Chronological History

Sometimes we speak of world history as though it belongs to people. It doesn't—it belongs to God, and though people play prominently within the historical narrative, it always remains under God's auspices and control. The problem with losing the right perspective isn't that we'll get the facts wrong, it's that we'll fail to understand what they mean, what the purpose of past events is, and what we can look forward to.

Human history began all at once in the same place: the Garden of Eden, where God made Adam and Eve as the crown of all Creation. He told them to fill the earth and take dominion of it, and He also told them not to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. They ate the fruit anyway, and mankind was removed from paradise and introduced to tension, pain, and resistance.

The story of the world is in many ways simply the story of adversity. For the enemies of God, it's adversity in the form of the failure and futility of purely human endeavor; for God's people, it's the story of fighting for the truth against secular philosophies, fighting for holiness despite the pervasiveness of sin, and fighting for the Gospel in the face of persecution and death.

Jesus Christ is our only hope. He is the Prince of Peace, the defeater of Death, and the King of the Universe, the saver of souls and the punisher of wickedness. His kingdom is the restoration and glorious fulfillment of the paradise from which Adam and Eve were removed, and we work, wait, hope and pray for the quick fulfillment of His will in all things.

This is our framework for history. While it's important to study things like the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, and the ancient Near East, it's only important when investigated through the lens of God's ultimate sovereignty and plan. The story of mankind is the story of redemption, and only when we analyze battles, kings, treaties, and catastrophes from God's perspective can we truly make sense of them.

Otherwise, it's all fairly irrelevant and useless. Sure, there's Napoleon's dictum that those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it, but a quick survey of the past will show that each successive generation does repeat the sins of their fathers, and that without Christ's real physical life on Earth as a centering point, there's no real cause for optimism or hope of any kind.

Christ's love not only makes the trajectory of history cause for hope; it reveals the truly great moments of the past, events that to the secular eye seem insignificant or even pernicious. We're speaking of the progress of the true Church, of course, and of each soul that God calls and makes His own through the agency of His Holy Spirit. These are the milestones we look for and celebrate.

We carry a lot of world history products. Because it's the story of God's work in the world and our human responses, we believe it's important to know and understand. Not everything we carry is Christian; there are plenty of secular resources here. We encourage you to use whichever ones work best for your situation, but that you do so with a view to understanding the will and work of the One who made history in the first place.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

