Mystery of History, Volume 2

Everyone has a favorite subject and mine happens to be history. Quite simply, it gives me the weepy-glees. My love of literature is almost equal and due mainly to the fact that it illuminates history.
This year I opted for Mystery of History Volume 2 which covers the Early Church to Gutenberg. I have loved it; this is in some part due to the way this curriculum is set up, but mostly because this time period in world history is one of my favorites. I'm thankful Linda Hobar does not focus only on the typical Euro-centric events of this period, but also events and cultures of China, Japan, India, New Zealand, Africa and more.

The book itself contains everything you need: daily readings, activities, pre-tests, quizzes, maps and more. I purchased the audio CDs of Mrs. Hobar reading each lesson. This was worth the expense as it saves me the trouble of reading out loud which makes me sleepy. (Confession: I have been known to fall asleep reading to my kids.) I also purchased the folderbook CD, which is essentially lapbooking but just not as complicated.  I print the mini-book that corresponds at some point before each lesson (sometimes weeks before, sometimes mere minutes). While lovely Linda reads the lesson to my children, I write pertinent information on our board for the children to copy into their booklets.
Another resource I purchased was the reproducibles CD. Because this volume is so hefty, it can be difficult to make copies (not impossible, but difficult). This CD contains those pages -- the maps, tests and appendices -- for you to print. Very handy.
This curriculum is unabashedly Christian, so if you are looking for a history curriculum that leaves religion out, this is not for you.
I have thoroughly enjoyed Mrs. Hobar's storytelling and choice of topics. I feel my children are gaining a very broad understanding of the early to middle ages. The book contains plenty of review in many different formats, so the information stays fresh.
This curriculum offers many options, and you'd never have time to do them all. I opted to do the folder books rather than the notebooking pages. Neither are we are using the timeline nor Challenge Cards. Because there are so many ways to learn the material, you can easily tailor the curriculum to your children's ages, interests and learning styles, not to mention your budget. You can buy as few or as many of the extras as you desire. The book could stand on it's own with all the activities and guidance. I have supplemented a few topics with free videos I found easily online. Can you say William the Conqueror, the Battle of Hastings and BBC? Watch and weep.

Full disclosure: I am a Bright Ideas Affiliate, which means if you purchase Bright Ideas Curriculum through my blog (link on the right) I will receive a small portion of the sale. This does not affect the way I review the curriculum. I'm pretty honest like that.