Review from 2013:
Middle School US History covering 1945-2009. I learned a lot from this one. I've heard about the Vietnam War and Korean War but never had any inkling as to what they were really about. It's nice to at least have a basic understanding of them now and to have a better grasp on who the presidents were between Roosevelt and Kennedy and then Carter who is the first president I remember. It was even more interesting reading her take on the times of my childhood and now my adulthood. I thought that while fairly simplistic, she did a decent job of trying to present a rounded perspective. It's definitely been opening some dialog in my house and that is never a bad thing.
Yeah, it was a good refresher on those subjects. Made even more interesting because I was also reading high school American History this year and of course, this is really where they finally intercept and this one is much more in depth in a lot of ways.
Page count: 297p/4,046p ytd/296,067p lifetime
Showing posts with label History of US. Show all posts
Showing posts with label History of US. Show all posts
Friday, May 25, 2018
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
6:100 History of US vol. 9: War, Peace, and All That Jazz by Joy Hakim
Review from 2013:
Middle-School History covering 1918-1945. Model T's, wood-frame airplanes, radios, Prohibition, jazz, the Roaring Twenties, Babe Ruth, flappers, the Depression, and two World Wars...all in a thirty-year span. That pretty much gives a good summary of what you find in this book. I've noticed that now that things are getting closer to modern times, the jumping around is much less and the author makes it a point to detail a lot more than what I remember learning about from my history classes, middle and high school. I knew there had been a WWI but had no idea who it concerned or how it ended much less that it had paved the way for WWII. I had a basic knowledge of Jazz and it's roots but not the bigger picture that was shown in this book. I knew about the Depression and Black Friday but not the events that had led up to it. That to me is what is truly important about history, not just knowing about the big events but how those came about and what they caused.
Page count: 220p/1,053p ytd/293,074p lifetime
Middle-School History covering 1918-1945. Model T's, wood-frame airplanes, radios, Prohibition, jazz, the Roaring Twenties, Babe Ruth, flappers, the Depression, and two World Wars...all in a thirty-year span. That pretty much gives a good summary of what you find in this book. I've noticed that now that things are getting closer to modern times, the jumping around is much less and the author makes it a point to detail a lot more than what I remember learning about from my history classes, middle and high school. I knew there had been a WWI but had no idea who it concerned or how it ended much less that it had paved the way for WWII. I had a basic knowledge of Jazz and it's roots but not the bigger picture that was shown in this book. I knew about the Depression and Black Friday but not the events that had led up to it. That to me is what is truly important about history, not just knowing about the big events but how those came about and what they caused.
Page count: 220p/1,053p ytd/293,074p lifetime
Sunday, November 5, 2017
93:120 History of US vol 8: An Age of Extremes by Joy Hakim
Review from 2013:
Middle-School History covering 1880-1917. This book focused first on the power houses of their day: Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Morgan. It also talked about the inventions and innovations of the Gilded Age but also focused a lot on the extremes between the rich and poor and the politics behind it like the city bosses but also how the progressives came into being trying to deal with the injustices they saw all around and the reforms that came about such as the child labor laws, juvenile courts, the 40hr work week, and unions. The book leaves off at the start of WWI during Woodrow Wilson's presidency.
I liked this one probably the best of all so far. Things seemed to flow better from one chapter to the next and I didn't feel like we were bopping around all over the place completely out of order.
Page count: 215p/17,877p ytd/289,230 lifetime
Middle-School History covering 1880-1917. This book focused first on the power houses of their day: Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Morgan. It also talked about the inventions and innovations of the Gilded Age but also focused a lot on the extremes between the rich and poor and the politics behind it like the city bosses but also how the progressives came into being trying to deal with the injustices they saw all around and the reforms that came about such as the child labor laws, juvenile courts, the 40hr work week, and unions. The book leaves off at the start of WWI during Woodrow Wilson's presidency.
I liked this one probably the best of all so far. Things seemed to flow better from one chapter to the next and I didn't feel like we were bopping around all over the place completely out of order.
Page count: 215p/17,877p ytd/289,230 lifetime
Monday, September 18, 2017
71:120 History of US Vol.8: Reconstructing America 1865-1890 by Joy Hakim
Last read 4 years ago. Here's my review from that time:
Middle-School US History. Deals with the time following the Civil War but not just the Reconstruction of the South but also what was happening in the west, the strides in innovation and inventions, woman's rights, the start of the temperance movement, the rising racism against the Chinese as well as the blacks. It was nice to hear more about the country during that time than just what was going on in the South which seems to be the more typical way of presenting that time period.
I have to say that so much more of it resonates with me now than it did then as we are seeing white supremacy on the rise and I'm learning so much more about white privilege. I do think that we will continue to get closer to a more equal and just society but we need to take note of our past and learn from it as we strive for that society.
