Jun. 3, 2007 - Audio Book Review -- Story of the World Volume 1
About the Book
Story of the World Volume 1* by Susan Wise Bauer is a children's history text written in traditional storytelling style. The text is engaging, informative and memorable. This is as close a combination of "Living book" aka Charlotte Mason and "textbook" aka public school as I have ever seen the two concepts meshed. My chief complaint about Story of the World is the complete absence of a Christian Worldview. Clearly written for secular audiences, stories about Moses, Abraham, and Jesus are treated with the same "fictional" storytelling style that stories about Greek gods and godesses are told. Since I believe in the One True God; the phraseology does bother me on a not infrequent basis. Candid discussion with your children is necessary to balance this approach.
ISBN: 0974239119
Publisher: Peace Hill Press
Running Time: 10 hours on 9 cds.
About the Reader
Barbara Alan Johnson is clearly a professional reader; does a quality job and certainly my children enjoyed every minute of this recording more then once. I am looking forward to a different narrator for volume 2. All four volumes are now available from Jim Weiss of Greathall Productions and I highly recommend any and all of his recorded materials as my narrator of choice.
*Note that the link in paragraph one is to the Barbara Alan Johnson recording.
I was hearing good things about this book, until I read a review for it... Then I was disappointed to realise that Ms Bauer didn't write with a Christian Worldview. I thought I'd read "A Child's History of the World" by Virgil M. Hillyer instead. Have you read this one?
May God richly bless you,
Rebecca ~fellow MOMYS to 7 under 9!
I am reading through it right now; and the Bible is treated as much more centric (it was written in the early 1900's I believe.) All readers are assumed to be thoroughly familiar with the Bible. That being said; it is not overtly Christian like Mystery of History is. I haven't finished it yet; not nearly, so I can't give a thorough review.
The bottom line is; We try not to insist on parent-led learning or gravitate toward child-led learning. We try instead to focus on God-led learning and ask for His input and perspective on every aspect of our home school. That way, when others fuss about what Dan and I are doing and make me second guess our decisions -- I can go back to our decision process and find God's fingerprints, reminding me that this is His way.
