5th Grade

Ancient Times (5000 BC to 400 AD) History is a story. Isn’t it time you read it that way? This engaging guide presents world history in a narrative format. What terrible secret was buried in Shi Huangdi’s tomb? Did nomads like lizard stew? What happened to Anansi the Spider in the Village of the Plantains? And how did a six-year old become the last emperor of Rome?

With over a million copies of the series now in print, The Story of the World has become an enduring favorite of young readers and their parents. Available in paperback, this four-volume narrative world history tells the story of the entire globe, from the earliest nomadic humans all the way to the Persian Gulf war at the end of the twentieth century. It now includes the Revised Edition of Volume 4. Told in an entertaining, engaging style, The Story of the World uses the stories of women and men, countries and empires, rebels and rulers, peasants and presidents, to walk young readers through a continuous, chronological account of human events. The reading level of each volume increases slightly in difficulty, growing along with the developing ability of the children following the narrative thread. Volume 1 is a read-aloud for grades 1-2, an independent read for stronger readers in grades 2-5; Volume 2 is pitched towards grades 2-6; Volume 3 (revised in 2020), towards grades 3-6; and Volume 4 (revised in 2021), tackling the difficult topics of modern wars, has a reading level of grades 4-8.