Page count: 199p/14,191p ytd/285,295p lifetime
Middle-School US History. Deals with the time following the Civil War but not just the Reconstruction of the South but also what was happening in the west, the strides in innovation and inventions, woman's rights, the start of the temperance movement, the rising racism against the Chinese as well as the blacks. It was nice to hear more about the country during that time than just what was going on in the South which seems to be the more typical way of presenting that time period.
I have to say that so much more of it resonates with me now than it did then as we are seeing white supremacy on the rise and I'm learning so much more about white privilege. I do think that we will continue to get closer to a more equal and just society but we need to take note of our past and learn from it as we strive for that society.
Page count: 199p/14,191p ytd/285,295p lifetime
Sunday, May 14, 2017
36:120 A History of US, Vol 6: War, Terrible War by Joy Hakim
Review from 2013:
Middle-school history focusing on the Civil War. I still find her way of jumping around a bit disjointing but I think the presentation of the material worked better for this one than previous ones. It allowed the horror of the war to be told but she broke it up with other information to keep it from being overwhelming for the intended age group. There was a lot more information on the Generals and who they were both before and during the war which I think is good to show that none of these people were evil although the things that happen during a war certainly are but that they each thought they were trying to do the right thing for their side. I found it to be fairly balanced over all with lots of good information.
Page count: 167p/7,058p ytd/281,533p lifetime
Middle-school history focusing on the Civil War. I still find her way of jumping around a bit disjointing but I think the presentation of the material worked better for this one than previous ones. It allowed the horror of the war to be told but she broke it up with other information to keep it from being overwhelming for the intended age group. There was a lot more information on the Generals and who they were both before and during the war which I think is good to show that none of these people were evil although the things that happen during a war certainly are but that they each thought they were trying to do the right thing for their side. I found it to be fairly balanced over all with lots of good information.
Page count: 167p/7,058p ytd/281,533p lifetime
Friday, March 24, 2017
15:120 A History of US Vol. 5: Liberty for All? by Joy Hakim
Review from 2013:
The 5th book in her US history series for middle school. Better than some of the others. There was some interesting information in there setting things up for the Civil War and while I appreciated learning more about the authors and artists of that time, I'm not sure how much my son got out of that. There were definitely parts that I felt could have moved more quickly but at the same time, I think it was good to show where the country was and all the things that went into creating the factions of North vs. South. It wasn't just slavery although that was the main thing but the industry, life styles, and exploration that slavery enabled that many people did not want to lose as well.
Page count: 219p/3,384p ytd/277,859p lifetime
The 5th book in her US history series for middle school. Better than some of the others. There was some interesting information in there setting things up for the Civil War and while I appreciated learning more about the authors and artists of that time, I'm not sure how much my son got out of that. There were definitely parts that I felt could have moved more quickly but at the same time, I think it was good to show where the country was and all the things that went into creating the factions of North vs. South. It wasn't just slavery although that was the main thing but the industry, life styles, and exploration that slavery enabled that many people did not want to lose as well.
Page count: 219p/3,384p ytd/277,859p lifetime
Thursday, February 16, 2017
8:120 History of US, Vol 4: The New Nation by Joy Hakim
Previous review written in 2012 when I read it with son #3
I have to admit I learned more in this book than previous ones like the fact that there were presidents between Jackson and Lincoln. I mean, I knew that in a logical sense because Jackson was number 7 and Lincoln was sixteenth but still, they actually had names. Of course, she only gave one chapter to all 8 of them since they didn't seem to do much of anything. Otherwise, it was still better than the first book or two as it seemed to flow better and the presentation was easier to follow. I still dislike the gazillion side notes and extra articles that get stuck in tho. I find them distracting and I know that Jon tends to gloss over them. Sometimes you can as they aren't that important and sometimes they are really important. Ugh!
Son#4 is enjoying this far more than the last one did which definitely makes it more enjoyable for me as a teacher when we can discuss in depth and it's not fighting over getting him to read any of it.
Page count: 199p/1,971p ytd/276,446p lifetime
I have to admit I learned more in this book than previous ones like the fact that there were presidents between Jackson and Lincoln. I mean, I knew that in a logical sense because Jackson was number 7 and Lincoln was sixteenth but still, they actually had names. Of course, she only gave one chapter to all 8 of them since they didn't seem to do much of anything. Otherwise, it was still better than the first book or two as it seemed to flow better and the presentation was easier to follow. I still dislike the gazillion side notes and extra articles that get stuck in tho. I find them distracting and I know that Jon tends to gloss over them. Sometimes you can as they aren't that important and sometimes they are really important. Ugh!
Son#4 is enjoying this far more than the last one did which definitely makes it more enjoyable for me as a teacher when we can discuss in depth and it's not fighting over getting him to read any of it.
