''A History of US'' is a ten-volume (and one sourcebook) historical book series for children, written by

Joy Hakim Joy Hakim (born January 16, 1931) is an American author who has written a ten-volume history of the United States, '' A History of US'', and ''Freedom: A History of US'' (a trade book to accompany a 16-part PBS series), all published by Oxford Uni ...

and first published in its entirety in 1995. The series is published by the US branch of Oxford University Press and is currently in its third edition. Originally conceived as a trade children's series, the books quickly found fans among classroom teachers; in response to the prompting of educators Oxford University Press developed ancillary teaching materials to accompany the series. Branded as 'alternatives to traditional textbooks' the series is regularly used in both public and private schools, usually in middle school classes. The books are all written in a personal tone, as if the author were a storyteller. The texts have been released to ample praise by teachers, home-schoolers, students, and many others. The series has won the James A. Michener Award in Writing and the Parent's Choice Gold Award.

Content

The books are titled: #''The First Americans: Prehistory–1600'' #''Making Thirteen Colonies: 1600–1740'' #''From Colonies to Country: 1735–1791'' #''The New Nation: 1789–1850'' #''Liberty for All? 1820–1860'' #''War, Terrible War: 1855–1865'' #''Reconstructing America: 1865–1890'' #''An Age of Extremes: 1880–1917'' #''War, Peace, And All That Jazz: 1918–1945'' #''All the People: Since 1945'' The eleventh volume is a sourcebook and index, containing full text of the primary sources—usually government documents, speeches, or famous writings—referenced throughout the series and words.

Reception

The series won the James A. Michener Award in Writing from the National Council of the Social Studies in 1997 and the Parents' Choice Gold Award in 1995 for a Reference book for ages 9–12. The series has sold millions of copies and was accepted as a textbook in several U.S. states. David McCullough, a

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...

-winning author of history books, praised ''A History of US'' before a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing in 2005. Although it has received positive reviews from most people, some conservative critics have alleged that the works are politically-biased. A series of reviews in 2000–2001 in ''The Textbook Letter'', a publication of the Textbook League, criticized various aspects of the first two books of ''A History of US''. In a review of volume 2, ''Making Thirteen Colonies: 1600–1740'', Alice Whealey noted many claims regarding the history of Western civilization as erroneous, focusing on republicanism, Moorish Spain, and Abrahamic religious stories presented as fact. Also regarding volume 2, Earl Hautala wrote that Hakim's inclusion of the Bible stories of Abraham and

Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...

is unjustified and incorrect from both a Biblical and a non-Biblical perspective. William J. Bennetta argued that volume 1, ''The First Americans: Prehistory–1600'', presented a politicized multicultural view of early history. A Portland Oregon parent brought serious concerns to her school district regarding the

dehumanizing Dehumanization is the denial of full humanness in others and the cruelty and suffering that accompanies it. A practical definition refers to it as the viewing and treatment of other persons as though they lack the mental capacities that are c ...

portrayal of slaves and the minimization of the suffering of Indigenous peoples during the chapters covering

colonization Colonization, or colonisation, constitutes large-scale population movements wherein migrants maintain strong links with their, or their ancestors', former country – by such links, gain advantage over other inhabitants of the territory. When ...

Adaptation

A television miniseries titled ''Freedom: A History of US'' was aired on PBS in 2003.

Voice cast

Hosted by Katie Couric. the series featured an ensemble voice cast playing multiple historical and fictional characters throughout the show's run. The cast included:

References

External links

Joy Hakim's official website''A History of US'' series page
from the Oxford University Press
Discussion with Hakim and middle school students on ''A History of Us'', March 24, 1999''Booknotes'' interview with Hakim on ''Freedom: A History of US'', February 23, 2003.Presentation by Hakim to the National Council for the Social Studies on ''Freedom: A History of US'', November 22, 2002Freedom: A History of US
at the Internet Movie Database {{DEFAULTSORT:History Of US, A Book series introduced in 1995 1995 non-fiction books 20th-century history books 1995 children's books History books about the United States Series of children's books Children's history books about the United States Series of history books American children's books Oxford University Press books