Ancient Civilizations, Egypt, Rome, Greece

When a Roman ship is wrecked off the coast of Britain, an infant, Beric, is the only survivor. He is rescued by a British tribe who raise him as their own until they can no longer ignore his Roman ancestry. Fifteen-year-old Beric feels increasingly bitter isolation when, because of his Roman birth, he is cast out by the Celtic tribe that raised him and, after reaching a Roman settlement, he is sold into slavery and sentenced to serve in a galley for the rest of his life.

The Eagle of the Ninth is a historical adventure novel for children written by Rosemary Sutcliff. Based on a true story, it is set in Roman Britain in the 130s after the building of Hadrian's Wall. Young Marcus Aquila, a Roman officer, wants to discover the truth about the disappearance of his father's legion. Travelling in disguise as a doctor, he discovers that his father's Ninth Legion had been destroyed, but was able to remove its disgrace through a heroic last stand around the legion's eagle standard. This is an interesting and exciting story, making it a fun way to learn more about this time period.

Text and black and white illustrations show how the Romans planned and constructed their cities for the people who lived within them.  The illustrations are very detailed and beautiful. 

In his final quest, Gilgamesh, still mourning the death of his dear friend Enkidu, sets out to find the key to immortality. His journey is perilous. He must fight ferocious serpents and wild lions. He travels through bitterly cold caves, across scorching deserts, and over the fatal waters of the Sea of Death. Finally he arrives at the palace of Utnapishtim, the only human who knows the secret of immortality. Utnapishtim sets Gilgamesh a test to stay away for six days and seven nights, but Gilgamesh fails. His last hope, a flower of eternal youth, is eaten by the goddess Ishtar, who exacts her revenge. Finally, Enkidu comes from the underworld to show Gilgamesh true immortality: the king will be remembered for his good deeds, courage, and love for his people. This book is used in Illuminations.

The drama of natural disasters provides prime material to entice young homeschool readers in this little "Step into Reading" book. In this volume, the account of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius describes Roman village life 2,000 years ago, the eruption itself and its aftermath, and the excitement when the buried town was rediscovered centuries later. A lively and factual glimpse of a devastating moment in history.