Help with History

Well, I don’t know that I kept the whole list.  The ones he didn’t pick I just put back on my bookshelf.  I know there were a couple bios of Washington in there, including the one Ambleside recommends for later years.  There was McCullough’s John Adams, and Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose, and Joseph Ellis’s wonderful Founding Brothers, American Creation, and American Sphinx (about Thomas Jefferson).  I’m very fond of Joseph Ellis and David McCullough so they make regular appearances on my recommended lists.  I’m still compiling my son’s list for next year (after 1870) but am recommending McCullough’s bio of Teddy Roosevelt (Mornings on Horseback) and then he will probably  be choosing from several libertarian/Austrian economics titles to cover the 20th century, since he’s very interested and that is a perspective he will not get often in college and later life unless he seeks it out.  I know he’s interested in a couple of books on fiscal policy and the Great Depression.  I don’t have the titles handy yet as I’ve not dug those out of the bookshelves yet.  He’s already read Richard Maybury’s books on World War I and World War II, but those would be natural choices and easier to read than most books I’ve mentioned so far.  I read a lot of history myself, and pick up titles from current bestseller and recommended lists, blogs, other friends on Goodreads, Ambleside, homeschooling lists, and lots of other places. 

Oh, that reminded me, I have a few more really good titles from my Goodreads lists:

For Liberty and Glory:  Washington, Lafayette and Their  Revolutions by James Gaines; The Long Way Home: An American Journey from Ellis Island to the Great War, David Laskin; Empire of the Summer Moon:  Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, S.C. Gwynne; Unbroken:  A World War II Story of Survival, Reslience and Redemption, by Laura Hillebrand (this last title has just a few bad words used in quotes towards the latter part of the book that I marked out before giving to my kids; this book is REALLY REALLY worth reading yourself as it is one of the best books I’ve read this year)

So many books, so little time!!!!

Bookworm … thank you so much for chiming in; you are such a wealth of information! I have spent WEEKS having a tennis match inside my head, as someone said. I have used AO with my 15 ds since he was in 3rd grade (yrs 1-8), but am thinking of using Sonlight Am. History this next year. But I just can not seem to decide – thus the constant volley in my head – HEO 9 … SL core 100?

My son does not love history so I have been desparately searching for something to spark his interest, but still be high school level. He likes Sonlight, but I’m not so sure it’s HS level? There’s also the question of speeding through Am History in one year or spreading it out over all 4 years? He is all for speeding through to be done with it, but how much will he remember and make a connection with?

There is also the issue of time as someone else mentioned. He will be taking Biology, Pre-Calculus, Spanish,maybe an IEW writing course, Literature as well as I need to allow him time for his other interests – guitar, mechanical type stuff, and he wants to get a job ASAP! I guess my biggest dilemma is how to get in the requirements (making it the best it can be because he is not decided on going to college – this could be the bulk of his education!), but still leave time for him to follow his interests.

SL reading is easy, may be interesting, but there is so much scheduled will he have the time to be ‘himself’?

HEO 9 (maybe the Lite version) is heftier reading, but much less. Maybe that would give him the afternoons to do his own thing?

I love history and I have a tendency to think of it as the ‘core’ of school, but he would rather  be ‘doing’ stuff (a job is his highest priority). I somehow need to guard against forcing what I want him to learn and instead give him some of that choice. But that is easier SAID than DONE!

Maybe I’m just having a hard time letting go of my oldest ; ) and letting him begin to manage his own life!

OH my well thanks to anyone who read this rambly post! I have posted questions similar to this on other forums, but haven’t received much input – perhaps because they seem to be peopled by moms of younger kids. Moms of HSers seem to fade away from these discussions boards. Also most of the homeschool moms I know personally have only elementary kids. Anyway…. thanks for listening and any words of wisdom are appreciated!

Olivia in OH

We have really enjoyed using Joy Harkim’s series for Am. History as our spine and supplementing them with living books too.  My children are 10 and 8.  Here is a link – http://www.joyhakim.com  We’ve just used library copies thus far.