Ideas for Ancients Reading?

[Jenny in Florida]

Well, here I've been cruising along thinking I was "all set" for next year. I knew I still had certain things to order or purchase, but I felt confident that the one thing I had all squared away was reading. I had some things still on the shelf when I did this the last time around with my daughter, and I've lucked into a few things in bargain bookstores, and I have a few things highlighted as "must haves."

 

Then, someone on the K-8 board asked what people had on their kids' reading lists for next year . . . and I realized that I had very few "readers," as in historical novels or fun/interesting "chapter books" to go along with the assorted non-fiction history reading.

 

I went back to the long list of possibles I assembled earlier in the year, but just can't find too many other things I'm excited enough about to order and pay retail to get.

 

So, I thought I'd beg for help.

 

Here's what I either have on hand already or know I will be buying:

 

Walking the Bible (Kids' illustrated version)

Top 10 Greek Legends: Zeus on the Loose

Horrible Histories: Rotten Romans

Mystery of the Roman Ransom (sequel to Detectives in Togas)

Aesop’s Fables

Children’s Homer

Place in the Sun

The Golden Goblet

Gilgamesh the Hero

D’Aulaire’s Greek Myths

Boy of the Painted Cavel OR Dar and the Spear Thrower

 

The "problem" is that he is reading about three times that amount this year. So, clearly I will need to have more stuff on hand.

 

A few of the "typical" choices for this era--Bronze Bow, Between the Dragon and the Eagle, Black Ships Before Troy, Detectives in Togas, Tales of Ancient Egypt--we read on the last cycle through this period, and he still remembers them. So, I need fresh ideas.

 

My son will be 10 next year, turning 11 in the spring. He is an enthusiastic, quick and capable reader. We haven't really found an upper limit to what he can read and comprehend, but he still prefers pages with decent-sized type and a fair amount of white space.

 

Help?

 

(And thanks!)

 

--Jenny

[Rebecca in VA]

have come from Bethlehem Books. Here's a link to the publisher:

 

http://www.bethlehembooks.com

 

They have a historical timeline (see left-hand column) so that you can choose books that match your time period.

 

We've enjoyed:

(1) Hittite Warrior (about Tyre, Sidon, the Hittite Empire, and the ancient Israelites);

(2) God King (about the Ku****e Pharaoh Taharka, who incidentally was on the cover of this past month's National Geographic); and

(3) Victory on the Walls (about the return of the Babylonian captives from Judah).

These three are all "boy books," but they were exciting and well-written enough to please my class of girls.

 

This week we're studying Ancient Greece, and we're reading Theras and His Town by Caroline Dale Snedecker (not a Bethlehem Book, but available through http://www.sacredheartbooksandgifts.com with free shipping available). It's a wonderful book that has been a staple for many years in the Calvert Grade 5 package.

[Rebecca in VA]

what I wrote about the Pharaoh. He was from Kush, and I was trying to use an adjective that described that. Apparently the board thought I was using a bad word. Oops.

[Laura Corin]

There's the Groovy Greeks (also Horrible Histories). There are also lots of Rosemary Sutcliff.

 

I have some stuff for ancient China in my list.

 

Laura

[AnneD]

novels....Outcast, Eagle of the Ninth, The Silver Branch, Lantern Bearers.

Also 'Between the Forest and the Hills' - Ann Lawrence, and 'He Went With Hannibal' - Louise Andrews Kent.

 

Hope this helps! Anne

[Beth in Central TX]

A few more...

 

The Golden Fleece by Colum

Heroes, Gods, & Monsters of the Greek Myths by Evslin

The Wanderings of Odysseus by Sutcliff

Within the Palace Gates by Siviter

Twice Freed by St. John

[Jenny in Florida]

. . . keep those suggestions coming!

 

--Jenny

[Sue G in PA]

The Cat of Bubastes (Anc. Egypt), The Beric of Briton (Rome?) by G.A. Henty? I loved the Cat of Bubastes (we opted for the audio though :)). Haven't gotten to The Beric of Briton yet, but it's supposed to be good.

[mcconnellboys]

Is the Gilgamesh book one of Zeman's? If so, I would add in the other two to fill out that series.

 

Bernard Evslin has out a very large series of mythology which is recommended in WTM. There is some language in some of the books that some might find troubling. They use modern art to illustrate the books and it was sometimes - ummmm, I don't know, not really disturbing I guess, but a little perplexing to me, perhaps...... But the story lines are good, sound mythology. I would suggest you preview them before deciding about them for your child. We did read them in middle school, from about age 10 up.

 

How about Eagle of the Ninth and the other two books in that series?

 

That's all I can think of right now, given what you've already covered.....

 

Regena

[pixelroper]

maybe I shouldn't put links to vendors??

 

great reading lists in:

 

Artner's Guide Amer. Hist.- living books learning

 

and Nothing New Press's: All Through the Ages- this one is huge reading lists by subjects & reading level, ancients on up

 

and don't forget TSotW activity books have reading lists for each chapter.

[karensk]

...then you may like The Children of Odin, also by Colum; these are Norse myths. Ds11 and I enjoy the Norse myths even more than the Greek ones. Other books ds has enjoyed this year, most of which have already been mentioned:

 

• Books by Rosemary Sutcliff (Black Ships Before Troy, Wanderings of Odysseus, The Silver Branch)
  
• The Golden Fleece by Padraic Colum
  
• Children's Homer by Padraic Colum
  
• Victory on the Walls: A Story of Nehemiah (Bethlehem Books)
  
• Famous Men of Greece
  

 

 

If you liked Tales of Ancient Egypt by Roger Lancelyn Green, you might want to look into his other books, like The Tale of Troy, Tales of the Greek Heroes, The Luck of Troy, Myths of the Norsemen.

 

Another ancient Greece book is Archimedes and the Door of Science (Bethlehem Books). All of the Bethlehem Books I've seen have larger font.

 

Ds11 has also enjoyed reading the color Fairy Books by Andrew Lang (we have Blue, Orange, Red and Violet). Though they're not in the "ancients," they go well with our ancient Greek studies because the fairy tales have some elements similar to myths. The only thing about the books we have is that the font is on the small side.

 

HTH!