The Story of the World Volume 2
A captivating, story-based journey through the Middle Ages—where castles, crusaders, and chocolate (yes, really) make history feel exciting, understandable, and downright fun.
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2026 Second-Grade Curriculum Kit
The Story of the World Volume 2
Medieval history is filled with kings, explorers, invasions, trade routes, changing empires, and enough unexpected stories to make it feel stranger than fiction. Volume 2 takes those events and organizes them into a story-driven history program covering world history from the fall of Rome through the beginning of the Renaissance.
Students encounter knights, samurai, Viking raids, rulers, religious movements, explorers, and civilizations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and beyond as they learn how people and events shaped the medieval world.
Designed primarily for grades 1–6, Volume 2 serves as the second book in Susan Wise Bauer’s four-volume world history series.
Inside the text, families will find:
- Black-and-white illustrations
- Maps throughout the book
- Pronunciation guides for unfamiliar names and places
- Chronological organization that helps students understand how events connect across time
Rather than presenting medieval history as a series of isolated names and dates, the text uses narrative lessons to help students understand the relationships among people, places, events, and cultures.
Families can read aloud together, assign independent reading, or use the text as the foundation for a full year of medieval history study.
The Story of the World is not faith-based but introduces important historical figures, cultures, and religions throughout world history.
See some sample pages from the first part of Story of the World: Volume 2.
How to Use The Story of the World Volume 2: The Middle Ages
- Read one chapter aloud together, and assign independent reading. Many families complete one or two chapters each week, depending on schedule and age level.
- After each chapter, ask your child to retell what happened. Narration helps students organize information, strengthen comprehension, and retain historical events without requiring additional worksheets.
- A pace of approximately three chapters every two weeks gives students time for reading, activities, review, and discussion while still allowing most families to complete the book during a typical school year.
Whether reading, listening, or discussing, the goal is simple: help students connect medieval history into one continuous story rather than isolated events and dates.
View a sample from The Story of the World Volume 2
Publisher's Information
Author: Susan Wise Bauer
Number of Pages: 416
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Well-Trained Mind Press
Edition/Copyright: 2007, 2nd edition
Made In: USA
ISBN: 781933339092
Consumable: No
Faith-Based: No
The Old Schoolhouse Excellence in Education WinnerFind answers to the most frequently asked questions about this product below:
Families can successfully begin with whatever time period most interests them. Some families prefer starting with ancient times and unraveling the story sequentially until modern times. Yet because the full scope of history is taught repeatedly up through high school, it is okay to skip volumes, knowing that the same events will be covered later.
One difference between the two series is their target age. The Story of the World is primarily for elementary students, with Volume I recommended for 1st through 4th grade and Volume IV for 4th through 8th grade. The Mystery of History's reading level begins at about 4th or 5th grade in Volume I and progresses to 10th or 11th grade in Volume IV, although it is easily adaptable for multiple ages.
Another key difference is the religious perspective. The Story of the World aims to narrate from a neutral perspective. It covers major religious characters and historical events but does not endorse a particular religious view. The Mystery of History is written from a clearly Christian perspective and integrates biblical and church history into the text.
A minor difference between the two series is the student work involved. The Story of the World revolves around the narrative, so all activities, while engaging, are optional. The Mystery of History is also narrative-based but expects more student work. Nonetheless, it is highly adaptable to each student's age and family preferences.
Throughout history, religion has played a major role in shaping the world for significant reasons:
- Religion has shaped the development of civilizations. Many of the world's major civilizations, such as ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, were founded on religious beliefs. Religion has also played a role in law, government, and education development.
- Religion has been a source of conflict and violence. Wars have been fought over religious differences, and religious persecution has been common throughout history.
- Religion has influenced art, music, and literature. Religious themes have been a source of inspiration for artists, musicians, and writers for centuries.
In short, religion is mentioned in world history because it has greatly shaped human societies and cultures throughout history. Religion has been a complex and multifaceted force in human history, and its influence continues to be felt today.
To get the Famous Figures book that goes along with Story of the World Volume 2, you'll want to order Famous Figures of the Middle Ages & Renaissance.
- June 3, 2026
Karo
After two years doing this history curriculum, we continue to find it engaging, meaningful, and memorable. I appreciate the way that they bring history to life through the more narrative style of the text. This curriculum does not hide from the hard parts of history but also tries to present them in an age appropriate fashion. I have learned new things while teaching this curriculum to my student. I am thrilled that Timberdoodle includes this in their kit options.
- April 20, 2026
Karolyn B.
This history continues to be our favorite. We are on our second year of using the read aloud book, the activity book, and also the articulating paper dolls (famous figures). We recommend this history for its balanced view of people and places. We also like the way that it covers major historical movements and events from the entire world a little at a time.
- March 11, 2024
Love it
Rachelle
Great stories that keep my kid interested. We love the audio book.
- March 5, 2024
Great History Book
Kristen F.
This is the second year we have used The Story of the World books. My daughter has become a great fan of history because of this book series. The chapters are fairly short and not difficult to follow along. We can’t wait to purchase the next The Story of the World book.
- September 7, 2023
Love it!
Nicole S.
I love this book. My daughter is 7 and the book uses language and concepts that she can easily comprehend. We have had a lot of fun with this product, I look forward to continuing!
- July 20, 2023
Great stories
Aerie B.
My boy loves this history. So fun to hear the audio books and comes with tons of fun activities and colors to keep him interested. We listened when on drives or cleaning the house to make boring tasks more interesting and then he listens better to what he’s learning. Super fun way to do history.
- February 7, 2023
Doesn't Dissapoint
Tasha G.
Just like last years Volume 1 this volume was great! Full of facts, but done in an entertaining and interesting way to keep the kids involved.
- August 30, 2022
Fun History Lesson
Jennie S.
I really love how this book is written. My son has ADHD and sitting still and listening to lessons is a drag for anyone but for him its almost impossible. This book is engaging and really fun to read and listen too. They really knew who they were writing this for...little ears with short attention spans! Heck I even enjoy learning from this book and in fact, I've been learning things i either forgot or didn't know much about. It's a very entertaining way to learn history! Definitely recommend this is a history curriculum.
- April 28, 2022
Great curriculum
Jan
This our second year using this curriculum. We really enjoy it especially when I read it to them.
- November 13, 2021
Story of the World 2
a
This is the 2nd year using Story of the World. I love how you can use it with multiple grades. That's been a huge help for us.
