This is an amazing addition to the World's Story series. The artwork is amazing, plus all the maps and side notes. It is written in an easy to read narrative. It starts off with the exploration age and colonization. It covers the heartbreaking nature of the slave trade and its effect on the world. It covers various events and many wars like the French Revolution, the World Wars and war in the Middle East. This is a pretty hefty history course. Also, the dark parts of history are not sugar coated. I am having my 8th grade son do this course but I probably would not have my (young)6th grader jump in. My kids are on the path of finishing this series by the end of 8th grade. The TG has sections for mapwork and written narrations. It also has added sections that are not in the previous books in the series. One is the Abandoned places. Both my son and I found this really interesting. Another new section is the "Creative Output" where the student will do things like character studies. My favorite section is the "Worldview Checkup". There is also an optional timeline project and digging deeper projects. This is such a full and rich curriculum with lots of extras and optional things that makes it easy to tailor it to each student. I watched a video by the author and she suggested that this course would be best suited for 8th grade and up.

You know its going to be a good book when the author takes time to pray a blessing over your student! I love how Mrs. Odell makes the book as if she is having a conversation with the student, which it's great because it helps the student feel more involved and engage in History!

Like World's Story 1 and 2, World's Story 3 is a beautiful text full of rich illustrations, artwork, and photography. The lessons are fun, engaging, and not painfully drawn out. The maps and analysis questions really help tie history and geography together. There are plenty of narration breaks for those that enjoy the Charlotte Mason approach.

As always, I appreciate the Biblical worldview.

Although it isn't necessary, I would not want to be without the Teacher's Guide for this one. It is a truly invaluable resource.

Overall, this is an engaging, beautiful, well-written history curriculum perfect for middle school students.

History curriculum has sure come a long way since I was in middle school. How I wish I would have had The World's Story in place of the dry, boring history lessons that I had to endure. This text is amazing! The lessons are fun and engaging as they teach about notable historical events all the way up through the 21st century. It picks up from where The World's Story 2 leaves off. This time students will be first introduced to the Renaissance, an age of exploration and discovery. This is an exciting period to start off with, and Angela O'Dell does a wonderful job at helping students envision that point in time. There's also beautiful imagery and photography to go along with the lessons. When the text and illustrations are coupled together, it really helps bring history to life right before our eyes. I enjoy the narration breaks, which actually help students reflect on what they've just read, allowing them to dive deeper into a particular topic of discussion.

After the Age of Exploration, the lesson timeline then moves on to important moments in history such as (but not limited to) the French Revolution, Spanish Empire, Victorian Era, World War I, World War II, Cold War, and even the Law of Return. The final lesson ends with modern day events. I was especially excited to see the Law of Return included in this text, which is not something you always find in traditional history books. Being a Christian family, this is a very significant historical event that holds special meaning to us. That brings me to my favorite aspect of this text, which is the fact that everything is written from a Christian worldview. We are not only learning important details from events throughout history, but are doing so in a way that perfectly aligns with our own personal belief system, which is fantastic!

I highly recommend getting the teaching guide that goes along with this student text. It really is a tremendous resource to compliment the student text and definitely cuts down on planning time. The World's Story 3 Teacher Guide includes material lists, outlines of lesson objectives, and even a suggested daily schedule for each semester. There are also tons of student activities and projects that are both fun and engaging. One other factor that I definitely want to mention when choosing the World's Story over other history curriculum is the fact that it is so inexpensive. Even purchasing the teaching guide together with this student text is still less than some of the history curriculum that I've personally come across. It is definitely advantageous for homeschoolers who are looking for a top-notch, quality history program on a budget.

Exciting, engaging and full of wonderful pictures this the third in a series by Angela Odell is sure to be loved. This book covers the time period from Exploration to Modern Times. Angela carefully engages students through this very difficult time in history that leads to where we are today. Challenging them to utilize their thinking skills to observe and determine not just historical events but how they impact us today. I love this serious because not only is it open and go(if you need it to be) but is so engaging the whole family may want to sit in, listen and look. Throughout this book you are constantly reminded God is always there and in control even in the hard times. I highly recommended pairing this book with the Teachers Guide which is full of great activities to accompany this book. This is our family favorite history series.