The Landmark History of the American People

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DH09
24 Customer Reviews Average rating: 3.1666666666667
Regular Price: $34.99Core Price: $31.49 Add #DH09 to cart Item #DH09
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Required Resource for Core E. A fascinating introduction to American culture as it has shaped and been shaped by events over the past 350 years. (This book is included in the Core D and D+E program.)

Winsomely written by the former librarian of Congress. Profusely illustrated.

Boorstin focuses on the social forces and cultural influences that have made Americans the unique people they are.

Partially because his material is unfamiliar, but partially because he writes in a more mature fashion than most younger children are used to, we supplement Boorstin's book (and, if need be, encourage you to replace it for the first half of the year) with The Story of the USA books.

Oversize pb, illus, two vols. in one.

(This book is included in Cores D and D+E.)

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Customer Reviews:

Average Rating:
Average rating: 3.1666666666667
24 Reviews

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5 out of 5 stars by Laura G on 2012-01-23
After reading the material on this book in the IG, I didn't know what to expect, but both my nine year old son and I really enjoy this book and frequently read ahead in it to find out what happens. The illustrations are terribly dry, the social history in its pages is fascinating.

5 out of 5 stars by Jerilyn B on 2011-12-08
Funny this book gets such love/hate reviews. It is a rigorous read. My daughter is in 3rd grade and I'm having her narrate every paragraph back to me. So we're not getting through all of it. But we love what we are reading. We usually have a surprising insight from Boorstin's book to share with Dad when he gets home. For example, in one of the chapters leading up to the civil war, Boorstin presents George Fitzhugh's defense of slavery (p. 158). Wow. This got us thinking. I appreciate John Holtzman's notes on the book. Sonlight's guide notes get us started on lively discussions. Blessings on the curriculum decision makers at Sonlight; your job is not easy!

5 out of 5 stars by Stephanie R on 2011-06-12
My 9 and 7 year old have been fascinated by this book! I love it as well. Though it can be "heady" material, we have great discussions about the "whys" of history. I have never read a history book before that gives as much context. We enjoy the Landmark History of the American People much more than the Story of the USA books. Thank you, Sonlight!

0 out of 5 stars by Denise H on 2011-02-13
Stop! Don't buy this book! This is the most boring, detail-overstuffed, fact-filled-to-the-nth-degree book ever written! When I started reading it, my 5th, 3rd, and 1st graders asked me where this came from because it is so unlike other books from the Sonlight history curriculum. I tried just skimming through it to get a few details into their brains, but it only made them bored to tears. This reminds me of the type of history book we were forced to listen to in public school, although this book has a Christian perspective. If you want to turn your children off to history, buy this. My kids listen to me read aloud about 20 hours per week and when I pick up this book, they all start complaining. I can't even recommend it for high school years. Denise H.

5 out of 5 stars by Sheila O on 2011-01-18
My 8 and 11 year olds love this fascinating look at American history that absolutely illuminates the historical fiction from core 3. It is dense reading,but we have chosen to use this as a read aloud so that we can all enjoy and discuss it together. It engages my children much more than Story of the USA ever could and is our favorite part yet of core 3. And for me, this IS the way I wish I had been taught.

5 out of 5 stars by Erin G on 2010-12-01
We love this book. I personally find it very interesting and I think that helps me engage my 8 year old, since we discuss the content as we read through it. The literature helps tie it all together and brings the book to life.

0 out of 5 stars by Philip H on 2010-11-11
Although I find this book extremely interesting, it is absolutely inappropriate for my 9 and 12 year old sons. If they didn't hate history before, they will now. It really angers me that when there is so much material out there suited to children that this text has been chosen to torture them with! I spend hours every week rifling through at least 4 other history books in order to present something to my children that they can actually understand. And my children are above average readers...so I wish someone had told me to save this for high school.

2 out of 5 stars by TARA S on 2010-10-21
"Dry" or "doesn't engage my children" seem to be the theme here but my first reaction in beginning this book was that it offers a weasel-y bias against Christianity that makes me wonder why Sonlight chose it as a text. Its portrayal of the Puritans, for example, seems to make their religion ridiculous. Perhaps I'll change my mind as we get further into the book but I already distrust it: not a good ingredient for learning.

5 out of 5 stars by SHEILA L on 2010-02-27
I find it fascinating that so many people appear NOT to have enjoyed this book, as we're loving it. My 12yo and 10yo have no trouble whatsoever following it, and my 7yo also prefers it considerably to "Story of the USA", which none of the children like. Even my 4yo sometimes pays attention to Landmark and finds Story of the USA condescending. We feel that the Landmark book is much less biased than many other books, although I realize that NO book is completely unbiased, and appreciate the drawings and photos. Our only complaint is that our copy is literally falling apart, despite what we consider to be gentle handling.

2 out of 5 stars by REBECCA R on 2010-02-08
This book is difficult and confusing for my 10 year old son. I will be looking for something else.