History/Literature
Young Patriots Series
Publisher: Patria Press
For more information or to order: www.patriapress.com

One of my favorite aspects of homeschooling has been revisiting all of the wonderful stories from history as my children and I snuggle on the couch to read aloud.  I am always on the lookout for living books, which allow us to immerse ourselves in a time period rather than just memorizing facts and dates then moving on.  The Young Patriots Series are biographies that provide a unique perspective into the lives of famous Americans - their lives as children.

Driven by her own love of books, publisher Florrie Binford Kichler has "dusted off" the original Childhood of Famous Americans series published nearly 50 years ago and given a whole new generation of children a chance to read these timeless stories.  Of course, anytime a classic text is brought back into print these days, it seems to only become a water-downed version of the original.  I was relieved to find that the books in the Young Patriots Series have all retained their original language.  The publisher has given the original "orange biographies" beautiful, new covers and delightful illustrations - all while staying historically accurate.  To further enhance the enjoyment and the educational value of this series, the publisher has provided free Teacher's Guides and Webquests for each title on their website, www.patriapress.com.

Available in both hardcover and paperback editions, the Young Patriots Series features both well known as well as lesser-known figures in history.  In addition to the captivating story lines, the publisher has added new features for each title including timelines of events in the subject's life and "What Happened Next", which provides a brief summary of their accomplishments as adults.  In order to appreciate someone's contributions it helps to know how their lives were shaped through their unique family relationships, time in history and circumstances.  From reading these wonderful stories, our children can learn that even their heroes started out as normal kids who got into mischief, squabbled with siblings, and had to do schoolwork! 

There are currently 9 titles in the Young Patriot Series with more being added.  Currently children can read about the childhood adventures of Amelia Earhart, William Henry Harrison, Lew Wallace, Juliette Low, Jams Whitcomb Riley, Eddie Rickenbacker, Mahalia Jackson, George Rogers Clark and John Adams.  I had the chance to review several of these titles and recently finished reading George Rogers Clark, Boy of the Northwest Frontier.  To be honest, I didn't even know that the famous Clark of the Lewis & Clark expedition had an older brother who was a key figure in the shaping of our nation!  The classic text is rich and colorful while remaining easy for children ages 8-12 to understand and enjoy.

If you want your kids to be truly inspired while reading quality literature, then you'll want to give the Young Patriots Series a try!

Making the grade: A+
Cost: $14.95 Hardcover, $9.95 Paperback
Value for your homeschool dollar: 10
Reviewed by Cindy Prechtel, Editor