I have never read a history book like this one. If your child has ever said history is boring, or you are looking for ways to make history alive and relevant to your family’s lives today, I’d love for you to check out the new history curriculum by Amy Puetz and Golden Prairie Press. Who could resist the pull of stories such as:

• A famous explorer who hid in a barrel
• A group of American boys who stood up to a British general when his soldiers were bullying them
• A small fleet from a young navy who took on the pirates of the Barbary Coast
• A stranger who seemed to appear out of nowhere to save a Massachusetts town from an Indian raid

Heroes and Heroines of the Past: American History takes us on a journey from the Age of Discovery and the days of Leif Erikson and Christopher Columbus through the wars that shaped our nation to events such as the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, that continue to shape our nation today. Skillfully woven throughout the historic narrative are the stories of more than 70 heroes and heroines who risked, and sometimes gave, their lives for their faith in God and their love of freedom.

Some of the heroes you’ll recognize right away:

• Pocahontas
• John Winthrop
• George Washington
• Robert Fulton

Some of them you may not have met before:

• Ann Story
• Mrs. Pursley
• James Caldwell, the Fighting Parson
• Kapi’olani

And you’ll meet other heroes and heroines as well, brave men, women, and children whose deeds are remembered even after their names have been lost to history:

• The little pueblo prince
• The boys of Boston
• A small brave fleet
• The nurses of Pearl Harbor

This amazing history curriculum (available in ebook or paperback) includes 150 lessons (30 5-day weeks) covering more than 700 pages. If the curriculum stopped there, it would be a resource unlike any American history series I’ve ever read. But the curriculum goes beyond the history and the stories and includes lists of additional recommended reading and resources, an additional materials CD (with timelines, videos, printable historic board games, artwork, coloring pages, and more), nineteen historical skits, an audio CD of historic songs mentioned in the book, and an audio CD of speeches, sermons, poems, and documents mentioned in the curriculum. Think of the possibilities to use these to take history with you on road trips, to waiting rooms, and beyond.

One of my favorite resources, in addition to the stories, is the games and recipes section. Recipes are included like Abraham Lincoln’s favorite fricasseed chicken, colonial succotash, hardtack, and many more. Instructions are given for your kids to enjoy their own games of pitching pennies, Fox and Geese, I Have a Basket, and lots more.

There is so much to this history curriculum it is truly impossible to share it all with you today. There are Scripture verses included for memorization, copywork and dictation passages shared, writing prompts, and studies of historic artwork. Underlying it all is the steady theme of men, women, and children who stood strong through personal loss, clung to God’s Word, and faithfully fought to make their part of the world a better place.

This history curriculum is designed for 1st-6th grade. The sections that are more challenging or sensitive are written in two formats, one for younger students and one for older students, giving you the freedom to customize the material to fit your children’s needs and maturity.

Take a look at Heroes and Heroines of the Past: American History from AmyPuetz.com. Share the legacies of these heroes and heroines of the past as you encourage and equip your children to leave a lasting legacy of their own.

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this curriculum in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.