I was a bookworm as a child. I spent many hours curled up on the couch with a book, and the library was one of my most cherished places in the world. One of my favorite genres was historical fiction. Back then, I didn’t realize how much I was learning from the books I was reading. I thought I was just having fun when I took notes on the names and reigns of French kings so I could better understand the trials and tribulations of my favorite characters in Alexander Dumas’s novels. I learned much more about history from my reading than from my history class in school.
As a homeschooling parent, I saw my children enjoy and learn from historical fiction. The books they read, or the ones we read together as a family, gave them a much better sense of history than any textbook ever could. They saw the historical events through the eyes of their favorite characters, and in their minds, they were transported to the time periods they read about. When books were engaging enough and contained enough adventure to hold their interest, my children almost felt like they’d lived through those time periods and had first-hand experience with life back then.
I’ve written about using living books for education before. This month, I’d like to discuss using living books for learning history. Fortunately, there are so many wonderful books out there, set in various locations and time periods. But there can never be enough good books! I am always on the lookout for book recommendations. Feel free to share some in the comments. Meanwhile, here are some of mine – the less known treasures out there. (I am not listing the classics and well known titles – they can be easily found all over the web!)
These books are set in ancient times. Next week, we’ll continue with the Medieval time period.
- The Lamp of Darkness: The Age of Prophecy Book 1 by Dave Mason and Mike Feuer. Set in Biblical time period, in the days of kings and prophets. The main character is 13, so I’d say the intended audience is young teenagers, but I enjoyed it as an adult. And it’s free on Kindle! (Note: there is a bit of romance, and the sequel gets much more into boy/girl relationships, so if that’s problematic for your family, you might want to preread.)
- The Gilded Cage: Queen Esther’s untold story by Sorale Brownstein is also set in the Biblical time period, but later on, in Persia. Intended for older teens and adults.
- The Golden Bull: A Mesopotamian Adventure by Marjorie Cowley is set in ancient Mesopotamia. It’s great for ages 9 and up.
- Warrior Scarlet by Rosemary Sutcliff is for great for teens, but it was an eye-opener for me as well. Set in Bronze Age Brittain. The writing is exquisite, and the location becomes its own character.
- Miranda the Great by Eleanor Estes is set in Ancient Rome, and the story is told through the point of view of a cat. Great for ages 8 and up.
- Word to Caesar by Geoffrey Trease is also set in Ancient Rome, but intended for a slightly older audience. Very well-written.
- Year of the Tiger by Allison Lloyd is set in ancient China. For pre-teens and teens.
Hope you enjoy these!
Here are links to my blog posts about the other time periods:
History through Literature – Medieval Time Period
History through Literature – Renaissance
History through Literature – Modern Time Period
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