Page count: 199p/1,971p ytd/276,446p lifetime
Monday, January 16, 2017
3:120 History of US, Vol 3: From Colonies to Country by Joy Hakim
Previous review:
The 3rd book in the History of Us series. This one covered the Revolutionary War and forming of the Constitution. I liked this one better than previous as it seemed to jump around less and we delved more into the people and their influences and what they were trying to accomplish rather than jumping time periods constantly and not knowing when we were.
I definitely do like the flow of this one better as it's more sequential in the telling with some backstory of individuals as they are introduced. And as always, I enjoy reading the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights knowing what magnificent documents they are.
Page count: 224p/571p ytd/276,046p lifetime
The 3rd book in the History of Us series. This one covered the Revolutionary War and forming of the Constitution. I liked this one better than previous as it seemed to jump around less and we delved more into the people and their influences and what they were trying to accomplish rather than jumping time periods constantly and not knowing when we were.
I definitely do like the flow of this one better as it's more sequential in the telling with some backstory of individuals as they are introduced. And as always, I enjoy reading the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights knowing what magnificent documents they are.
Page count: 224p/571p ytd/276,046p lifetime
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
88:120 History of US: Making Thirteen Colonies by Joy Hakim
My third time reading these books. Here is my previous review:
The 2nd book in the History of US series (5th-8th US History text). Well, Jon likes them as much as he likes history at all (which is to say not much) but I will say that I think I was spoiled by the Oxford Ancient Times series. This one just hasn't gripped me, the writing is repetitive in it's simplistic language, and I'm basically just ungripped. I'm sure there are better books out there but the small chapters and easy reading is exactly what Jon needs so I think I'm stuck with it. *sigh* Only 8 more volumes left.
Page count: 192p/23,410p ytd/272,560p lifetime
The 2nd book in the History of US series (5th-8th US History text). Well, Jon likes them as much as he likes history at all (which is to say not much) but I will say that I think I was spoiled by the Oxford Ancient Times series. This one just hasn't gripped me, the writing is repetitive in it's simplistic language, and I'm basically just ungripped. I'm sure there are better books out there but the small chapters and easy reading is exactly what Jon needs so I think I'm stuck with it. *sigh* Only 8 more volumes left.
Ok, now that I've had over a year away from the Oxford series and am reading these with a child who is enjoying them, I'm much less cranky with them. I still find the jumping around annoying but that seems to be fairly common with many history books as they try to focus on whatever thing they are currently talking about although I feel that without the context of everything else that was happening at the time there is a lot that gets lost even if you swing back around and try to pick that other stuff up while following a different thread. But maybe that's just me. I am definitely willing to concede that. I will say, these do hold up better next to the high school world history that I am also currently reading.
Page count: 192p/23,410p ytd/272,560p lifetime
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
76:120 A History of US: The First Americans by Joy Hakim
This is now my third time reading this history book. Here's my previous review:
Book 1 in the History of Us series which we are using for 5th & 8th grade US History. It's a two year course so I'll be working on these for a while. Honestly, I'm not overly thrilled with the series. It's very jumpy in it's telling and the language isn't as engaging as I was hoping for. 8th grader loved it in 5th grade but hates it now. I can see why. It's working well for the 5th grader tho with the super short chapters. So long as it's working, we'll stick with it but I was so hoping for something more engaging like the Oxford series we did for middle school Ancient History.
Well, having a year break from the lovely Oxford series and trying to read high school history while reading this along with a having a child who is enjoying it makes it seem better than this. I think it is a decent history curriculum for the 5-6th graders, short chapters and a bit of engaging "let's pretend" thing going on, but it definitely will suffer in comparison to other, stronger texts. Still better than high school history courses in general though since it dives deeper.
Page count: 183p/20,667p ytd/269,817p lifetime
Book 1 in the History of Us series which we are using for 5th & 8th grade US History. It's a two year course so I'll be working on these for a while. Honestly, I'm not overly thrilled with the series. It's very jumpy in it's telling and the language isn't as engaging as I was hoping for. 8th grader loved it in 5th grade but hates it now. I can see why. It's working well for the 5th grader tho with the super short chapters. So long as it's working, we'll stick with it but I was so hoping for something more engaging like the Oxford series we did for middle school Ancient History.
Well, having a year break from the lovely Oxford series and trying to read high school history while reading this along with a having a child who is enjoying it makes it seem better than this. I think it is a decent history curriculum for the 5-6th graders, short chapters and a bit of engaging "let's pretend" thing going on, but it definitely will suffer in comparison to other, stronger texts. Still better than high school history courses in general though since it dives deeper.
Page count: 183p/20,667p ytd/269,817p lifetime
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