History

The Last Crusader: Isabella of Spain

Book cover: The Last Crusader: Isabella of Spain
Author(s): 
William Thomas Walsh

Queen Isabella (the Catholic) of Spain is one of the most influential and controversial women in history. She and her husband were responsible for supporting Columbus' voyages to the New World, the re-conquering of all of Spain from the Moors, the expulsion of the Jews, and the establishment of the Spanish Inquisition. Her daughter, Catherine of Aragon, was the unfortunate first wife of King Henry VIII of England (who founded the Anglican church because he didn't accept the Pope's refusal to grant him an annulment of his marriage to Catherine).

Christ and the Americas

Book cover: 'Christ and the Americas'
Author(s): 
Anne W. Carroll
Christ and the Americas is a high school American history text by the same author as Christ the King, Lord of History It is difficult to describe in a paragraph or two a book that covers so much. The book is packed with stories and information about major aspects of American history, from the ancient civilizations of the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas, to post-Cold War America.

The Story of the Pony Express

Book cover: The Story of the Pony Express
Author(s): 
R. Conrad Stein

Although I expect that this series was designed for mid-grade school, my younger children have still found it to be very interesting for read-alouds. The story of the Pony Express tends to be one of rather high interest for young children, but one that is given very brief mention in most history textbooks. I found it very interesting to discover that the Pony Express only ran for a year and a half, how it was affected by the California Gold Rush and the Civil War and how it paved the way for running of telegraph lines coast to coast which made the service obsolete.

Geography Songs

We love Geography Songs! My girls have been able to memorize quite a bit by these songs and they can easily apply these to maps at a very young age. They love to sing so they are very interested in doing geography.

The Children's Book of America

Book cover: 'The Children's Book of America'
Author(s): 
William Bennett
Another great collection compiled by William Bennett which includes beautifully illustrated tales and poems such as: Father Junipero Serra, the story of the First Thanksgiving, Paul Bunyan, the Story of the Star Spangled Banner, an Indian legend, and patriotic songs and poems. This is one of the books that my children ask for over and over - probably because of the wonderful illustrations, interesting content and great variety of stories. I especially like the story included about Father Junipero Serra which very nicely portrays the faith and fortitude of this humble priest.

The Sinking of the Bismarck

Author(s): 
William L. Shirer

Back in print! It was May 1941 and the British were struggling to hold back the Germans (this is of course before the United States had entered World War II). Since the summer of 1940 the Germans had access to the harbors and airfields of western Europe from Norway to southern France. Their submarines, warships and bombers were wreaking havoc on Britain's supply convoys crossing the Atlantic which was seriously threatening Britain's survival.

The Flying Aces of World War I

Author(s): 
Gene Gurney
Biographies of eight famous flyers of World War I - from both sides of the War. From an historical perspective we see how quickly the war caused innovations in the fledgling aircraft industry. From a human perspective we admire the bravery of these men and the significant impact they had on the war. We see the awfulness of war as most of these great "aces" did not survive the war. Most surprising is the respect they held for their counterparts on the other side - during the funeral of one flyer, an enemy plane flew over and dropped a wreath to honor the dead.

The Children's Homer

Book cover: 'The Children's Homer: The Adventures of Odysseus and the Tale of Troy'
Author(s): 
Padraic Colum
The Children's Homer is an epic adventure about the Trojan War and the homecoming of Odysseus. The two famous tales, The Iliad and The Odyssey, were originally written by Homer, a renowned poet in Ancient Greece. Mr. Colum retells these stories for us. My family used this book as a read-aloud, and enjoyed it immensely. We were all thrilled by the gripping stories and the detailed pictures. It's an excellent book to use when studing Anciect Greece. I would give it five *****rating.

Augustus Caesar's World

Author(s): 
Genevieve Foster
We've found "Augustus Caesar's World" by Genevieve Foster to be a wonderful resource. The book covers the period from 44 BC to 14 AD with events and ideas for that time, all over the world. I feel the stories really give my son a great sense of life during this period. The illustrations are outstanding line drawing of characters, maps and especially the time lines. Just wanted to share a great resource.

Everybody Cooks Rice

Book cover: 'Everybody Cooks Rice'
Author(s): 
Norah Dooley
A small illustrated children's book about two children who visit a number of their neighbors of different ethnic backgrounds and discover that each of their cultures uses rice in their cooking. Includes recipes in the back. A good way to introduce children to our country's ethnic diversity without getting "politically correct." (Warning: We get hungry every time we read this book.)

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