Book Description

In print since 1936, this is the quintessential children’s biography of the great American. Thousands have been sold to Mt. Vernon and it is reputed to be their favorite book for children concerning their hero. In a series of lovely lithographs the D’Aulaires have depicted for children and grown-ups alike the life of George Washington, the "Father of His Country."A true D’Aulaire classic, the authors worked for over two years absorbing every detail not only of his life but of his times. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Throw away those boring History textbooks.
History comes alive with the D'Aulaire's series of American history stories for children. My son's favorite is Pocahontis, but Leif the Lucky is also near the top. It is certainly an adventure as Leif travels to Newfoundland and so begins the legend. I am sure children will remember their history much more from these tales than from any dry textbook.

Leif the Lucky, First Discoverer of North America
This fascinating biography of Leif Erickson is another classic work by the D'Aulaires. Lavishly illustrated with their wonderful lithographs it accurately relates the adventurous tale of the young Viking explorer, his conversion to Christianity, and his colonization of North America. A must for anyone studying the age of exploration!

We looked forward to reading this book everyday.
Leif the Lucky was the first book of our American History curriculum and we fully enjoyed it. It brought many questions to our minds including what happened to the Viking race? ... Read more

Book Description

In 1845, a disaster struck Ireland. Overnight, a mysterious blight attacked the potato crops, turning the potatoes black and destroying the only real food of nearly six million people.

Over the next five years, the blight attacked again and again. These years are known today as the Great Irish Famine, a time when one million people died from starvation and disease and two million more fled their homeland.
Black Potatoes is the compelling story of men, women, and children who defied landlords and searched empty fields for scraps of harvested vegetables and edible weeds to eat, who walked several miles each day to hard-labor jobs for meager wages and to reach soup kitchens, and who committed crimes just to be sent to jail, where they were assured of a meal. It"s the story of children and adults who suffered from starvation, disease, and the loss of family and friends, as well as those who died. Illustrated with black and white engravings, it"s also the story of the heroes among the Irish people and how they held on to hope. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Horribly Brilliant
This is an excellent summary of the Potato (note that spelling, Danny-Boy-O Quayle) Famine that plagued Ireland from 1845-1850, when the fungus Pythophthora Infestans destroyed the staple crop. Author Susan Campbell Barttolettideftly explores the swirlingpathological, sociological, political, and theological soup caused by the rotting potatoes and the aftermath.She relies on original sources and interviews with descendants of the resultant Diaspora. This book is found in the children's section of the library, but frankly, I found it hard to read myself - not because the words or concepts are difficult, but because it is so very grim - the horror! the horror! /TundraVision, Amazon reviewer.

Excellent Non-fiction
This is the best non-fiction I have ever seen.The liberal use of personal histories and stories along with illustrations from periodicals reporting the situation make this compelling and fascinating.

A haunting history
The potato blight that struck Ireland in the mid 1800s produced a nation-wide famine, resulting in "one million dead and two million who fled" to other countries, predominately the US and Canada. Countless other Irishmen, with no food, money or homes, simply disappeared. Susan Campbell Bartoletti's "Black Potatoes" recreates the era year by year from haunting contemporary newspaper illustrations, government records and first hand survivor stories, told to their children and grandchildren.

Bartoletti provides a balanced account of the economic, political and social repercussions of the blight and the ensuing famine. Food was available but the poor did not have the means to acquire it. The British government was slow to react to the devastation. Irish government officials, landowners, and shopkeepers worked to protect their own interests but, finally, in the end, contributed the greatest amount of financial support to the poor. The Friends Church, operating local soup kitchens, and American relatives, sending millions of dollars in financial support, were allies of the Irish poor during these times.

This book is a wonderful historical recounting of the time and is compelling reading for those of all ages interested in their Irish heritage. Bartoletti brings the horrors of famine and poverty to life. The 150-year old drawings, originally published in the "Illustrated London News", will stay with the reader long after the book is finished. The six-page narrative bibliography is as interesting as the story itself, and provides students and researchers with numerous sources for further study.

An extraordinary book
Susan Campbell Bartoletti, already well known for her award-winning fiction and nonfiction, has reached new heights with this book. It is clearly impeccably researched, yet never reads like a dry compilation of facts. It is by turns moving, horrifying, hopeful, and depressing. Although she points out the general indifference and (often) hostility of some government officials who could have provided some relief, she never falls into the easy trap of making anyone the villain of the terrible story of the Irish potato famine.Instead, she details the general ignorance of the cause of the blight and the sometimes well-meaning but misguided attempts of different people to remedy the situation.

