Now you can travel to far-off lands with your children as the long-awaited volume 4 is here!

While this series is primarily geared toward 1-6 graders, this volume works well with middle school students too.

In the lively style introduced to us by Ann Voskamp, A Child’s Geography: Explore Medieval Kingdoms will take you and your fledgling geographers on an amazing adventure through our Father’s world.

Imagine walking in the footsteps of great leaders and influencers of the medieval world… Charlemagne, Ferdinand and Isabella, Joan of Arc, Johannes Gutenberg, Martin Luther… Read their stories and live the adventure of sending explorers out into uncharted seas, the excitement of inventing the printing press, and the anxiety of starting a religious firestorm. As we explore Medieval Kingdoms, you and your family will delight in breathtaking landscapes, hidden wonders, and beautiful people – all created in God’s image.

This is a complete, stand-alone Geography and History Curriculum that covers the geography of Western Europe and medieval history. 

Over the course of 15 chapters, explore 12 countries of Western Europe – Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Monaco, France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands – through:

~the engaging text and vivid full-color photos of a “living book”
~narration prompts to cement learning and understanding
~notebooking, timeline and mapping activities for context
~helpful pronunciations and full definitions in glossary
~activities that focus on art, music, poetry and the delicious food of each country
~optional prayer walk for each country
~240 page full color softcover book
~bonus content available to download

Do you and your children desire to catch a passion for God and all His peoples around this glorious globe?

Come. Let’s go into all the world.

What you need to know:

• This book is sure to delight ages 4 to 104, but is written primarily for grammar age explorers (gr 1-6)
• 240 pages packed with delightful information
• Softcover book + download link for reproducibles – price $39.95
• Ebook (identical to print book with downloadable reproducibles) – price $29.95
• Both printed book and ebook include reproducibles in the form of timeline pages, maps, lesson plans, recipes, additional reading, activities, and more.

The Child's Geography series was started by Ann Voskamp, who was inspired by Virgil Hillyer's Child's Geography. Hillyer is famous for his conversational tone and engaging way of presenting facts. Voskamp wanted an up-to-date version of Hillyer's geography while still preserving his style and approach. Terri Johnson picks up where Voskamp left off in Explore the Classical World, taking you through the culture and geography of the countries around the Mediterranean while also incorporating ancient history.

How Does This Work?

This isn't a textbook so much as a history book for parents and children to read together, although this book could also be read independently by middle school students. Recipes and menus from the different countries or time periods are sprinkled through the text. At the end of the chapter students write "field notes" in a student notebook.

The CD-Rom contains most of the resources and activities that correspond to the text, including a "bringing it home" section that incorporates art, books, food, music, and poetry from the various countries.

Though suggested for grades 1-6, the writing style and activities skew a bit older. They would be appropriate for independent study, although they would probably be more fun done in a group.

Our Honest Opinion:

This a fun, friendly, engaging introduction to geography that's geared toward the parent wanting to teach multiple grades at once. It's more laid-back than a lot of other geography curriculum you'll find, which means the scheduling is more flexible.

In formatting, this volume is not as well-designed as volume I, but it's an improvement from volume II. Terri Johnson's writing style is for an older audience than Ann Voskamp's, but it's equally engaging. It captures the geography and culture of the classical world, and we think it'd be a great jumping-off point for more in-depth study later on.

Review by Lauren Shearer Lauren Shearer writes words for fun and profit. She also makes films, but everyone knows you can't make a profit doing that. Her other hobby is consistently volunteering way too much of her time. You can read more of her reviews here.