| A History of US: 11-Volume Set (A History of Us) |  | Author: Joy Hakim
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: Book
List Price: $175.45
Buy New: $96.50
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Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 15404
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 11.6
Dimensions (in): 10.6 x 8.3 x 5.7
ISBN: 0195327276
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.03
EAN: 9780195327274
ASIN: 0195327276
Publication Date: March 5, 2007
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Product Description
Master storyteller Joy Hakim has excited millions of young minds with the great drama of American history in her award-winning series A History of US. Hailed by reviewers, historians, educators, and parents for its exciting, thought-provoking narrative, the books have been recognized as a break-through tool in teaching history and critical reading skills to young people. And the kids themselves agree: Hakim has piles of fan letters as testimony.
And it's no wonder. Whether it's standing on the podium in Seneca Falls with the Suffragettes or riding on the first subway car beneath New York City in 1904, the books in Joy Hakim's A History of US series weave together exciting stories that bring American history to life. Readers may want to start with War, Terrible War, the tragic and bloody account of the Civil War that has been hailed by critics as "magnificent." Or All the People, brought fully up-to-date with a thoughtful and engaging examination of our world after September 11th. No matter which book they read, young people will never think of American history as boring again. Joy Hakim's single, clear voice offers continuity and narrative drama as she shares with a young audience her love of and fascination with the people of the past.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Very informative July 4, 2008
J. Bo Stahl (The Aleutians Islands)
My family seems to enjoy these books. I purchased this set not as part of their assigned reading but as extras. As a homeschooling Mom of 4, getting books that are good to read and that my children enjoy reading in their free time is when I feel I have won in my challenge of providing great education, enjoyable reading. This has been a winner.
Great for young history students May 29, 2008
MW
We have been using these books for homeschool. They are very interesting with lots of pictures and short chapters that can make a quality lesson. It will take two years to get through the entire set so they are worth the money.
Getting the Real Story April 24, 2008
Karen Wood-Campbell (Pittsburgh, PA)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
A few years ago - my older daughter was maybe 11 - we listened to the entire History of US series on tape in the car. It really opened up my eyes, and now I'm reading through the series again with my younger daughter, who is 10.
History and social studies were never my favorite subjects in school; in fact, I seemed to have some sort of mental block where that subject area was concerned. In high school, as a straight-A student in a rigorous private college prep school, I was poised to fail US History. Before the final, my teacher called me into his office and said "It's obvious that you have a mental block where this subject is concerned, so I'm going to go way out on a limb here." He handed me a packet of papers and said "Here are the questions that are going to be on the exam. If you ever tell anyone I did this, I'll lose my job; I'm trusting that you won't."
I spent that weekend - a beautiful spring weekend with my public-schooled friend from across the street constantly tempting me to get out of the house - frantically studying those questions. I settled myself at the dining room table and hardly moved from it the whole weekend. (Keep in mind that I was the kind of straight-A student that everyone hates - I hardly ever spent much time studying.) When the exam day came, I nervously tackled the test. Later the grade came in - I had barely passed, with a D.
So - no, history was not my strong suit, and I always avoided it after that. Until I homeschooled my kids, and listened to _A History of US_. Not only do I now LOVE American History, but I, as the homeschooling parent, have a much, much better sense of what it means to be an American, and have a renewed sense of pride in our country - not the shallow, flag-waving, blind patriotism kind of pride, but the kind of pride that makes me want to defend the principles and ideas our country was really founded on from people who would twist them around in order to protect the interests of the rich and powerful.
The series is definitely not biased - it's used by everyone from Christians to ex-hippies like me. But the author, Joy Hakim, refuses to pander to the usual textbook-summary myth-propagating versions of US History that, while appearing to be objective (how could anything that dry and boring not be?), are anything but. Every so often, she'll stop in the middle of her narrative to look at a period of history or historical event from the Native American or African-American point of view, or talk about women or Indians or African-Americans who were important figures at the time but who are seldom acknowledged in the usual school texts. She uses liberal quotes from primary sources, and spends a lot of time explaining the cultural background of historical periods, putting things in their context - refusing to go the easy route of dividing people into good vs. bad, delving into the philosophies and ideologies of many of the key players in the formation of the U.S., and asking tough, "what would you have done in this situation" types of questions - the kinds of questions that are FAR more meaningful than "What was the date of Cornwallis' surrender at Yorktown?"
In that sense, the books are very interactive, especially if you stop and discuss these questions. She wants her readers to think. And that's exactly what I did. And then when I read the idiocy that passes for political discourse now, I just want to stand up on the mountaintop and scream - or raise Jefferson, Franklin, and Adams from the dead and let them straighten people out themselves. If there is one thing I am most thankful for in being able to homeschool my kids, it's being able to give them the real scoop on American history, American government, and what it all *really* means.
Top Notch April 16, 2008
J. Grufman (Minnesota)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Joy Hakim has written and created texts of the history of our country that are wonderful to read. There is nothing dry about her writing style - she draws the reader in and sends you off looking forward to the next chapter. Each chapter is refreshingly brief, yet she manages a constant flow of attention-getting facts and information from start to finish. As far as we've read, she has managed to write the truth without a particular political or religious slant, though obviously the subject matter is often about politics and religion. In addition, she gives us an open and honest look at both our successes and our mistakes. We are using this as our history curriculum. It's so encouraging to see my 14 year old son, a reluctant reader, grabbing any one of these books from the set to settle down and read for awhile! Nothing else has grabbed his attention quite like these have. It brings tears to my eyes. Thanks, Joy!
wonderful read March 21, 2008
busy mom (Windsor CO United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The kids and I read it for fun. (It's also part of our homeschooling history work.) It is so well written that we always want to know what happens next.
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