Most importantly, the reader leaves feeling that this is not some strange thing that happened to unknown people a long time ago. The feeling of immediacy, and the way the reader is led to empathize with the sufferers, make it fresh and real.

Readers of "Nory Ryan's Song" who want to get the real history of this terrible time should be encouraged to read "Black Potatoes." ... Read more

Book Description

Growing up in rural Ohio, Orville and Wilbur Wright were fascinated by all kinds of vehicles -- a toy helicopter, bicycles, and the first motorized cars -- but what they dreamed of was flight. They were convinced they could build a machine that a man could pilot-and they did. Read about their amazing story of trial, error, and success. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Ignore the above
The above review is essentially a nationalist screed. The "Greekness" of the Macedonians is a topic of some debate, but, inany case, not central to the book. Make up your own minds and ignore theideologues.

An unqualified scholar educating youth to half-truth?
On a fisrt look I was pleased with the book. It contains a good amount of information, it has nice photographs, it is concise and potentially interesting to the age-group it is addressing.

On the other hand, just because the book is targeting children its author has no excuse for NOT treating the subject with all the seriousness and thoroughness it deserves. All the more reason to investigate thoroughly and speak the truth, when one is feeding information to children.

Was Mr. Green's task to disaffectedly write a summary of another work? If not, did Mr. Green ever bother to read the historical sources on Alexander, or to acquire some depth in pre-Alexandrian Macedonian history? Doubtful! No reference is ever given to his sources (the end of the book might do nicely). The pinnacle of mediocricy comes with the claim that "Macedonians were not Greek but had adopted the Greek language and religion". Let it be of note that the insignificant phrase, proclaims th! e author's lack of understanding of his subject matter.

First and foremost, as many a child knows, Heracles is the father of the Doric tribe that represents a significant part of the Greek population and includes the Macedonians, Laecedemonians (Spartans), Cretans and several others. Alexander, through his father Philip, claims direct descent from Heracles and through his mother, Olympias, direct descent from the Achean Achilles. Now how much more Greek does it get than that?In addition, until Nero's days, only Greeks as defined by the three principles of "homaemon", "homoglosson" and "homothreskon" were allowed to participate in the Olympic Games and the Delphic Alliance; "homaemon" meaning of "the same blood" and taking precedence over the other two ("same language" and "same religion"). Needless to say that Macedonians were SINCE THE BEGINING (hundreds of years before Philip and Alexander) players in!both the Games and the Alliance.

Finally in Alexander's!own words, things are abundantly clear:

"Men of Athens... Had I not greatly AT HEART the common welfare of GREECEI should not have come to tell you; butI AMMYSELFGREEKby descent,and I would not willinglyseeGreeceexchangefreedomfor slavery. ...If youprosperinthis war,forgetnottodo something for my freedom; consider the risk I have run, out of zeal for the GREEK CAUSE,to acquaint you with what Mardonius intends,andto save youfrombeing surprisedbythebarbarians. IamALEXANDERof MACEDON.'"[ Herodotus, The Histories, 9.45, translated by G.Rawlinson] "(Persians,) Your ancestors came to Macedonia and the REST OF GREECE and did us much harm though we had done them no prior injury; I have been appointed commander-in-chief of the GREEKS and invaded Asia in the desire to take vengeance on Persia for your aggressions." [Arrian Anabasis 2. 14. 4.]

The Greek states were!rather small, neither sopowerful nor as admired by surrounding civilizations for their system of government and free thinking. It was not until after Alexander's conquest and not before, that acquisition of the Greek language and customs became desirable by other ethnicities than the Greek one. Athenian demagogues might have considered Macedonians more barbaric than their "noble" selves, moved by elitist regionalism (not quite unknown to our own United States?) and Athenians' claims on themselves being "native" and "more" ancient and "more Greek" than not only the Macedonians but the remainder of the Doric states. Athenians also based their high-handed manners on the superiority of their (by then degenerate) democracy to the extensive monarchy established by Philip in the Macedon, a monarchy Athenians claimed more similar to the tyrannical Persian system than to their own. A claim unfair, since Philip or Alexander was the leader of fr! ee-willing men, faithful comrades that spoke their minds (e! ven at the price of death), rather than being the absolute master of servile courtesans of the eastern type .

