About the series - A History of US: I wish I'd had Joy Hakim's series when I was in school. As a kid, I hated history. Until I began to connect with the personalities who made it all happen, I would have agreed with Henry Ford's assessment - "History is Bunk." I've learned that history is the story of people who made choices that have lasting consequences. It's not just about the past: it's about learning to look to the future and weighing the outcomes of today's choices. Joy Hakim underlines the importance of the individual's choices by weaving history around the stories of some surprising players - not all of whom are famous. Most reviewers assume she was writing for children, and the style and layout of the books are surely accessible to kids, but her books are great for anyone of any age who would like to re-discover the fascinating story of American History. Since we started reading this series, my home-schooled daughter has become a self-starter in History class. I myself have read the whole series just for pleasure.
I've read some critiques of Hakim's bias, particularly in the later volumes. As a home-schooling parent, I want my daughter to learn to think critically, so I am not afraid to have her encounter bias and controversy. In any case, the news is full of it today, and so much of it is the outworking of historical forces. I'm there to help her think things through from cause to outcome. I believe that's one of the main reasons for studying history in the first place. I certainly wouldn't avoid this series for that reason.
A suggestion for other home-schoolers: Instead of giving quizzes and tests, I'm having my daughter do the opposite. She is interested in becoming a teacher, so I'm having her make up quizzes and tests from the material. I judge her questions on the basis of clarity, completeness, and variety (factual, matching, multiple choice, essay). She must of course take her own test a couple of days later. Seems to be working out just fine and, as I said earlier, she looks forward to history class.