books.
Not all vintage books are living books.
However, if you are considering one that is a classic, look for ones that are not edited and have beautiful artwork especially if it’s a picture book.
Many older print pictures books are beautiful and have a higher reading level than you may think.
MORE LIVING BOOKS FOR KIDS LIST & TIPS
- 5 Steps to Choosing Geography Living Books Your Children Will Love
- Ancient Civilization History Living Books
- 13 Living History Books about Ancient Greece
In addition, I have a 5-point checklist to help you decide what is a living book on my post 5 Steps to Choosing Geography Living Books Your Children Will Love.
Your definition and lists of books will grow as you homeschool longer.
Finally, look at this list of living book ancient history for kids.
13 ANCIENT HISTORY LIVING BOOKS FOR MULTIPLE AGES
Add one or two of these books to your day for a unit study or add them to your home library for books to keep.
It recounts the perilous adventures of Odysseus on his journey back from the war in Troy, including his encounter with the horrible Cyclops, the duplicitous Sirens, and the evil Circe. One of Colum’s many successful children’s novels, these stories will be enjoyed as much today as they were when they first appeared. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and is wonderfully illustrated by Willy Pogany.
Full of mischief, valor, ribaldry, and romance, The Arabian Nights has enthralled readers for centuries. These are the tales that saved the life of Scheherazade, whose husband, the king, executed each of his wives after a single night of marriage. Beginning an enchanting story each evening, Scheherazade always withheld the ending: A thousand and one nights later, her life was spared forever.
Ranofer wants only one thing in the world: to be a master goldsmith like his beloved father was. But how can he when he is all but imprisoned by his evil half brother, Gebu? Ranofer knows the only way he can escape Gebu's abuse is by changing his destiny. But can a poor boy with no skills survive on the cutthroat streets of ancient Thebes? Then Ranofer finds a priceless golden goblet in Gebu's room and he knows his luck−and his destiny−are about to change.
A slave and a cripple, A saint and a Roman officer, An Emperor and a conspirator . . . A city on fire! The events surrounding the burning of Rome and the subsequent Christian persecution provide the backdrop for this story of faith and friendship. A young slave from Britain finds himself in Rome at a tumultuous time. Through his acquaintance with Christians he comes to understand and love the new religion. Out of his zeal for the love of the Christ, he performs a great spiritual work of mercy that sadly goes awry. In the end, God's providence and mercy shine through.
The pictured wall of an Egyptian tomb supplied the inspiration for this unusual story, which takes place during the building of the Great Pyramid of Khufu more than 4,000 years ago. Kaffe and Sari, an Egyptian noble's son and a slave irl from the nomadic Sand People of the Sinai region, help solve a troublesome mystery and trap its culprit. All told against a colorfully detailed backdrop of ancient Egypt.
This is one of the oldest stories in the world, and it's about things that still matter to us today: friendship, fame, courage, happiness.Gilgamesh and Enkidu are friends -- best friends. Together they can work wonders, fight monsters, brave earthquakes, travel the world! But waiting in the dark is the one enemy they can never overcome.Retold by award-winning author Geraldine McCaughrean, and illustrated with great power by David Parkins, Gilgamesh the Hero is a story that will linger in the imagination long after the book has been put down.
Lucian is on the run from a pair of murderous soothsayers. Joy-in-the-Dance knows magic and marvels, and is on a quest. Fronto is a poet-turned-donkey who wants to break the spell that turned him into an animal. The three of them join forces and set out through Arkadia—on an amazing trip that will change their lives. “Master storyteller Alexander keeps the action brisk, packs the text with a riveting collection of weird characters, fantastic settings, plot twists, derring-do, heroes, villains, magic, prophecy, humor, shipwrecks, fires—what more could readers ask for?”—Kirkus Reviews
Jeanne Bendick, through text and pictures, admirably succeeds in bringing to life the ancient Greek mathematician who enriched mathematics and all branches of science. Against the backdrop of Archimedes' life and culture, the author discusses the man's work, his discoveries and the knowledge later based upon it. The simple, often humorous, illustrations and diagrams greatly enhance the text.Greece, 200 B.C.
A brother and sister's search for a new life and new home . . .5,000 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia during a terrible drought, Jomar and Zefa's father must send his children away to the city of Ur because he can no longer feed them. At fourteen, Jomar is old enough to apprentice with Sidah, a master goldsmith for the temple of the moongod, but there is no place for Zefa in Sidah's household. Zefa, a talented but untrained musician, is forced to play her music and sing for alms on the streets of Ur. Marjorie Cowley vividly imagines the intrigues, and harsh struggle for survival in ancient Mesopotamia.
A never-before published tale by the author of the best-selling Hittite Warrior carries the reader back to Ancient Egypt and biblical Jerusalem. It is 701 B.C—rule of the Kushite dynasty in ancient Egypt. Young Prince Taharka, a very minor royal son, succeeds unexpectedly to the throne of Kush and Egypt—a "divine" rulership. It's not long, however, before a treacherous plot pushes him into sudden exile and into the hands of Amos, an emissary of King Hezekiah seeking help against the Assyrians. Posing as a medical assistant, Taharka journeys with Amos to Judea where he encounters two kings in conflict. His true identity suddenly uncovered, he must choose with whom he will fight—the mighty Assyrian, Sennacherib, promising alliance, or Hezekiah, the Jew who trusts in Yahweh. A novel inspired by research on the historical King Taharka and his period. Includes an introduction, with home-education suggestions, by Daria Sockey.Egypt and Judea, 700 B.C.
Mara is a proud and beautiful slave girl who yearns for freedom in ancient Egypt, under the rule of Queen Hatshepsut. Mara is not like other slaves; she can read and write, as well as speak the language of Babylonian. So, to barter for her freedom, she finds herself playing the dangerous role of double spy for two arch enemies—each of whom supports a contender for the throne of Egypt. Against her will, Mara finds herself falling in love with one of her masters, the noble Sheftu, and she starts to believe in his plans of restoring Thutmose III to the throne. But just when Mara is ready to offer Sheftu her help and her heart, her duplicity is discovered, and a battle ensues in which both Mara’s life and the fate of Egypt are at stake.
Tao is an outcast. Unlike the great hunters of his clan, Tao does not want to kill the wild bears or woolly mammoths of the hunt. Instead he wants only to paint them. But only Chosen Ones can be cave painters. What's more, Volt, the clan leader, violently despises Tao. And when the other clan members discover Tao's secret talent, they cast him out into the wilderness alone. There, he befriends a wild wolf dog named Ram, and the mysterious Graybeard, who teaches him the true secret of the hunt.
Here are the greats of ancient Greece—gods and goddesses, heroes and monsters—as freshly described in words and pictures as if they were alive today. No other volume of Greek mythology has inspired as many young readers as this timeless classic. Both adults and children alike will find this book a treasure for years to come. “For any child fortunate enough to have this generous book . . . the kings and heroes of ancient legend will remain forever matter-of-fact; the pictures interpret the text literally and are full of detail and witty observation.”—The Horn Book
