Do you need some great book ideas for studying early modern history?
Well, you’ve come to the right place.
Here you’ll find a wonderful literature list for early American history and early modern history. There are lots of picture books and even several chapter book choices.
I created this list because we plan to supplement our reading of Story of the World Volume 3 with lots of library books. But there were a few books that I knew we wouldn’t want to miss, so I’m ordering at least one book for each chapter. If we don’t make it to the library one week, I’ll know we have one extra book to enhance our studies. Plus, I wanted to build our home library with some history books!
It was difficult to narrow down the choices to only 1 or 2 per chapter but I did it – ok, some might have 3! (And these books are not necessarily the ones recommended in the activity guide, although some are.) These are just the books on my purchase list! Most are picture books that will be read aloud to my 8 and 6 year olds. A few are chapter books for my 8 year old to read on her own.
Chapter 1: A World of Empires
Mayas, Incas, and Aztecs: World Cultures Through Time
Chapter 2: Protestant Rebellions
You Wouldn’t Want to Be Mary Queen of Scots!
Who Was Queen Elizabeth?
Chapter 3: James, King of Two Countries
You Wouldn’t Want to Be An American Colonist
Pocahontas by Bruchac
Chapter 4: Searching for the Northwest Passage
Exploration and Conquest
Samuel de Champlain by Morganelli
Chapter 5: Warlords of Japan
You Wouldn’t Want to be a Samurai
Himeji Castle by Ball
Chapter 6: New Colonies in the New World
The New Americans: Colonial Times
If You Sailed on the Mayflower…
Chapter 7: The Spread of Slavery
The Jamestown Colony
Dear Benjamin Banneker
Chapter 8: The Middle of the East
Iran in Pictures
Chapter 9: The Western War
Rapunzel by Zelinsky
Germany in Pictures
Chapter 10: Far East of Europe
Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China
Chapter 11: The Moghul Emperors of India
Taj Mahal: A Story of Love and Empire
Chapter 12: Battle, Fire, and Plague in England
You Wouldn’t Want to be Sick in the 16th Century!
Chapter 13: The Sun King
Versailles by Tagliaferro
Chapter 14: The Rise of Prussia
Germany the Land
Snow White by Grimm
Chapter 15: A New World in Conflict
The Iroquis by Englar
Chapter 16: The West
The Year at Maple Hill Farm
I, Galileo
Chapter 17: Russia Looks West
Peter the Great by Stanley
The Sea King’s Daughter: A Russian Legend
Chapter 18: East and West Collide
Folktales of Turkey from Agri to Zelve
Chapter 19: The English in India
India the People by Kalman
The Jungle Book Classic Starts
Chapter 20: The Imperial East
I See the Sun in Myanmar
The Dragon Prince
Chapter 21: Fighting Over North America
Daniel Boone: Woodsman of Kentucky
Struggle for a Continent
Sign of the Beaver
Chapter 22: Revolution
And Then What Happened Paul Revere?
Liberty! How the Revolutionary War Began
Johnny Tremain
Chapter 23: The New Country
A More Perfect Union
Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution
Ben and Me
Chapter 24: Sailing South
Captain James Cook (Great Explorers)
Carry on Mr. Bowditch
Chapter 25: Revolution Gone Sour
Redoute: The Man Who Painted Flowers
You Wouldn’t Want to be an Aristocrat in the French Revolution
Chapter 26: Catherine the Great
Russia the Land
The Tale of the Firebird
Chapter 27: A Changing World
The Story of Eli Whitney
Making It Go: The Life and Work of Robert Fulton
Chapter 28: China and the Rest of the World
Confucius: Great Chinese Philosopher
A Time of Golden Dragons
Chapter 29: The Rise of Bonaparte
I, Crocodile
Louisiana Purchase by Roop
Chapter 30: Freedom in the Caribbean
Open the Door to Liberty
Tap, Tap
Chapter 31: A Different Kind of Rebellion
Thomas Jefferson by Harness
The Bobbin Girl
Chapter 32: The Opened West
How We Crossed the West
Lewis and Clark and Me
Chapter 33: The End of Napoleon
The War of 1812 by Mulhall
The Town that Fooled the British
Jean Lafitte: The Pirate Who Saved America
Chapter 34: Freedom for South America
The Gold Coin
Up and Down the Andes
Chapter 35: Mexican Independence
Famous People of Mexican History
The Legend of the Poinsettia
Chapter 36: The Slave Trade Ends
Amos Fortune Free Man
Only Passing Through
The Underground Railroad by Lasseiur
Chapter 37: Troubled Africa
Ashanti to Zulu
The Gift of the Sun
Chapter 38: American Tragedies
Trail of Tears by Bruchac
The First Strawberries
Chapter 39: China Adrift
Ruby’s Wish
Chapter 40: Mexico and Her Neighbor
A Picture Book of Davy Crockett
Susanna of the Alamo
Sam Houston: Standing Firm
Chapter 41: New Zealand and her Rulers
New Zealand ABC’s
New Zealand by Colson
Gold! Gold from the American River!
What Was the Gold Rush?
Further Reading
Literature List for Story of the World Volume 4
Chapter Book List for Story of the World Volume 4
Choosing Curriculum Wisely and Managing School Time
This is an excellent list! Thank you so much for sharing it!
Thanks! I'm glad you found it helpful! We are having so much fun with the books on this list! It's been a great year for history in our homeschool.