In short, to say that Macedonians are not Greek is as ludicrous as to claim that Bostonians (or New Yorkers, or Californians, or Kentuckians) are not American.

All the more preposterous, the claim dishonors the dead man the book is about. Whether the dignity afforded to a dead subject of study is of concern to the author we may not know; such sensibilities are anyway dying in the global melting pot.It is doubtful that the author of this little book has in any way intended to offend. Mr. Green has more likely aspired to educate and has not altogether failed in demonstrating his capacity to do so in a pleasant manner. It shall be therefore fruitful, if in the future he applies himself to slightly better scholarship.

For educators (and authors qualify as such) should only be too painfully aware of the old Greek proverb: "imperfect education is worse than i! gnorance".

An unqualified scholar educating youth to half-truth?
On a fisrt look I was pleased with the book. It contains a good amount of information, it has nice photographs, it is concise and potentially interesting to the age-group it is addressing.

On the other hand, just because the book is targeting children its author has no excuse for NOT treating the subject with all the seriousness and thoroughness it deserves. All the more reason to investigate thoroughly and speak the truth, when one is feeding information to children.

Was Mr. Green's task to disaffectedly write a summary of another work? If not, did Mr. Green ever bother to read the historical sources on Alexander, or to acquire some depth in pre-Alexandrian Macedonian history? Doubtful! No reference is ever given to his sources (the end of the book might do nicely). The pinnacle of mediocricy comes with the claim that "Macedonians were not Greek but had adopted the Greek language and religion". Let it be of note that the insignificant phrase, proclaims th! e author's lack of understanding of his subject matter.

First and foremost, as many a child knows, Heracles is the father of the Doric tribe that represents a significant part of the Greek population and includes the Macedonians, Laecedemonians (Spartans), Cretans and several others. Alexander, through his father Philip, claims direct descent from Heracles and through his mother, Olympias, direct descent from the Achean Achilles. Now how much more Greek does it get than that?In addition, until Nero's days, only Greeks as defined by the three principles of "homaemon", "homoglosson" and "homothreskon" were allowed to participate in the Olympic Games and the Delphic Alliance; "homaemon" meaning of "the same blood" and taking precedence over the other two ("same language" and "same religion"). Needless to say that Macedonians were SINCE THE BEGINING (hundreds of years before Philip and Alexander) players in!both the Games and the Alliance.

Finally in Alexander's!own words, things are abundantly clear:

"Men of Athens... Had I not greatly AT HEART the common welfare of GREECEI should not have come to tell you; butI AMMYSELFGREEKby descent,and I would not willinglyseeGreeceexchangefreedomfor slavery. ...If youprosperinthis war,forgetnottodo something for my freedom; consider the risk I have run, out of zeal for the GREEK CAUSE,to acquaint you with what Mardonius intends,andto save youfrombeing surprisedbythebarbarians. IamALEXANDERof MACEDON.'"[ Herodotus, The Histories, 9.45, translated by G.Rawlinson] "(Persians,) Your ancestors came to Macedonia and the REST OF GREECE and did us much harm though we had done them no prior injury; I have been appointed commander-in-chief of the GREEKS and invaded Asia in the desire to take vengeance on Persia for your aggressions." [Arrian Anabasis 2. 14. 4.]

The Greek states were!rather small, neither sopowerful nor as admired by surrounding civilizations for their system of government and free thinking. It was not until after Alexander's conquest and not before, that acquisition of the Greek language and customs became desirable by other ethnicities than the Greek one. Athenian demagogues might have considered Macedonians more barbaric than their "noble" selves, moved by elitist regionalism (not quite unknown to our own United States?) and Athenians' claims on themselves being "native" and "more" ancient and "more Greek" than not only the Macedonians but the remainder of the Doric states. Athenians also based their high-handed manners on the superiority of their (by then degenerate) democracy to the extensive monarchy established by Philip in the Macedon, a monarchy Athenians claimed more similar to the tyrannical Persian system than to their own. A claim unfair, since Philip (and later Alexander) was the lea! der of free-willing men, faithful comrades that spoke their!minds (even at the price of death), rather than being the absolute master of servile courtesans of the eastern type.