Did you find this review helpful?
82 Items found Print
Active Filters: 2nd grade (Ages 7-8), Perfectbound
ABC Book of Early Americana
by Eric Sloane
2012 Dover from Dover Publications
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
$10.95
Abe's Honest Words
by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Kadir Nelson
from Disney-Hyperion
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Abraham Lincoln
A Rookie Biography
by Carol Greene
from Children's Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
America in the Time of Lewis and Clark
by Sally Senzel Isaacs
from Heinemann-Raintree
for 2nd-5th grade
in 19th Century America (Location: HISA-19C)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Ancient Egyptians
History Opens Windows
by Jane Shuter
Revised and Updated from Heinemann-Raintree
for 1st-3rd grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Anne of Jamestown
by Anne Price-Hardister, illustrated by Ruby Gardner
from Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
for 2nd-6th grade
in Jamestown Colony (Location: HISA-17JA)
Bold Composer
Creative Minds Biographies
by Judith P. Josephson, illustrated by Barbara Kiwak
from Lerner Publishing Group
for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Boy Who Loved Bugs
by Molly Sanchez, illustrated by Larissa Sharina
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Preschool-2nd grade
in GATB Science & Health (Location: CUR-GABSc)
Calamity Jane
by Doris Faber
from Houghton Mifflin
for 1st-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?
by Jean Fritz, illustrated by Tomie dePaola
from Coward McCann
for 2nd-4th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Central Pacific Railroad
Cornerstones of Freedom Second Series
by Clark J. Evans
from Children's Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Civil Rights Movement in America
Cornerstones of Freedom
by Elaine Landau
Reprint from Children's Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Dear Benjamin Banneker
by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
from Houghton Mifflin
for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.49 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Declaration of Independence
Documenting U.S. History
by Elizabeth Raum
from Heinemann-Raintree
for 2nd-5th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Discovering Mars
by Melvin Berger, revised and updated by Mary Kay Carson
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Our Solar System (Location: SCI-AST)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Draw the Titanic
by Andrew Staiano, illustrated by Jason Pederson
from Scholastic Inc.
for All ages
in Drawing for Beginners (Location: ELE-ARTDRAW)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Early Settler Storybook
from Crabtree Publishing
for 1st-4th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Emperor's Egg
by Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Jane Chapman
from Candlewick Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.64 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Explore Greek Myths!
by Anita Yasuda, illustrated by Mike Crosier
from Nomad Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Famous Figures of the Renaissance
from Figures in Motion
for Kindergarten-6th grade
in Renaissance & Reformation (Location: HISW-REN)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Farmland Innovator
Creative Minds Biographies
by Catherine A. Welch, illustrated by Jan Naimo Jones
from Lerner Publishing Group
for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
from kahoku Shimpo Publishing Co
for 1st-Adult
in Japan (Location: HISMC-JAP)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Greenleaf Ancient Egypt Study Package
by Cynthia Shearer
from Greenleaf Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
Happy Birthday, Dr. King!
by Kathryn Jones, Illustrated by Floyd Cooper
from Modern Curriculum Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
Hero Over Here
by Kathleen V. Kudlinski
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Hieroglyphs
by Joyce Milton, illustrated by Charles Micucci
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 1st-4th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
How People Learned to Fly
Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Stage 2
by Fran Hodgkins, illustrated by True Kelley
from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Inventions & Discoveries (Location: SCI-INV)
I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 - Graphic Novel
by Lauren Tarshis, art by Haus Studio
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-5th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$4.40 (1 in stock)
I Wonder Why Greeks Built Temples
by Fiona Macdonald
from Kingfisher
for 1st-4th grade
in Ancient Greece (Location: HISW-ANGR)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
If You Grew Up With George Washington
If You Were There
by Ruth Belov Gross
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
If You Were a Kid in a Medieval Castle
by Josh Gregory, illustrated by Sebastian Gomez
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
If You Were a Kid in the Thirteen Colonies
by Wil Mara, illustrated by Lluis Farre
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
John Hancock
by Candice Ransom
from Barnes & Noble
for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Johnny Appleseed
A Step into Reading Book Level 3
by David L. Harrison, Illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka
from Random House
for 1st-3rd grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Knights & Castles
by Avery Hart, Paul Mantell
from Williamson Publishing Company
for 2nd-8th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Lady Liberty: A Biography
by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Matt Tavares
from Candlewick Press
for 1st-4th grade
in U.S. Monuments & Symbols (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Learn About Pyramids
by Peter Mellett
from Hermes House
for 1st-3rd grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Learn About Pyramids
by Peter Mellett
from My Father's World
for 2nd-5th grade
in Ancient Egypt (Location: HISW-ANEG)
$8.00 (4 in stock)
Life in Early America
by Jeanne S. Chall, selections
from Andrews McMeel
for 2nd-3rd grade
in McGuffey's Readers & Other Primers (Location: REA-MCG)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Life on a Plantation
Historic Communities
by Bobbie Kalman
from Crabtree Publishing
for 2nd-6th grade
in Everyday Life in History (Location: HISV-EVERY)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Living in Space
by Katie Daynes, illustrated by Zoe Wray
from Usborne
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Usborne Beginners (Location: SCI-USBREA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Louis Armstrong and the Jazz Age
