Thursday, October 18, 2018

Welcome in Fall with a Good Book -- Young History and US President Buffs Will Love These Books from Time for Kids (Review)

Disclosure:  I was sent review copies from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.


If you have a child who is big into history or learning about the USA, its presidents, the states and historical events that have had a lasting impact on our country, then you will want to check out the Time for Kids series.  I was recently sent a sampling of their new and recent releases, and made one 6.5 year old very happy with the books, as she is all about the presidents and history.  My youngest plans to be a history teacher one day, and right now books like these are not only filling her head with more knowledge about why America is awesome, but is making that much more excited to become a history teacher one day and share her knowledge with young children, and see them get excited about history like she does.

Check out these books which we have been reading and using with our homeschool, as we cover the 50 States, learning about the 45  US Presidents, important events in history, and more about the government and governing branches, in easy to follow along books, filled with lots of full color photographs and illustrations.

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About this Book:

"TIME For Kids presents a complete overview of our nation's chief executives from George Washington to the newly elected 45th president!

Did you know that James Monroe was the first president to appear without a wig in public? Or that George W. Bush appointed the first African-American secretary of state? Presidents of the United States invites the reader inside the White House to discover fascinating facts about the U.S. commanders-in-chief-their origins, accomplishments, and place in history-as told through famous quotes, important historical dates, and a timeline of events. Special sections cover the election process, the branches of government, and the role of presidents in the expansion of our nation from before the 13 colonies through westward expansion. With more than 200 photographs, illustrations, portrait reproductions, and maps."


My Thoughts:

You can't go anywhere without seeing something about politics either on television or in print.  And, with the upcoming mid-term elections it seems like it is a constant thing in day to day life.  Even driving in the car, my girls are seeing all the signs in people's yards of those running in the upcoming election, as well as homemade signs made to tell people to get out and vote.  

We covered the elections in our homeschooling right before our current president was elected.  I taught the girls about the different branches of government as well as how elections take place and the need for key votes in different states. The girls really got into this, and asked to learn about the previous presidents as part of school this year.  I was looking for just the right book that included all the presidents, past and present, that was easy to understand, and would make learning about the different presidents fun.  That is how I came across this book from the popular Time for Kids series, which my girls and I love.   

Like the other Time for Kids books, this book features full color photographs and illustrations of each president, as well as facts about each. The book also covers the 13 colonies and how our country expanded over the years.  My girls really enjoy using this book to learn about the presidents, and I have to say that I am am little jealous as I really like the format of this book, and wished it was around when I was learning abut the US Presidents, as how I was taught was boring.  Kids will really retain a lot of the information shared in this book, and will find themselves talking about the different presidents.  I love to sit and hear my girls talk about their favorite presidents and why, while including facts they have learned thus and how the presidents made lasting impacts on our country during their time served.

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About this Book:

"Did you know the name Alaska comes from an Aleut word meaning "great land?" Or that St. Augustine, Florida, founded in 1565, is the oldest city in our country? TIME For Kids presents the glorious 50 states of our nation in this informative guide and shares the qualities that make each one unique-- from their geographic and political origins to the individual states’ place in history. Packed with fun facts, illustrated maps, full-color photos, and state profiles organized alphabetically for easy search, 50 States: Our America is a great resource for school reports, summer road trips, and young readers' general curiosity."

My Thoughts:

This book has been coming in handy this year for our homeschooling, as we are studying the 50 states and doing a postcard exchange with other homeschoolers around the United States.  We shared facts and our CT state profile on the CT postcards we sent out, for others to learn about our state.  And, when we received postcards from other states in the mail, the girls have a blast trying to locate the on the wall map we have up, and then reach for this book to read more fun facts and information about the state.  We have 35 out of 50 states so far received in postcards, with more expected in the coming weeks.  What a fun way to learn about the different states, than with a fun postcard exchange, as well as reading this book, which includes full-color photos, state profiles, fun facts and an illustrated map so that you can locate easily.

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About this Book:

"The Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, Gettysburg Address, Emancipation Proclamation, and more!

The third title in the handbook series from TIME for Kids following Presidents of the United States and 50 StatesOur Nation's Documents offers annotated surveys of American history’s foundational works with up-to-date scholarship and more than 200 full-color photos and illustrations. This guide provides young readers with the basic information they need to know about the establishment of our government, and gives an historical perspective on current political events. This collection of documents includes The Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution with the Bill of Rights and amendments, plus excerpts from the Federalist Papers and much more."