In short, to say that Macedonians are not Greek is as ludicrous as to claim that Bostonians (or New Yorkers, or Californians, or Kentuckians) are not American.

All the more preposterous, the claim dishonors the dead man the book is about. Whether the dignity afforded to a dead subject of study is of concern to the author we may not know; such sensibilities are anyway dying in the global melting pot.It is doubtful that the author of this little book has in any way intended to offend. Mr. Green has more likely aspired to educate and has not altogether failed in demonstrating his capacity to do so in a pleasant manner. It shall be therefore fruitful, if in the future he applies himself to slightly better scholarship.

For educators (and authors qualify as such) should only be too painfully aware of the old Greek proverb: "imperfect education is wors! e than ignorance". ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Extremely good book
I am a big fan of this series and own tons of them. I am a history buff and also love comics and this book has both. If you are looking for a book that is easy to read but is also very fun to read, buy a horrible history. Terry Deary makes a bunch of facts about vikings into a very fun book. The comics are really funny and have great bits of puns and sarcasm. These books are designed to make history fun for people who don't like history. If I hadn't loved history before I picked up one of these books, I sure would love it now.

Interesting, but culpably inaccurate in the details
The good thing about this book is that the author appears to have read a good deal of the relevant literature and provides a lot more in depth historical information than one expects in a history book for children.

The bad thing is that he takes real incidents from the primary sources (in particular the Icelandic sagas), substantially alters them (by, for example, replacing the central character in the original version with someone else, or falsely describing the context), then reports them as "Viking stories." A few examples:

He tells the story of Egil's encounter with Erik Bloodaxe at York (from Egilsaga). Among the errors:

He describes Erik as having successfully defeated his brothers in the competition for the Kingdom. In fact, Erik was in York because his brothers had driven him out of Norway.

He describes Egil as Erik's one rival. In fact, Erik is the son of a king, and Egil is an Icelandic farmer (and poet and famous warrior). The basis of their conflict is not rivalry for the crown, which Erik doesn't have and Egil has no conceivable interest in, but a family feud between their families (Egil being the third generation of the feud on one side, Erik the second on the other). Finally, the book's account leaves out one of the central figures of the incident--Arinbjorn, who is both one of Egil's closest friends and one of Erik's chief retainers, and who plays a crucial role in the real story.

The book gives an equally butchered version of the famous execution scene from Jomviking saga. Almost every fact is wrong. It starts by describing the captives as the 70 survivors of the battle--in fact they are the crew of the one ship from the losing side that didn't turn and run. It continues by omitting two of the three central figures of the story--Buni, the commander of the ship, and the young Jarl, Hakon's son. It then gives Erik, a minor figure in the original, Buni's role from the original.

In addition, it omits the explanation of the execution involving the dropped knife, which is a fascinating example of scientific thinking in a pre-modern society--a deliberate experiment to determine whether human consciousness is located in the head or the body. It omits the whole business about who the Jomvikings are, why they are expected to be brave, etc.

In both of these cases, the author has taken a passage from one of the world's great literatures, the sagas, and mutilated it almost, although not quite, beyond recognition.

For a final example, the author asserts that a Norse woman divorced her husband for showing too much of his bare chest. In fact, the reason she wanted to divorce him had nothing to do with that--the anecdote concerns not a cause but a pretext. In order to be able to divorce her husband, she made him a shirt with a low neck, tricked him into wearing it, then divorced him on the grounds that he was wearing feminine clothing.

In this case and others, the real account is a better story, as well as a more accurate portrayal of Norse culture, than the author's revised version.

Compared to the norm of children's books, this has a good deal to recommend it, but compared to what it ought to have been--a truthful description of a fascinating society--it is a serious disappointment.

A Great book for kids from England or America. I loved It!!!
This seires of books are the best history books I've ever read. I am 12 years old and I still use these books to suprise my teachers(Did you know pyramids contained toilets). I read these books over and over again. These books are the best you can buy for all ages, American or English.

Jolly fun!!!!
I must say that my kid is sort of an expert on the medieval period and enjoys anything also about the Vikings. This one even got his sister hooked and she is no history lover. The descriptions are fun and the tidbits are wild...your child will enjoy it!!!

