Welcome all Classical Conversation families! Additionally, welcome to homeschooling families that use this list to supplement their medieval history study!
A few notes about the arrangement of books in this post:
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- This booklist is a tool and not a checklist! Please use it to supplement your morning time routines or studies of CC memory work.
- My family will not read all these books listed each week. Instead, this will be a reference list for me to utilize in weekly book selections and in chapter book read alouds or read alones.
- The pictured links in the twenty-four week lists are arranged by picture books first followed by chapter book selections.
- Additional chapter books, audio books, missionary studies, and fine arts books, including a poetry section, are listed after the twenty-four week suggestions.
- I will not be providing a download of this list, but encourage you to write these suggestions in under the Memoria section of your Foundations Guides.
It is my hope that this list proves to be a wonderful resource for your family enabling you to make memories around the shared experience of reading great books. Enjoy!
*All links below are affiliate links.
Week 1:
What Really Happened In Medieval Times is a wonderful resource filled with 8 biographical short stories on figures such as: Joan of Arc, Saint Patrick, Martin Luther, and more.
Week 2:
Geography: English Channel
Week 3:
Geography Selections: France
I Juan de Pareja is a chapter book set in Spain and based on a true story. This is one you will want to read to the entire family ages 8/9 and up! A personal favorite of mine.
Week 4:
Week 5:
The Book of Boy holds some religious beliefs that you may want to clarify or discuss. Perhaps it is a good one to read like a book club with your older students such as 5th and 6th grade. Check out this review over at Redeemed Reader.
Timeline:
Week 6:
Week 7:
Week 9:
Week 10:
Week 11:
I was unable to find many resources on the French Revolution, with the exception of the two chapter books listed above (one of which was suggested by a reader), so I have opted to provide more books featuring France instead. Please leave your suggestions in the comments section. I welcome them!
Week 12:
Week 13:
Week 14:
Week 15:
Week 16:
Week 18:
Week 19:
A Single Shard is one of my all-time favorite books. Perfect for a meaningful read aloud!
Week 20:
Inside Out and Back Again is a book written in prose. The protagonist is based on the author’s real life experience moving to Alabama as a refugee after Vietnam. This book will provide many good discussion points about the treatment of people who are different from us in nationality, traditions, and religion. Check out Redeemed Reader’s post for discussion questions!
I suggest these two incredible books by Gary Schdmidt for read alouds. The Wednesday Wars for upper elementary and middle school, and the second for middle school due to sensitive content. These are two of my very favorite books! The Wednesday Wars ties in Shakespeare as well which is a bonus!
Week 21:
My Brigadista Year is a coming of age story set in Cuba just before the Bay of Pigs. Probably a good fit for 5th or 6th graders knowing that propaganda is woven in the story as a reality of the time and setting. However, I loved this story because it tells how Cuba became a literate nation in such a short amount of time. You can read more about this book over at Common Sense Media.
Week 22:
Week 23:
Week 24:
Audio Resources:
Additional chapter books to read aloud or to read alone:
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness is the first of a four book series by Andrew Peterson. Read more about the series here. The entire set is found in this book:
Missionary Biographies set during or just after WWII:
Supplemental Geography:
Books about our Great Artists:
Music for Composers Study:
Poetry: