"Story of the World" is a four volume set of "storybooks" which tell the story of world history from the time of the nomads to events in the 20 century. To accompany the four volume set there is an audio version recorded by actor Jim Wiess and activity books to enhance your studies. The books are labeled for Grades 1-8. However based on our experience and the content of the series I would recommend using the set as follows: Volume 1 Grade 5, Volume 2 Grade 6, Volume 3 Grade 7 and Volume 4 Grade 8. I would highly recommend V.M. Hillyer's classic "A Child's History of the World" for children in Grades 1-4.

I recommend The Story of the World. While these books aren't perfect, they are still WAY better than most out there. We teach history with the Bible as the primary source and these books are a good supplement.Yes, there are some issues. On the very first page, these sentences appear: "A good history narrative is as strange and wonderous as a good fairytale. Kings, queens, mummies, wooden horses, knights and castles can be as fascinating as giants and elves - but they really existed!" Christians know that giants really DID exist. I expect my children to notice this discrepency (they did!) and it leads to great discussion.On the other hand, if you try to teach history from a book that is wall-to-wall lies (most of the alternatives), then the discussion becomes more exhausting, less fun, and downright defensive. I still recommend these books; we love them and I think you'll agree. Teach your children to explore sources, find the truth, and to check facts always...no matter WHO wrote something. You'll get more out of the books than just facts.

I taught from book 1 at a private, Christian school, and was going to order the set for my family (for reference and leisure reading) when I saw the accusations and decided it was worth checking out. I am happy to report that her statements do not hold up under further scrutiny--I have examined both the Bible and book 1. Abraham's father dies after they have left Ur and while they are living in Haran, but before Abraham is called by God to go to Canaan (Gen 11-12). Also, as far as I can see (in Gen), the Bible does not specify whether or not Benjamin was a part of making fun of making fun of Joseph or not--so, the history text appears to be just fine and Biblically aligned. My third graders last year loved book 1; this year, my 6th grader has enjoyed and learned from it as well. My 8th grader is also getting a lot our of the last book in the series...I highly recommend them for all ages.

My daughter has listened to all of these audios and LOVES them. She has learned so much from them that I would not have had time to teach her. We used them as a supplement to our Classical Conversations Timeline curriculum. Well worth the money.

This book doubles as a history book and Bible study. We can be talking about the Egyptian empire and then move right into Moses. I can use this history book to show how God has always protected his people. It shows how God protected Abraham, Joseph and Moses and how God promised Israel to the Jews and that he will be faithful to that promise, all while integrating seamlessly into history. There are some problems with the Bible account, but so do half the Sunday School stories we read. As long as you know the actual story, it is fine. I think it is a little too rough on Muslims and Catholics. It does introduce some myths, but it presents them as stories and focuses on the Bible. I don't have to worry about evolution or questions about people being around for hundreds of thousands years with this book. This is a good solution for the Christian home school, but make sure you have a solid understanding of the Bible first. This probably isn't good for people who don't already have a good background in the Bible truth.