Vicious Vikings Victorious
Having read every book in the series I would say this is one of the best i've read it gives you a good insite on the vikings but also makes you laugh. A brilliant book by a brilliant author! ... Read more

Book Description

This bumper collection of projects provides hours of creative fun and gives amazing insights into history. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

I have always loved this book
I have been a Titanic Lover for life. I first read this book when I was 6 (I am 14 now) it is a great book if you are looking to start studying the Titanic or if you just want to know the more basic facts about her and her finding. But if you are really deep into the studies of her already then I would get "The Discovery of the Titanic". but there are many, many other great books on her (I should know I have enough to start my own Titanic bookstore ;). For the beginning Titanic studier this is the best book you can buy.

Fabulous for children and their parents!
This book is a great summary of the sinking and discovery of the Titanic. My 6 year old loved it as did his parents! I recommend this book highly.

A fabulous read
I first read this book almost 15 years ago, at age 5 : I loved it, and read it uncountable times. Today it is still just as fascinating. Beautifully illustrated and clearly written, it was the first of many Ballard books that I read. I would also recommend the Discovery of the Bismark and The Wreck of the Isis, just as interesting but less well known. A great way to start reading about the great ships of the past.

Read about the Hole thing from the Beginning
Goes behind the Titanic. Why did the Titanic sank, why it was built, how they came up with the name Titanic etc. It has everything you need to know about the Titanic. Even has real actual pictures taken of the Titanic in the water and above.

I Was Obsessed with TITANIC, and It's This Book's Fault!!!
This book is so interesting and exciting to read that after I read it, I was obsessed with the Titanic from 1997-1999. This book is a great read if you like the Titanic. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Book Description

In this retelling of the Trojan War, Olivia Coolidge crafts heroes and gods into real, multidimensional characters, not just the figures of legend. Vibrant storytelling and finely wrought action have made her version of the classic tale of the Fall of Troy accessible to generations of young readers. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Solid introduction for older children
I just finished reading this book to my son, who is eight. We both enjoyed it immensely and it turned out to be a good introduction to the ancient Greek world for him. It weaves a suprising amount of material into an exciting narrative that retains focus well enough so that we never lost track of where we were. The different personalities came through well, and there was a sufficient amount of action and gore to get his mind off Pokemon temporarily...

AWESOME
I had to read this book for my English class. As one of the earlier reviews said you can't tell where everything is taking place, you actually can. If you pay close attention to what's happening you can clearly see where everything is taking place. This book does a good job of using the Iliad and the Odyssey and mixing them together into one story. I highly recomend you to read this book.

This was a wonderful book
This was a wonderful book. I guess other people don't like Greek Mythology. This book was great! It was full of action and excitement. It was a very good book. This was truly one of the best books I ever read!

Zzz....ZzzZZzzZzZzZZzz....
I couldnt believe this book! It was horrible! It made your head spin, what happend, who did it, why did they do it, how do you pronounce that?!?!?! It made me so annoyed. Plus, it was more boring than any book! I felt like saying wake me wehn its over! ... Read more

Book Description

This sequel volume features black-and-white photos and drawings to complement the inspiring stories of Golda Meir, Israeli prime minister, ambassador, and U.N. delegate; Rigoberta Menchu, Guatemalan activist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize; Italian physicist Laura Bassi, one of the first women scientists in western history; Lauryn Hill, American singer and winner of multiple Grammy awards who produced her first album at age 17; Alexandra Nechita, internationally acclaimed Romanian artist; and others. The book also contains photos and writings of over 30 contemporary young women from across America who respond to the question, "How do you plan to rock the world?" In conjunction with the book's publication, these girls will tour their hometowns, inspiring their peers to go for their dreams. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Amazing girls from the past to modern times
Girls Who Rocked the World 2 provides more stories of amazing girls from the past to modern times who had the courage to make history. These girls made history before they were in their twenties and include such notables as Harriet Tubman, Golda Meir, and the modern singer Charlotte Church. The biographies are lively and revealing. ... Read more

Book Description

Have you ever wondered what life on a farm was like hundreds of years ago? This beautiful book tells the story of one farm and the people who worked on it from medieval times to the present day.

Evocative illustrations by Eric Thomas reflect the rhythm of the seasons and their accompanying tasks, from plowing and sowing to harvesting and haymaking, while flaps lift to reveal changing activities inside the farm buildings. Angela Wilkes's finely crafted text details the changing nature of life on a farm, capturing the atmosphere of days gone by.

