My older son, flodjunior, is ten years old and in fifth grade, a native bilingual reading well above grade level in both his languages. (Yes, I do like to brag about him ) This presents a slight problem because his classmates are learning English as their first foreign language, and he’s miles ahead of them. Fortunately his school and his teachers are flexible, and he works on some of the lessons (grammar and spelling) with his classmates and does independent projects for reading and writing.
He loves history and would like to learn more about US history. In fact at the moment he’s writing a long report about the American War of Independence, based on research on the Internet and what little he was able to find in our local library. But he wants to keep going. We’re heading for the States this Christmas, so I thought we should get some books for him while we’re there.
Could anyone recommend a good young adult book or series of books giving a decent survey of US history, for instance a book/series that (secular) homeschoolers might use in a similar situation? He doesn’t want the sort that are stories about kids in various periods of history or other fictional or semi-fictional accounts, he’d like strictly non-fiction. The reading level should ideally be junior high/older middle school.
One book which is a very light read, is The Founding Fathers on Leadership. It is, as the name suggests, a look at the founding fathers during the revolutionary era, and framing their actions in the context of good leadership priciples. I believe this is a part of a series of books regarding leadership issues. Perfect, IMHO for young readers.
For heavier reads, one is A Few Bloody Noses: The Realities and Mythologies of the American Revolution. What’s interesting of this read, is that it’s written by a Brit who offers a British perspective of the Revolutionary War, and attempts to do so in a fair, unbiased way. While I disagree that he accomplishes this, it’s great to get a look of our history from the other side.
The other is A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic. This book is very heavy on the specifics and details of the time, with an emphasis on the politics involved. It covers the pre-war build up, the war, then the actions of the Americans afterward and their problems with establishing the nation.
I started awhile back to read the John Adams biography by David McCullough, but sadly have not progressed far for lack of time. I’ve enjoyed what little I’ve read thus far, and my understanding is that it is a really great piece. I would think that a biography of Ben Franklin would be a great read for a youngster as well. He was quite a colorful character.
Actually, now that I think about it, a good book for what you’re after may be To America, Personal Reflections of an Historian, by Stephen Ambrose. It’s not a heavy read (250 pages), and is a look at a variety of U.S. history topics.
The table of contents is as follows: The Founding Fathers
The Battle of New Orleans
The Indian Country
The Transcontinental Railroad
Grant and Reconstruction
Theodore Roosevelt and the Beginning of the American Century
Democracy, Eisenhower, and the War in Europe
The War in the Pacific
The Legacy of WWII
Vietnam
Writing in and About America
War Stories: Crazy Horse and Custer and Pegasus Bridge
Writing About Nixon
Writing About Men in Action, 1992-2001
The National D-Day Museum
American Racism
Women’s Rights and Immigration
The United States and Nation Building
Nothing Like it in the World
As you can see, it’s quite a selection of U.S. history in a relatively small book, and might be good for junior’s purposes.
It’s great to hear of his interest in reading; I wish I read more as a lad. I only hope my young 'uns read more as children than I did.
) This presents a slight problem because his classmates are learning English as their first foreign language, and he’s miles ahead of them. Fortunately his school and his teachers are flexible, and he works on some of the lessons (grammar and spelling) with his classmates and does independent projects for reading and writing.