Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans by Edward Eggleston

by April
(Middle Tennessee)

This year we have been using this little red book as a supplement for our history studies. My second grader is really enjoying the stories included here.

This book includes fifty two stories based in American history for you to enjoy. The majority of the stories are biographical, but are very interesting to children. Both of my girls who have used this book have greatly enjoyed it. I can imagine that a little boy would love it even more since there are so many stories about explorers and battles.

This book is published by the Lost Classics company, so there is some antiquated language in it. The stories are mostly focused on the founding of America, the revolution, and explorers. However there are many selections that discuss authors and painters as well. The bigger words and difficult names are hyphenated to make it easier for a child to read the stories on their own. I would say that the reading level is second or third grade.

There are quite a few illustrations but none are colorful. They are all black and white and many are quite detailed. This is a hardback book and seems to be very durable. We've had ours for 5 years and it still looks great, even though it has been read through several times. This book also would be wonderful for your "regular" book shelves, rather than packed away with the "school" books.

While there are tons of interesting stories to read, this book is not a traditional history textbook. There are no comprehension questions or activities. So if that is the way you wish to study history, this little book might not work for you. You would have to generate your own maps, questions, and activities. However for fun reading or a Charlotte Mason style of learning, this would be an excellent fit.

My family has enjoyed this book and I thought that for the money it was a good value. I love hardback books that last, and I also enjoy books that kids enjoy using all the time, not just during school time. Stories of Great Americans definitely fits all of those qualifications.