Alrighty, folks! We’ve finally compiled a list of our favorite books selected from years of reading aloud together as a family – along with some short descriptions to give you an idea of what each book is about. Several missionary biographies are included in this list because… well, they’re just such compelling and inspirational accounts! (These books have become some the most valuable of all the stories we’ve shared as a family. It’s the reason we made an entire curriculum built around the lives of missionaries!) Also note that our children have enjoyed the Magic Tree House and Imagination Station books listed over on this page. We didn’t include those here because our children have mostly used those as independent reads.
For the sake of timing, I’m publishing this post even though we have a few other books that probably need to be added to this list. But… rest assured this booklist only includes our favorites (unless otherwise noted in the book description). We’ve read dozens of books that did not make the cut. These are all books we have invested in ourselves and thus feel comfortable recommending them to others. The following are affiliate links. By using our links when you shop through Amazon, you provide us with the means to continue providing free resources here at Half-a-Hundred Acre Wood. Thank you!
This is an ongoing work in progress. As we find really good books we can wholeheartedly recommend, we’ll return to update this post. Even though we realize that each family is different, we feel like you can’t go wrong in selecting your read aloud books from this list! We hope it is a blessing to you!
Egypt to Rome
Egypt & Israelites
A Cry from Egypt. A well-written blend of Jewish and Egyptian history (historical fiction) written from a Christian perspective. Brings the plagues and Exodus to life!
Lillian Trasher: The Greatest Wonder in Egypt. Founder of Egypt’s first orphanage, Lillian Trasher embarked on a life of service as “Mother of the Nile” as she cared for children in the midst of poverty, war, and disease. Part of our Mission: World Wonders study.
Where Are the Great Pyramids? With black-and-white illustrations on almost every page, this short read-aloud provides a fascinating look at the history of Ancient Egypt with insets about the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Herodotus, King Tut, religion, and more. We include selections from this series on our list for parents who are just starting out with reading aloud – or for students transitioning to reading chapter books independently.
Who Was King Tut? Another good book from the Who Was? series featuring Egypt’s most famous pharaoh. This one includes information on the Rosetta Stone and hieroglyphics, mummy-making and religion, and famous foreigners such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. (If you’re bothered by sentences beginning with coordinating conjunctions, this book tends to do that fairly often, in which case you’d probably prefer the previous option.)
Greece & Rome
Archimedes and the Door of Science. Bendick. An intriguing way to connect science to our history studies, this book brings to life the ancient Greek mathematician through amusing illustrations and diagrams and an engaging story.
Illustrated Stories from the Greek Myths OR The Usborne Book of Greek Myths OR Illustrated Stories from Aesop. Realizing that some prefer not to study the Greek Myths, I have provided the option of studying Aesop’s fables. I have read through large portions of each of these three books, and all of them are delightfully entertaining. (Illustrated Stories from Greek Myths is geared more towards younger children, and the longer Usborne Book of Greek Myths is geared more towards older children. Both are very well written and are more engaging (in my opinion) than D’aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths.)
Detectives in Togas. Winterfield. Mystery + history + a small dose of silliness = fun. Seven boys in Ancient Rome solve strange crimes, encountering a lot of amusing misadventure along the way. Another fun read is Mystery of the Roman Ransom, also by Winterfield.
The Bronze Bow. Speare. An enthralling and suspenseful novel about a young man determined to avenge his father’s death at the hands of the Romans. His hatred begins to dissipate as he comes into the presence and teachings of a carpenter from Nazareth. This one will be re-read in Challenge.
The Secrets of Vesuvius. Bisel. (OOP) Written by an archaeologist, this illustrated book (with color photos of the Herculaneum excavation and ruins) combines a work of historical fiction with actual findings – all told in an engaging format. Fascinating!
The White Stag. Seredy. The epic story of the westward migration of the Huns and Magyars and their leader Attila, who led their armies across Europe defeating the Roman Empire in pursuing the vision of the White Stag. Seredy’s writing style is a favorite in our family!
Roman Diary: The Journal of Iliona, A Young Slave. Experience the Roman Empire through the life of a Greek slave girl in this illustrated book written in diary form. Explore the baths, the senate, gladiatorial combat, and Roman feasts through this work of historical fiction. End notes includes maps, timelines, and additional details about the military, sports, games, religion, technology, and Rome itself. (Read aloud is for younger students. Older students may enjoy reading it independently.)
Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea, and Air. Illustrated book includes Pytheas the Greek, Leif Eriksson, Marco Polo, Zheng He (China + India), Columbus, Magellan, James Cook, David Livingstone, and more. Follow the Piccards as they soar to the stratosphere or plunge to the Marianas Trench – or scale Mount Everest with Norgay and Hillary.