Follow the history of a farm as it develops from a small piece of land rented from the local lord of the manor in the 9th century, into a large, mechanized farm of the 21st century.

A Farm Through Time is not only the story of a farm -- it is a portrait of country people, a changing landscape, and of disappearing crafts. It is a book to treasure and return to time and time again. ... Read more

Book Description

Hugely entertaining and wildly offbeat, here is a book that combines engaging, humorous text with illustrations that at once set the tone of the book.

Mabel is on a battlefield in the middle of blood and guts. It is 1536 in France and the Siege of Turin rages around her. But how did she get here? It all starts when Mabel is home sick. Nothing good is on TV and it's raining outside. She is bored, bored, bored, and grumpy.

Then a slimy envelope with "The Guts of Human Life" written on it plops through the letter slot. The package contains a mysterious red CD-ROM. When she inserts it into the computer, Mabel is suddenly drawn into the past and through all sorts of hilarious, amazing, disgusting and TRUE adventures in the history of medicine.

Join Mabel as she learns how medical discoveries are made...
- Go back to the times before antibiotics or anesthetics, when bloodletting, leeches and spirits in the cosmos all played parts in healing.
- Meet Andreas Vesalius, the Father of Anatomy.
- Study digestion first-hand through a 6 inch gunshot hole in Alexis St Martin's stomach.
- Take a peek at germs in 1683 through the first microscope.
- Stumble upon the idea of vaccinations with Louis Pasteur as he tests his chickens for cholera.
- Watch Florence Nightingale fight germs and sickness with a revolutionary new idea: cleanliness.
- Drift gently into Alexander Fleming's germ plate with the mold spore that enables the discovery of penicillin.

Each page brings a new leap forward and a couple of stumbles backwards. Skip ahead to follow specific discoveries or go page by page. This is no dry regurgitation of historical fact, but a bold marriage of text and art, funny to the bone and providing a sizable dose of medical highlights from across the spectrum of time. An index is included so you can easily find your favorite ailment. Readers will return to the book time and again for the simple enjoyment it delivers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An excellent historical guide for young readers.
This educational, informative and handsomely illustrated book, from the Usborne Illustrated World History series, is an excellent visual reference for young readers.
It offers an in-depth look at Greek civilization, from its first settlers to the Minoan to the Myceneans to the great empires of Alexander and the Ptolemies. Topics such as history, sociology, politics, economy, culture and religion are covered. This book is also packed with colorful pictures, detailed diagrams, realistic drawings, accurate reconstructions, and handy maps to help illustrate the points being explained and give the reader a vivid look into Greek history.
As a bonus, this book has a wonderful appendix that contains:
* A complete map of ancient Greece.
* A summary of the most important Greek myths and legends, complete with detailed explanations.
* A collection of mini biographies of key figures in Greek history.
* A date chart from 40,000 to 146 BC outlining relevant events and significant historical developments that took place both in Greece and elsewhere in the world during this period.
* A glossary that explains Greek and Greek-derived terms used throughout the text.
* A thorough index for quick check-ups and specific consultations.
Although this book was published in 1990, so some of the information in it may no longer be completely accurate, it is still a beautiful, entertaining and complete reference for children, and a fun, effective teaching tool for adults.
Other recommended titles from this series: First Civilizations and The Romans. ... Read more

Book Description

This warmly told biography of our sixteenth president is enriched by many authentic but seldom told anecdotes and complemented by bold color illustrations that capture the spirit of Lincoln and his era. ... Read more

Book Description

Oxford University Press is delighted to announce a revised second edition, in full color and incorporating the most recent discoveries in history and archaeology.And we've added a brand new eleventh volume featuring an index to the entire series, historical maps, the essential documents of US History, and much more. Each book in this award winning series is accurate and reliable history written in the tradition of great storytelling.The narrative and informal text includes offbeat, little-known events and singular personalities that make the traditional meat-and-potatoes of American history anything but boring.Ms. Hakim quotes frequently from primary documents, explaining who wrote them, when, and in what circumstances, so that the reader is implicitly encouraged to assess their accuracy or probable bias. "The best American history witten for young people" just got better. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Good content with a few remarks
I have read the whole books of this series. The whole books consist of approximately 1850 pages not including table of contents and appendixes. Very few authors managed to write history book without putting the reader to sleep. Joy Hakim is one of the few. The author explained the history of the United States by telling stories. From the first Native Americans who crossed the Bering Sea a few thousands years ago to 2000 Presidential Election Fiasco. The book emphasized on the civil right issue, which is justice and equal right for all Americans, regardless of the race. Overall, this is a very good and entertaining book on the history of the United States. However, the author judgemental opinion on some of the political figures may trouble some. It didn't trouble me since I am a liberal and so does the author, but if you are a conservative you may not like to read this book.