My Thoughts:

"OMG," this is what my 6.5 year old history buff said when I showed her this book recently.  She is all about history and famous speeches, and was excited to see the Declaration of Independence and Emancipation Proclamation mentioned on the cover of this book. If you were to ask my daughter who her favorite president is, she will not hesitate in giving you her answer.  She is all about Abe Lincoln.  The reason she likes he most is that he helped to abolish slavery.  She is also keen on Frederick Douglas, a slave who became friends with Abraham Lincoln, and helped pave the way for the Emancipation Proclamation.  Now, I am not a huge history person -- it was never a favorite subject in school -- but, seeing my daughter get so into it and be passionate about it when she talks about it, makes me want to learn more and alongside her.  This book, in particular, was a favorite of mine.  I loved how it was written and how it describes our government and its branches, all as well as covering political events past and present that have and are having a lasting impact on the USA.  Like the other Time for Kids books, this one is also filled with full-color photos and illustrations and written with kids in mind, making it more enjoyable to read, while learning all about our nation's documents.
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About this Book:

"TIME For Kids explores America from sea to shining sea!

Discover what makes America unique in this comprehensive timeline and photographic overview of American history--pre-Columbus through the present--highlighting the milestone events and important people that have made America awesome. 

Perfect for both dip-in reference and longer-form reading, Awesome America is organized into thematic sections, each comprised of bite-sized articles, engaging factoid sidebars, colorful charts, graphics and interactive quizzes to help make learning about American history interesting, interactive, and fun. From America's early history all the way to present day, kids will learn about what it was like to grow up in the 1700's, 1800's, 1900's and today and discover the inventions, innovations, and important social movements great Americans have created over the years."

My Thoughts:

America is already great, and has been great for most of history -- even though some may disagree.  This book is a comprehensive timeline including lots of photos of important events in events, that have made America the awesome country that it is today.  Everything you ever wanted to know about US history, famous people and our culture is covered in this book.  It is broken down into thematic sections, making it easy for kids to grab this book as a reference for school, or to study a particular time in history that interests them.  

I have found my youngest daughter choosing this book as her book to read for the day, when I have the girls sit and read 45 minutes a day.  She sometimes has questions, but most of the time she is just excited and wants to share about things she had read, to see if I was in the know or not. As a parent, I highly recommend this book for families with children still in school.  This is one of those books that they will pull from the bookcase and reference as they progress through school, and one that will help them better understand the different time periods in history.
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About this Book:

"TIME introduces the Heroes of History series—life stories of extraordinary Americans, illustrated in full-color.

Forget everything you think you know about George Washington. The father of our country remains a mystery to too many of us. Now TIME tells the full, fascinating story of the Virginia planter who fought for Britain in the French and Indian War, led a rag-tag colonial army to victory over the British Empire, and was elected the first President of the United States. Young adult readers ready to look beyond the “Who Was” series deserve a collection of biographies all their own with the details, nuance, and depth they crave. With dozens of reproductions of artworks, artifacts from the period, photographs, and illustrations created to bring the subject alive, this first book in the new series, Heroes of History, captures “the essential American” and brings his life and chaotic, revolutionary times into fresh focus."

My Thoughts:

Next to Abe Lincoln, George Washington is a close second on my daughter's list of favorite presidents.  She was so excited when she saw this and the Alexander Hamilton books arrive in the mail, as she is always up on learning more about the president and heroes in US history.

This book is made up of five chapters that share the life and times of Washington including his time as Commander in the Continental Army, as well as his presidency.  While more wordy than the other books I mentioned above, this chapter book really is a must read for chapter book readers who enjoy learning about heroes in US History, or about our presidents.  While reading this book with my daughter, I found myself learning things about George Washington that I had never knew, and found fascinating.  And, I loved seeing my daughter all smiles and eager for our one-on-one bedtime reading, so that we could enjoy this book together.  This is definitely one book we will read time and again, and use as reference when studying this president further.
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About this Book:

"TIME introduces the Heroes of History series—life stories of extraordinary Americans, illustrated in full-color.

Think you know everything about Alexander Hamilton? Think again! The original immigrant success story brought to life in the musical Hamilton is every bit as amazing and controversial now as it was in the 18th century. TIME tells the whole story of the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury—a founding father with a complicated and ultimately tragic story that didn’t end with the duel in Weehawken. Young adult readers ready to look beyond the “Who Was” series deserve a collection of biographies all their own with the details, nuance, and depth they crave. With dozens of reproductions of artworks, artifacts from the period, photographs, and illustrations created to bring the subject alive, this first book in the new series, Heroes of History, captures “the quintessential immigrant success story” and brings his life and chaotic, revolutionary times into fresh focus."


My Thoughts:
This book is set up just like the George Washington one, and will make learning about this president fun for young chapter readers.  We found it better to read a chapter at a time in case we wanted to do more research online about what we had just read or learned about this president, as well as not to overwhelm ourselves with the wealth of information shared throughout the pages of this well-written book about another great hero in history.

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These are just a handful of books about our history from Time for Kids, that are worth checking out.  I can't say enough about how great these books are, as they are written just for kids and in an easy-to-understand way. Kids will have fun learning about historical people, events, etc. when they pick up a book in the Time for Kids series.  To learn more about these and other books in the popular series, head on over to www.timeforkids.com.


Disclosure:  I was sent review copies from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

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