Mathematicians Are People, Too (Volume 1). These short, engaging biographies of 15 mathematicians are a great way to explore mathematics with children – and teens! (I even used this book along with Volume 2 as a springboard when I subbed for Challenge classes.) Volume 1 includes a story about Pythagoras and Archimedes – and it includes Newton for when you get to Cycle 2.
India & China
India, Hinduism, and Age of Imperialism
Who Was Gandhi? Rau. A broad overview of the life of Gandhi with historical insets about things like the caste system. This is a great introduction to Gandhi.
Who Was Queen Victoria? Gigliotti. A great introduction to and broad overview of the reign of Queen Victoria with factual insets. Easy to understand and engaging for our children.
Sundar Singh: Footprints over the Mountains. Formerly a Sikh, Sundar Singh became a Christian sadhu and traveled across the Himalayas to share the gospel with Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs in the remote villages of India and Tibet. As he preached in Asia and later in Europe and America, his bold words and actions impacted the world. Powerful thoughts and a very different – and valuable – perspective! Part of our Mission: World Wonders study.
Ida Scudder: Healing Bodies, Touching Hearts. Originally refusing to ever become a missionary doctor, Ida Scudder submitted to God’s call to medicine after she witnessed the death of Indian women because of their religious beliefs. Part of our Mission: World Wonders study.
Paul Brand: Helping Hands. Although Paul Brand did not plan on becoming a missionary doctor to India, God called him into the field of medicine after preparing for a career in construction. Brand became the first surgeon in the world to perform reconstructive surgery on patients suffering from the deformities caused by leprosy. He has co-authored some of the most powerful and thought-provoking books I have ever read – Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, In His Image, and The Gift of Pain.
Amy Carmichael: Rescuer of Precious Gems. Amy Carmichael rescued hundreds of women and children in India as she defied the strongholds of India’s caste system.
Mimosa: A True Story by Amy Carmichael. An inspirational true story of a Hindu woman who came into contact with Amy Carmichael as a young child and heard of God’s love for her. Although she suffered a lifetime of persecution and adversity, Mimosa continued to trust in God. Amazing story!
George Muller: The Guardian of Bristol’s Orphans. George Muller opened his life up to caring for the orphans of Bristol during the reign of Queen Victoria. Amazing story of faith in action!
Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea, and Air. Illustrated (longer) picture book that may be used as a read-aloud for younger students. Includes Pytheas the Greek, Leif Eriksson, Marco Polo, Zheng He (China + India), Columbus, Magellan, James Cook, David Livingstone, and more. Follow the Piccards as they soar to the stratosphere or plunge to the Marianas Trench – or scale Mount Everest with Norgay and Hillary.
China & Japan
Hudson Taylor: Deep in the Heart of China. Pioneering missionary Hudson Taylor overcame persecution, hardship, and personal loss to bring the truth of God’s love to China. Part of our Mission: World Wonders study.
Gladys Aylward: The Adventure of a Lifetime. Although lacking a formal education or financial support, Gladys Aylward embarked for China to share the good news of the Gospel. Learn about how she became the “official foot inspector” of China, how she calmed an angry mob of prisoners, and how she lead nearly one hundred Chinese orphans across the mountains during World War II.
Isobel Kuhn: On the Roof of the World. Originally an agnostic, Isobel Kuhn later accepted God’s call for her life as a missionary to China, where she served among the Lisu in the remote mountains of China and Thailand.
Heart of a Samurai. Preus. A gripping biographical novel about Manjiro, a 14-year-old boy who is rescued by Americans during the period of isolation. After many years of living in America, Manjiro is imprisoned when he returns to Japan, only later to find himself in the unique position of convincing the shogun to open Japan’s borders to outsiders.
Shipwrecked!: The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy. Blumberg. A shorter illustrated version of the story of Manjiro.
Arabia & Africa
Arabia/Muslim Empire
Tales Of Persia: Missionary Stories From Islamic Iran. This wonderfully engaging and encouraging book of missionary tales teaches readers about Islam and includes scripture readings that tie into each biographical story. Great read aloud for young and old alike!
Africa
David Livingstone: Africa’s Trailblazer (Christian Heroes: Then & Now). Benge. This fascinating biography recounts the adventures of David Livingstone, giving a glimpse of the lands and peoples of Africa, the slave trade, and other events on our timeline.
A Long Walk to Water. Set in the midst of the Sudanese conflict, this story follows the lives of Nya and Salva, two children whose lives eventually intersect in an amazingly profound way. Part of our Mission: World Wonders study.
Mary Slessor: Forward into Calabar. Mary Slessor answered God’s call to minister to the unreached, dangerous tribes of Western Africa, breaking the stronghold of superstition through God’s love. Part of our Mission: World Wonders study.
Charles Mulli: We Are Family. Abandoned as a child, Charles Mulli rose to great wealth as an entrepreneur in Kenya but later sold his company to found Mully Children’s Family, a charitable organization to provide homes for the street-children of Kenya. Beautiful story! Part of our Mission: World Wonders study.