Pretty good
Written in a format that appeals to any reader, as in, a conversational tone, defintely improves their readability. The layout of pictures, photos, titbits of information, etc. prevent the child from groaning at yet more blocks of text at each turn of the page.
The author is fairly opinionated, making bold statements that could cause the reader to think her word is final on any given subject in the books.
I'd still recommend them for middle grades. At that age, anything that stimulates some sort of interest in history is miraculous! Thankfully more factual, less opinionated history books are read in High school, even if they are as boring as heck.

The best history books.
I loved every moment with all of these books.Refreshing information.Author put time into her books.There isn't a perfect history book out there but I relished in her efforts.These are not a waste of money.

Didactical propaganda, not accurate evaluation of history
Unfortunately these books do engage young minds in historical events and periods. I say unfortunately because once these children read another book, article, or text about a particular subject they will be in for a shock. The definitions of terms throughout the books are downright wrong in some cases or simply used in the wrong context to support her ideas. She lets you know, in no uncertain terms, which movements, religions, and political parties are the "right ones" and the "wrong ones". There are rarely opposing veiwpoints on issues raised in the text so you get a very one-sided look at many important issues. She does cover a diverse range of topics throughout the series but does not give the reader the sense, or demonstrate herself, that there is more than one way to look at and interpret history which is a real shame. If you use these books to teach history to your children or to a classroom, please do not let them be your only reference. There are many more books out there that do a much better job at conveying history and teaching students how to think about and evaluate history.

Buyer Beware.
I doubt there's any US History textbooks more excitingly written for kids age 9-12 than Joy Hakim's. (This series is the one used in one of the best private schools in Silicon Valley.) They're glossy and beautiful, and well-nigh irresistible. What an incredible shame. What's the problem? The problem is they contain a version of history so slanted as to amount to an utterly shameless propagandizing of children. I'm a liberal atheist, but, really, these books should be sealed into a time capsule, to entertain future historians.

I assume Hakim simply doesn't know any better, but even a Marxist with a PhD in American History would blush a little to discover that a child reading this series would never suspect that close to 100 million innocent men, women, and children died under the yoke of socialist regimes, nor that a third of the world was plunged into an unnecessary grinding poverty for decades. On the other hand, they will learn, as they should, that National Socialism murdered six million innocents, and that the Ku Klux Klan `grew hugely' in the 1920s. But they won't learn that any other serious totalitarian movements also grew hugely in the 1920s, or that five million innocents died under the rule of Lenin's first experiment in socialism in the 1920s.

On the contrary, all anti-Communism in the twentieth century is presented as nothing better than a witch-hunt. Indeed, anti-communism is literally referred to as a `witch-hunt,' several times. Come on. So, was the fight against Hitler's National Socialism a `witch-hunt'? Why such a palpable double standard for twin evils? Hakim teaches children that while National Socialism was indeed a real and present danger, and even worth waging an unprecedented World War to fight it, on the other hand, international socialism, or Communism, was, as she tells it, never any real danger to Americans.

For instance, there's a chapter on the HUAC hearings in which McCarthy is referred to as a 'liar' about a half a dozen times. The chapter literally begins with the opening sentence "Joe McCarthy was a liar." Sure, he's controversial, but the latest research by historians just doesn't back up Hakim's wild-eyed account of liberal anti-socialism in America as nothing better than a nefarious `witch-hunt' conducted by `liars' and oppressors. Totalitarian Communist Lillian Hellman is profiled as a hero, and the overall impression is given that none of these people really were Communists, but, instead, were all just as falsely accused as the supposed `witches' of Salem.

This conclusion is then used to prove the statement that Americans are a fundamentally paranoid people, who basically lose their marbles very once in a while. (See book "Not Without Honor." on McCarthy and PBS documentary on Salem to find out why even Salem wasn't actually paranoia after all, but a toxic crop of moldy rye.) ... Read more