A History of US: Book 3: From Colonies to Country [Paperback]

Joy Hakim (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 11, 1993 | Age Level: 10 and up | Series: A History of Us, Book 3 (Book 3)

The Revolutionary War! The Americans fight for freedom in From Colonies to Country. In this enthralling story we meet George Washington, King George III, Sam Adams, Patrick Henry, Eliza Pinckney, and Alexander Hamilton. The French and Indian War, the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitutional Convention where the government of the United States is created--these are major events in A History of US.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up-This series has a lot going for it. Hakim is excited about her subject and is a talented writer. The opening chapter of First Americans offers an explanation of why history is important and includes quotes from Marcus Garvey, Cicero, Hegel, and John F. Kennedy, among others. The book proceeds to trace the history of North America from the arrival of the earliest humans through the 1600s. Interspersed throughout the text are one-to two-page "features" on selected topics. From Colonies to Country continues the story through the signing of the Constitution. Making Thirteen Colonies covers the years from the first European settlement to the opening of the Wilderness Road in 1755. Each volume concludes with age-appropriate suggested readings that include fiction and drama, a good index, and an interesting author's note. The books are illustrated with period prints and drawings (not always well reproduced), and enhanced by numerous quotations. Hakim's chatty style and personal interjections make for engaging reading. There have been few personalized attempts at writing an overall history of the U.S. for children. Sadly, Hakim's excellent writing has been imprisoned in a decidedly dull, textbook format. The extensive use of marginal notes (albeit intriguing and informative) and pictorial material make for a busy and tiring layout, and seriously impede the narrative flow. Unless children are pushed past the dreary exteriors and into the texts themselves, these books are likely to be shelf sitters.
Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A big breath of fresh air and the best possible news for the youngsters who get to read them." -- David McCullough, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of John Adams

"Titillating... Hakim is fond of juicy stories and talented at keeping them moving." -- The Los Angeles Times --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 4th printing edition (November 11, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195077504
• ISBN-13: 978-0669360301
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,538,726 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I started my career as an author with a ten-volume U.S. history: A History of US, published by Oxford University Press in 1993, and now in a third updated printing. I had no idea the history would end up in ten books, or that it would be so much fun to write.
A History of US has been awarded a bunch of prizes. David McCullough commented, ". . .the idea that history might ever be thought of as a chore has clearly never crossed her mind." In testimony before the Senate Education Committee he called the series "superb." People Magazine described me as "the J.K. Rowling of the history world." (Umm, that would be nice. But the books have sold 5 million copies.)
Mine are narrative history books that attempt to set literary standards. I mean for them to be exciting to read. They're meant for young readers, and their teachers and parents, or for anyone without a deep background in U.S. history. These are books that can be found in bookstores, on Amazon, and in schools. Oxford and Hopkins have done teaching materials for those who want to use the books in academic study.
That series was followed by: Freedom: A History of US (published in 2003), the companion to a 16-part PBS series of the same name that was narrated by Katie Couric, with voices by a host of Hollywood figures, from Tom Hanks to Robin Williams. The videos are available to schools from PBS. And the book spawned a terrific website: (www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus).

I'm now writing The Story of Science. The first three books are jointly published by Smithsonian Books and the NSTA (National Science Teachers Association). They focus on the quest to understand the universe--from ancient Greece to today's expanding universe. The first volume is Aristotle Leads the Way; the second, Newton at the Center; the third book, Einstein Adds A New Dimension, attempts to explain quantum theory and relativity with black holes and space travel too. Writing in the New York Times, Natalie Angier called the books, "richly informative." Alan Alda raved. These books have won prizes too. Science writer Timothy Ferris said he wished he had them when he was a boy. Educators at Johns Hopkins and NSTA have developing coordinated teaching materials for classroom use (available from NSTA or Amazon).

I'm currently working on two books that put biology into a narrative framework.

Before I began writing books, I was an associate editor, editorial writer, and business writer for The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk's morning paper) and a general reporter and photographer on the staff of The Ledger-Star (Norfolk's afternoon paper. I did a whole lot of freelance writing while raising three kids. And I was an assistant editor of World News, a foreign news service at McGraw-Hill.

Writing and teaching seem to be two faces of the same need to explain things. Which may explain why I've had dual careers--as writer and teacher.

I've taught elementary school (Omaha, NE), high school English (Virginia Beach, VA), special education in a middle school (Syracuse, NY), and English composition and American literature at a community college (Virginia Beach). I initiated and taught a writing course for high school teachers of English through the University of Virginia.

I do a lot of speaking, especially to education groups. For three years I worked with a group of history teachers in Los Angeles under a TAH (Teaching American History) grant. I've spent some of my time in an inner-city school where most of the students speak Spanish at home and reading English doesn't come easily. I'll be speaking at Teachers College, Columbia in the fall of 2009 where reading guru, Lucy Calkins, has called my books the "gold standard" in the field.

As to my schooling: I earned a B.A. from Smith College after high school in Rutland, Vermont. Then I received a M.Ed. and an honorary doctorate from Goucher College. Smith gave me the Smith Medal (2000); the Matrix Foundation, the Edith Workman Award (2003); I've taken graduate courses in journalism and in geography at New York University, child psychology at Johns Hopkins, and courses in American history and science at Brown, Harvard, Cornell, and Cambridge University. My website is: joyhakim.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great reading - brings life to the time period, May 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A History of US: Book 3: From Colonies to Country (Paperback)

Joy Hakim's book, From Colonies to Country is part of a series of books on the history of the United States. Hakim whimsically calls the series "The History of Us". I have used this volume in my classroom to supplement the very dry (and sorry to say, boring) history text. The students actually love it! Some have even asked to borrow my copies of the other books in the series, because they loved this one so much. I find that Hakim is fair in her retelling of the American story, yet she always manages to instill pride in our country. This book is also a great way for adults to add to their own knowledge of our great land's history.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Book 3 From an Excellent Series, August 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: A History of US: Book 3: From Colonies to Country (Paperback)

We are homeschoolers, and are delighted to have "discovered" Joy Hakim's "History of US" award-winning American history series. We actually cuddle up in the rocking chair for "storytime" with them. She covers the facts in an interesting way and unabashedly instills pride for the United States. I took Honors Advanced Placement American History in high school, but now I am actually learning about the chains of cause and effect, the fascinating period details, and the personal stories that truly make up our history as I teach my kids. For homeschoolers I would recommend Books 1 and 2 in about third grade; we are starting book 3 in fourth grade this year. The second editions currently available have their pictures in color.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Makes History Class Fun!, July 16, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: A History of US: Book 3: From Colonies to Country (1710-1791) (Hardcover)

I am a history teacher at a high school in California, and my students craved something "more fun" than "plain old history" before I discovered this excellant book. Joy Hakin speaks to the reader and shows pride for her country while she really is teaching. All my students LOOK FORWARD to U.S. History class now- thanks to this book. My students love the books so much that they bought me the entire 11 volume set- that they often "borrow". I truely love teaching with the assistance of Joy Hakin's books; they really get to the core of the subject while keeping things interesting for the reader. I think this is the reason why teenagers continue to WANT to read them year after year in my class!