The Americas
Mesoamerica & Native Americans
Exploration and Conquest: The Americas After Columbus: 1500-1620 (American Story) This is a thin book that would be considered more of a picture book than a read aloud, but it relates to several memory work sentences. This book provides a good overview but it is honestly not one of our favorites. It heavily portrays European explorers as greedy and cruel to the Native Americans.
Om-Kas-Toe. Thomasma. I wanted to select a story featuring Native Americans because our memory work does not provide much of a chance to go into this culture much. This author and this book come highly recommended by trusted sources. Although we enjoyed this book, it was not a top pick for us. Kenneth Thomasma has other books we have not yet read but are highly reviewed by other companies.
Cameron Townsend: Good News in Every Language. Responding to a Cakchiquel man’s probing question “if your God is so great, why can’t he speak my language?” Cameron Townsend started Wycliffe Bible Translators with the dream of making the Gospel available in every language. Fascinating perspective on language – especially as we compare his insights to the study of learning a challenging language like Latin! Latin’s really not so tough, after all! Part of our Mission: World Wonders study.
Canada
Explorers Who Got Lost. Sansevere-Dreher. Engaging stories about world explorers, including Dias, de Gama, Columbus, Cabot, Magellan, Verrazano, Cartier, and Hudson. Can use for all three cycles.
Wilfred Grenfell: Fisher of Men. An English doctor, Wilfred Grenfell left his ministry among the fishermen of the North Sea to work among the poor fishing communities along the Labrador coast in Newfoundland. Grenfell founded hospitals, schools, orphanages, and fishermen co-ops as he shared the hope of the gospel with those who often fell into a life of despair. Part of our Mission: World Wonders study.
South America
Clarence Jones: Mr. Radio. Despite his lack of interest in religion, Clarence Jones ended up playing the trombone for Chicago’s Moody Church where he came to know Christ. In Chicago, Jones pioneered Christian radio broadcasts, later founding Radio HCJB and the World Radio Missionary Fellowship in Ecuador, which broadcasted across the world during the dark times of World War II. Part of our Mission: World Wonders study.
Nate Saint: On a Wing and a Prayer. Benge. Another inspiring missionary biography (which ties into our timeline event Jim & Elisabeth Elliot). His air service ministry opened up doors for isolated missionaries, later leading to a final flight with four missionary friends who gave up their lives to bring the gospel to the unreached Auca tribe. We love almost all the books in this series, which was the catalyst for our Mission: World Wonders program. “It has been said that possibly no single event of the twentieth century awakened more hearts to God’s call to serve in missions.” For a different perspective on the same story, take a look at Jim Elliot: One Great Purpose.
Rachel Saint: A Star in the Jungle is great to follow it up with because it continues the story from Nate’s sister’s perspective, and you can see the amazing power of forgiveness and love – and how it radically transformed the lives of the ruthless Waoroni tribe. Part of our Mission: World Wonders study.
Science & Fine Arts
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. This book is a top-notch absolute favorite for our family. Although this book does not tie in to our Cycle 1 history, it is loosely connected to our memory work because of the nautical / Cycle 1 science connections – and it is a wonderfully fascinating book that encourages a love of learning. We have enjoyed this book so much that we’re read it multiple times. (And it will be re-read again in Challenge.) Some prefer to read it in conjunction with American history, but it’s good to read no matter which cycle you’re in!
Nim’s Island. A modern-day Robinson Crusoe story. The science connections in this book include weather and storms, ecology and rainforests, oceanography (with some cartography), volcanoes and geographical features, and zoology.
Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea, and Air. Illustrated (longer) picture book that may be used as a read-aloud for younger students. Includes Pytheas the Greek, Leif Eriksson, Marco Polo, Zheng He (China + India), Columbus, Magellan, James Cook, David Livingstone, and more. Follow the Piccards as they soar to the stratosphere or plunge to the Marianas Trench – or scale Mount Everest with Norgay and Hillary.
Who Was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? With black-and-white illustrations on almost every page, this short read-aloud provides a fascinating biographical account of Mozart’s life while providing a look into 18th century Europe as it explores the history of the opera and the orchestra. Also a great option to provide as personal reading for an independent reader.
A printable Cycle 1 Read Alouds Book List is included in the appendix of our CC Cycle 1 Planner with Planning Resources packet. To view our favorite CC Cycle 1 Picture books, click here.
Other related posts:
CC Cycle 1 Leveled Readers
CC Cycle 1 & Cycle 2 Magic Tree House and Imagination Station
CC Cycle 1 & Cycle 2 Who Was Book List
CC Cycle 1 Overall Booklist
CC Cycle 1 Planners
CC Cycle SOTW MOH Reading Correlations
CC Cycle 1 Free Supplemental Resources Page