I am looking for a spine of sorts…a good, chronological interesting book to have to read to my 1st grader as a good spine for our American History. I want to read this along with the biographies, etc. suggested on many CM websites. I want something to sort of tie it all together chronologically. Does anyone know if such a book exists? I have found a couple, but they have horrible reviews.
For k-2, “Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans” by Edward Eggleston. You can get it at Amazon or Lost Classics. It’s excellent; my children enjoyed it and it was a great, story-form introduction to the characters in History we want them to know.
I second Mara Pratt’s American History Stories, it is a 4 volume series of interesting stories. It is available free online at http://www.mainlesson.com or as books or as an audiobook on cd by Jim Hodges. I think the first and perhaps the 2nd are also on http://www.librivox.org. We’ve enjoyed this series much more than This Country of Ours by H.E. Marshall, but that is another option.
I read some of American History Stories by Mara Pratt on that website and I did find it very interesting. I, myself, wanted to continue reading! However, I did want to ask, is the text written in a way that is favorable to Christians? I want to give my young children a strong Christian-worldview before explaining things to them that are confusing. I fully intend to expose them to many things, but not at their tender young age. I want to make sure that any book I use is factual, but also that it comes from a Christian perspective on some level.
We have Mara Pratt’s, series, too. It, along with “Stories of Great AMericans…”are both written from a Christian worldview. There are 4 books in the Pratt series, whereas Eggleston’s is an overview of important people and events for little children.
Thanks so much for your input! I”m glad to know they are both written from a Christian perspective. I am so excited to have found this series! Thanks again and have a great weekend! 🙂
Rachel, can I ask where you purchased “Stories of Great Americans”? The reviews on Amazon seem to have conflict with the illustrations or lack thereof. I’d like to know which version has them. Thanks a bunch. ~ Heather
Yes, Heather; I got mine at Lost Classics; it’s the red, hardcover distributed by The Lost Classics Book Co.; their’s is the one with the original illustrations. The illustrations are b/w and very nice. I’m glad I own it so it can be read by/to my grandchildren! I am also going to get his other three American History Books for general reading, too.
The Greenleaf and Memoria versions of the Famous Men series are pretty much the same with minor editing details. Perhaps that will help, since I think Sonya plans to continue the Famous Men series in Modules 5 & 6.
I love some of the suggestions offered! What about beyond the early 1900’s? Most of the books I like the best are available on google books, mainlesson, or http://www.heritage-history.com/www/heritage.php, but I haven’t found anything from that point on.
The only “spine” type book that ventures into the 1900’s, up till around 1951 is V. M. Hillyer’s “A Child’s History of the World”; if you get the revised one.