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Uncover Exciting History Review by Kendra Fletcher

Amy Puetz
A to Z Designs
PO Box 429
Wright, WY 82732
http://www.amypuetz.com/

Homeschool graduate Amy Puetz loves history, and out of her passion for good historical stories comes Uncover Exciting History: Revealing America's Christian Heritage in Short, Easy-to-Read Nuggets. Each story relayed here takes the reader beyond dates and facts and into the heart of history: its people, places, and significant events.

The book begins with Christopher Columbus and his discovery of the American continent in 1492. Facts about Columbus's life and journeys are certainly covered, but the telling of his tale is done in such a way that the reader can grasp the story without being bogged down by facts and dates.

All of the stories are engaging and are presented at an appropriate pace. Uncover Exciting History would make an excellent read-aloud. As a mom who's had to juggle homeschooling alongside life events (such as morning sickness and hospital stays), I sometimes taking a subject in small spurts that are easy to implement. This book fits well with that approach. Each chapter includes questions for review. How did the Virginia colony get its name? How many colonies were attempted at Roanoke? Who was the first English baby born in Virginia? When I need to teach with as little preparation as possible, questions like these make it doable and ensure that comprehension and review are being accomplished.

Activities and resources accompany each chapter as well. Map work is suggested, and corresponding websites and books are listed. Really, these resources are a boon to the mom who needs everything pulled together with minimal research required.

Uncover Exciting History covers the following events, people, and places of American history:

  • Christ Bearer: Christopher Columbus
  • Settling the New World
  • The Lost Colony of Roanoke
  • The Pilgrims' Legacy
  • The Great Awakening
  • The French and Indian War
  • Freedom Founded
  • Crossing the Delaware
  • The Making of a Republic
  • To Kentucky and Beyond
  • To the Shores of Tripoli
  • The Lewis and Clark Expedition
  • Miracle at New Orleans
  • The Second Great Awakening
  • Daniel Webster: Defender of the Constitution
  • The Mexican War
  • The Oregon Trail
  • The Pony Express
  • A Tale of Two Generals (Lee and Grant)
  • The Spanish American War
  • The Klondike Gold Rush
  • The Great War (WWI)
  • The Legacy of Alvin York
  • The Great Depression
  • The Navajo Code Talkers

Bonus chapters include "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle: Mothers Who Changed the World Through Their Children," "Medieval Explorer: Marco Polo," "Evangelistic Explorer: David Livingstone," and "Daring Explorer of Antarctica: Robert Falcon Scott."

All in all, Uncover Exciting History is a book worth having on your American history shelf, whether it becomes the spine to your study or is simply a handy read-aloud for lunchtime.

Product review by Kendra Fletcher, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, March 2010

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