Learning History Through A Story

This is certainly not our first review of a book from YWAM Publishing, but Colby said Heroes of History: Douglas MacArthur- What Greater Honor was by far one of his favorite Heroes of History books!  That's a pretty big statement coming from a boy who owns over 20 of the Heroes of History and Heroes of Faith series.

YWAM has been publishing books for a while now and adds a few new titles each year to the collection.  Because my family consists of a bunch of history loving, book-reading people, we seem to gravitate towards these naturally.  Written as historical fiction, the Heroes of Faith and Heroes of History books tell the story of a famous person who has shaped history and our faith.  Intended to be read by ages 10 and up, these books are rich with factual historic details, but have added a engaging story line to capture younger audiences' attention.  From birth to death, the story of these amazing people, from George Washington to Billy Graham and the Wright Brothers, introduces kids to important people with fun facts and exciting adventures.

Also available to help further your studies are Downloadable Study Guides.  These guides include vocabulary, in depth questions for each chapter, and a biography of the featured person.  You will also find creative writing prompts, arts and craft ideas, essay questions, and even audio visual project ideas.  There is a social studies section that has field trip ideas, vocabulary and maps.  A resource section gives many more book titles for you to use if you want to further your study of the subject.  These study guides are perfect for unit studies for homeschooling families or just to help your child with reading comprehension.  The books in the series are also great read-aloud books for your family and can be enjoyed by older readers as well.

When we are in the thick of our school year, I use these books and the corresponding study guides as Colby's reading and vocabulary (Colby is our 6th grader).  Because we are winding down our school year, I allowed him to read this one at his own pace, about 30 minutes a day.  He has already decided that he wants to read the Louis Zamperini book next!  For the record, my 17 year old is currently reading the Jacob DeShazer title.  I told 'ya this is good stuff!

Even if you choose not to use the study guide to its fullest, I highly recommend you print out the fact sheet.  This is a great way to encourage your child to read for details.

We also love using the maps to label!  Not only are they great geography reviews, but they help bring the books to life. 

 The timeline provided does the same thing, and put all together, they can make a neat little keepsake.

Colby does want to tell you about his favorite parts of the book-

"Douglas MacArthur was a 5 Star General who was famous for fighting in World War I and World War II as well as the Korean War.  Kind of like our family, his family moved every few years when he was a child.  One of the neat things he did was help Japan a lot.  He helped women there gain the right to vote and they all liked him a lot.  The thing I like about MacArthur was that when he was outnumbered in battles, he never gave up.  I think that is one reason he is a hero.  I like reading stories about people in History because I am a history buff and this one is my favorite so far because it is about war and I like war facts!"

Boys!  Go figure!

YWAM Publishing has definitely won a place in our hearts with their Heroes of Faith and Heroes of History series.  They are a treasured group of books on our bookshelves and great, wholesome family reading.  Now, to choose our next one!

So many other books were reviewed- click on the banner below and see if you can find one that would interest you!