Cornerstones of Freedom
by Dan Elish
Reprint from Children's Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Mars Exploration 1960-2016
by Megan Noel
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Space Race & Exploration (Location: HISA-20SPR)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Mesmerized
by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Ms. Frizzle's Adventures: Ancient Egypt
by Joanna Cole, Bruce Degen (Illustrator)
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Musical Memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder - with CD
Experience History Through Music
by Diana Waring
from Diana Waring Presents
for 1st-6th grade
in Diana Waring History Revealed (Location: OHIS-DWHR)
My Name is York
by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth
from Rising Moon Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Mystery of the Maya
by Peter Lourie
from Boyds Mill Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Ancient America (Location: HISW-ANAM)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims
by Robert San Souci, illustrated by N.C. Wyeth
from Chronicle Books
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
Nathan Hale
Hidden History: Spies
by Aaron Derr, Illustrated by Tami Wicinas
from Red Chair Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Picture Book of Florence Nightingale
by David A. Adler, illustrated by John & Alexandra Wallner
Repackaged from Holiday House
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Pioneer Children of Appalachia
by Joan Anderson, photography by George Ancona
from Clarion Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Plymouth Thanksgiving
by Leonard Weisgard
Reprint from Doubleday Book For Young Readers
for Kindergarten-5th grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Riding on a Caravan
by Laurie Krebs, illustrated by Helen Cann
from Barefoot Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Rosa
by Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by Bryan Collier
from Square Fish Publishing
for 1st-4th grade
2006 Caldecott Honor Book
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.49
Rosa
by Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by Bryan Collier
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
2006 Caldecott Honor Book
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Ruby Bridges Goes to School
Scholastic Reader Level 2
by Ruby Bridges
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Scholastic / Hello Reader! (Location: EAR-SCH)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Sacajawea: Wilderness Guide
by Kate Jassem
from Troll Publishing
Biography for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Schoolhouse Blizzard
by Shannen Yauger, illustrated by Alessia Turchie
from The Good and the Beautiful
for 1st-3rd grade
in GATB Science & Health (Location: CUR-GABSc)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
Secrets of the American Revolution
by Tyler Omoth
from Capstone Press
for 1st-4th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Sophie Takes to the Sky
by Katherine Woodfine, illustrated by Briony May Smith
from Kane Miller
for 1st-3rd grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Star of Fear, Star of Hope
from Bloomsbury Publishing
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Story of Abraham Lincoln
by Carla Jablonski, illustrated by Patrick Corrigan
from Rockridge Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.80 (1 in stock)
Story of Mae Jemison
by Amy Drorbaugh, illustrated by Marta Koshulinska
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Story of Maria Merian
by Ashlee Klemm, illustrated by Anna Speshilova
from The Good and the Beautiful
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in GATB Science & Health (Location: CUR-GABSc)
Story of the Mayflower Compact
from Children's Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the Spirit of St. Louis
Cornerstones of Freedom
by R. Conrad Stein
from Children's Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
True Book: The Declaration of Independence
A True Book
by Elaine Landau
from Children's Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
True Book: The New York Colony
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Colonial America (1690-1765) (Location: HISA-17COL)
True Book: The Oregon Trail
A True Book
by Mel Friedman
from Children's Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in Oregon Trail (Location: HISA-19OR)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Understanding the Bill of Rights
by Sally Senzell Isaacs
from Crabtree Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in New Nation (1783-1801) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Usborne Astronomy and Space Sticker Book
from Usborne
for 1st-6th grade
in Sticker Books (Location: ACT-STICK)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Very First Thanksgiving Day
by Rhonda Gowler Greene, illustrated by Susan Gaber
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer
by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Ekua Holmes
from Candlewick Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
2016 Caldecott Honor Book; 2016 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book; 2016 John Steptoe New Talent Illustrator Award Winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Voice of the Paiutes
Creative Minds Biographies
by Jodie Shull, illustrated by Keith Birdsong
from Lerner Publishing Group
for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Westward Ho! - with CD
Experience History Through Music
by Diana Waring
from Diana Waring Presents
for 1st-6th grade
in Diana Waring History Revealed (Location: OHIS-DWHR)
What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?
by Jean Fritz
from PaperStar Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in New Nation (1783-1801) (Location: HISA-18NN)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
When Washington Crossed the Delaware
by Lynne Cheney
from Simon & Schuster Macmillan
for Preschool-3rd grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Who Was J. R. R. Tolkien?
by Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso, illustrated by Jonathan Moore
from Penguin Workshop
for 2nd-5th grade
in Who Was? biographies (Location: BIO-WHO)
$5.94
Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
from Hampton-Brown
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Writing for Freedom
Creative Minds Biographies
by Erica Stux, illustrated by Mary O'Keefe Young
from Lerner Publishing Group
for 2nd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
You Wouldn't Want to Be a Victorian Servant!
by Fiona Macdonald, illustrated by David Antram
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Great Britain / England (Location: HISMC-BRIT)
$4.00 (1 in stock)