Social Studies Books

Explore 35 curated social studies books for homeschoolers and educators. Each resource has been reviewed for quality before being listed.

Learn about the world around you! Social studies is the study of societies and their customs, both modern-day and ancient. In order to truly understand our world, it helps to understand the people living in it, and how other cultures have shaped our own.

National Geographic Kids Beginner's World Atlas, 5th Edition

National Geographic's photo-rich, easy-to-read world atlas for ages 4–10—introducing continents, oceans, and map skills with stunning images and simple, colorful maps.

The 50 States: Activity Book

The hands-on companion to The 50 States atlas—maps to label, puzzles, and fact files that turn U.S. geography into an active, screen-free homeschool project.

History Year by Year: The History of the World, from the Stone Age to the Digital Age

DK's richly illustrated visual timeline of world history from the Stone Age to today—photographs, maps, and infographics that make a perfect homeschool history reference for ages 8–13.

The 50 States: Explore the U.S.A. with 50 Fact-Filled Maps!

An oversized, beautifully illustrated atlas of all 50 U.S. states—capitals, landmarks, animals, and famous figures—that turns American geography into a treasure hunt.

A Child's History of the World

V. M. Hillyer's warm, story-driven survey of human history from cave dwellers to modern times—a classic homeschool read-aloud spine for elementary and middle-grade students.

Maps: A Children's Illustrated Atlas

A gorgeously illustrated oversized atlas mapping 58 countries through their animals, foods, landmarks, and cultures—an enchanting introduction to world geography for children.

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Spectrum Geography, Grade 6: World

Sixth-grade geography workbook covering world regions, map skills, physical features, and cultural geography with engaging activities.

Evan-Moor Daily Geography Practice, Grade 5

Fifth-grade daily geography workbook covering US regions, map skills, physical features, and human-environment interaction through weekly units.

180 Days of Geography for Fifth Grade

Full-year daily geography workbook for fifth graders with map skills, data analysis, and geographic reasoning aligned to social studies standards.

Kumon Summer Review & Prep Workbook: After Kindergarten

Focused summer review workbook from Kumon covering reading and math for post-kindergarten students using the proven Kumon mastery-based method.

Summer Brain Quest: Between Grades 3 & 4

Adventure-based summer workbook from Brain Quest for grades 3-4 with map quests, stickers, and standards-aligned daily activities across all subjects.

Evan-Moor Daily Summer Activities: Moving from 2nd to 3rd Grade

Teacher-developed 10-week summer workbook for grades 2-3 with daily reading, math, writing, and critical thinking activities plus hands-on Friday projects.

Summer Bridge Activities: Bridging Grades 6-7

Comprehensive summer workbook for the middle school transition, grades 6-7, with daily activities in reading, pre-algebra math, writing, science, and social studies.

Summer Bridge Activities: Bridging Grades K-1

The original summer learning workbook for K-1 with daily 15-minute activities in reading, writing, math, science, and social studies to prevent summer slide.

Summer Bridge Activities: Bridging Grades 2-3

Bestselling summer workbook for grades 2-3 with daily 15-minute activities in reading, writing, math, and science to prevent summer learning loss.

Summer Bridge Activities: Bridging Grades 4-5

Upper elementary summer workbook for grades 4-5 with daily activities in reading, math, writing, science, and social studies to prevent summer learning loss.

Summer Brain Quest: Between Grades 1 & 2

Adventure-based summer workbook from Brain Quest for grades 1-2 with map quests, stickers, and daily activities in reading, math, and science.

A Little History of the World

A beloved single-volume world history told in warm, conversational prose — from the Stone Age to the 20th century — perfect for upper elementary through high school.

Notgrass Exploring Government

One-semester high school government course covering the Constitution, three branches, elections, and citizen responsibilities with primary sources and daily lesson plans.

Everything You Need to Ace World History in One Big Fat Notebook

Visual notebook-style world history study guide for middle schoolers covering every major civilization from ancient Mesopotamia through the modern era.

Who Was George Washington?

Illustrated biography of America's first president for grades 2-5, from the popular "Who Was?" series — perfect for introducing young readers to the founding era.

Everything You Need to Ace American History in One Big Fat Notebook

Visual, notebook-style study guide covering all of American history for middle schoolers — from pre-Columbian times to today, with diagrams, timelines, and mnemonics.

The Story of the World Volume 4: The Modern Age

Final volume in the Story of the World series covering 1850 to present: world wars, Cold War, civil rights, and globalization told as engaging narrative history.

The Story of the World Volume 2: The Middle Ages

Narrative history of the Middle Ages (400–1600 CE) for elementary students, covering medieval Europe, Islam, Vikings, Crusades, and global civilizations in story format.

The Story of the World Volume 3: Early Modern Times

Narrative world history from 1600 to 1850 covering exploration, colonialism, revolutions, and the Enlightenment for elementary and middle school students.

180 Days of Geography for Third Grade

Daily geography practice workbook with 180 lessons covering map skills, physical geography, and human geography for Grade 3.

180 Days of Geography for Fourth Grade

Daily geography practice workbook with 180 lessons covering U.S. regions, map analysis, and geographic reasoning for Grade 4.

Spectrum Geography, Grade 4: Regions of the U.S.

Fourth-grade geography workbook covering U.S. regions with map activities, reading passages, and hands-on projects.

Spectrum Geography, Grade 5: United States of America

Fifth-grade geography workbook exploring U.S. states, capitals, landforms, and geographic themes through map activities.

Evan-Moor Daily Geography Practice, Grade 6

Advanced daily geography activities for sixth graders covering world regions, cultures, and physical geography.

Evan-Moor Daily Geography Practice, Grade 4

Weekly geography units with daily map skills practice for fourth graders covering U.S. regions and world geography.

Evan-Moor Daily Geography Practice, Grade 3

Daily 10-minute geography activities covering map skills, regions, and landforms for third graders.

Brain Quest Workbook: Kindergarten (Revised Edition)

Cross-curricular activity workbook for kindergartners covering letters, numbers, shapes, phonics, and science with stickers and a pull-out poster.

Brain Quest Workbook: 1st Grade (Revised Edition)

Cross-curricular activity workbook for first graders covering reading, writing, math, science, and social studies with 300+ pages of engaging exercises.

Brain Quest Workbook: Grade 2

Cross-curricular activity workbook for second graders with 300+ pages covering reading comprehension, math facts, science, and social studies.