Is history the story of God or the story of mankind? Who is the primary power in the universe? What does any of that have to do with choosing books for your kids to read? It turns out it has everything to do with how your children learn to relate to history.

Do you have children who enjoy reading historical fiction or nonfiction? TruthQuest History is a complete 1st-12th grade history curriculum written by Michelle Howard Miller, but the beauty of this series is that you don’t have to be a homeschooler to use it (though if you choose to use it as curriculum, I’ve found it to be one of the best history series available). TruthQuest History includes narrative text to guide you through various time periods, as well as thought-provoking questions. But also included in this amazing series is booklist after booklist of incredible, engaging books for various ages that kids can read on their own to learn more about history by experiencing it through the eyes of countless characters. Even if you don’t use the curriculum portion, these booklists alone make the series invaluable. Michelle doesn’t just refer you to books to read about huge, general topics like the colonies or Native Americans. She breaks it down – New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York; Abenaki, Catawba, Cherokee. Think of the time you’ll save sifting through book after book at the library with TruthQuest’s booklists to guide you! Plus you can encourage your children to read about history one era at a time, helping them learn history without even realizing it!

American History for Young Students I: Exploration -1800 is a chronological look at American history for 1st-5th grade. It begins with a challenge to older students to consider why the New World was discovered when it was. Was there a special reason? It then moves forward with a look at some of the explorers, such as Leif Ericson, Columbus, Vespucci, Cabot, Ponce de Leon, de Soto, Balboa, Coronado, Hudson, and others. It stops by St. Augustine, Roanoke, and Jamestown, and then introduces us to the Pilgrims, Squanto, Massasoit, and many others.

I also appreciate that while Michelle shares the stories of great men of faith like John and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield, and Jonathan Edwards, she does not pull back from the fact that not all of life in early America was Godly. She gently shares about topics such as slavery and the mistreatment of the Native Americans in a way that is appropriate for 1st-5th grade.

The first volume of the American History for Young Students series has a lot of ground to cover – from Leif Ericson to the Battle of Fallen Timbers – but it covers it in such a delightful way that I think your kids will be anxious to hear what happens next in the unfolding story!

I hope you’ll take a look at the amazing worlds TruthQuest History can open up for your children! If you’d like to read my full review on using TruthQuest History in your homeschool, you can read it on my website, or simply go straight to TruthQuest History and get a copy for yourself!