CHOW makes me want to poke my eyeballs out. Reading this book (especially reading it aloud) has been a horrible experience. I finally put it down and said no more.

I encourage you to thoroughly examine it before purchasing.

I'm not sure what that is?? (Maybe I'm having a dense moment LOLOL)

I am curious what that acronym stands for to.

A Ahild's History of the World or something like that?

Yes, It is Child's History of the World.

I would love to hear more about what you didn't like about it. It is on my to-buy list next year, and wouldn't mind saving $25 bucks.

ditto ditto ditto. I totally dislike that book. I thought I was the only one. I want to gouge my eyes out when I hear other people go on and on about how wonderful it is ... blech.

I've never seen CHOW, but we use SOTW (love those acronyms)...or Story of the World. It's definitely not in-depth, but each chapter is a great introduction, and it has a good bibliography of child-appropriate books for each chapter/time period so you know what to look for to go deeper. It was put together by the Bauer daughter in the Well-Trained Mind duo.

Tara

given Sam's age and his interest in history/mythology, I would love to hear what you use with him that is age-appropriate and yet still engaging when it comes to more in-depth reading.

I can tell you what books he loves, but his interests are very specific, so it's not a very broad list. Also, I don't really read to him anymore except at bedtime - he just prefers to read to himself now. For most things, he's at about a middle-school level for reading, but some of these books are targeted at the elementary level. Because he is so interested in history, warfare and death and weapons come with the territory, so some mamas might not want their 4 year olds reading this stuff. I do preview what he reads and we have lots of discussion about it. This is just what I can remember off the top of my head, we have a bazillion history books around here.

For the Iliad and the Odyssey, he loves:
Children's Homer by Padraic Colum (I think I'm spelling that correctly)
Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff
The Wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff
the series of small chapters books about the Odyssey by Mary Pope Osbourne
The Tale of Troy by Roger Lancelyn Green
there is a series of Troll Associates books about the Odyssey
The Odyssey by Robin Lister
the Iliad by Nick McCarty

Egypt:
Pyramid by David MacAulay
Pharoahs and Pyramids (Usbourne Time Traveler series)
Tales of Ancient Egypt by Roger Lancelyn Green

For mythology/folklore:
the D'Aulaire books
Favorite Greek Myths and Favorite Norse Myths by Mary Pope Osbourne
Heracles (don't know the author, it's out in the car)
Jason and the Golden Fleece by James Riordan
Gilgamesh the Hero by Geraldine McCaughrean

Other history:
A Street Through Time by Anne Millard
How Children Lived by Christopher Rice
Medieval World by Jane Bingham
Ms. Frizzle's Adventures - Medieval Castle

I think his favorites from the list are the Rosemary Sutcliff books - he's read them over and over and over again. Also the Children's Homer.

Tara

Each to his own I guess. We liked it. :D