Easily Teach Early Elementary History

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My favorite section of the library is the junior biography section. I love being able to teach my kids about history through the eyes of someone who lived through it. Especially through the eyes of other kids. I never enjoyed reading history textbooks when I was in school. They always seemed so boring. But as an adult teaching my children, I have grown to love history.

Some of our favorite books that we’ve read together have been learning about the history behind certain brands. We recently read The Crayon Man – The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons by Natascha Biebow. The author introduces us to Edwin Binney who was an inventor. He wanted to solve a problem. He needed to invent a writing device that wouldn’t rub off or smudge, and that could be made in a variety of colors. Biebow takes you on a journey through Binney’s experimentation and trial and error, ultimately ending in his success. By reading The Crayon Man, my children were able to see that the creativity of a man in the early 1900s inspired a product that they still use today.

We also recently read The Girl Who Named Pluto – The Story of Venetia Burney by Alice B. McGinty, and we all loved it. McGinty did a great job of showing that kids can be recognized for their great ideas and make a difference in this world. When Venetia Burney was 11 years old she learned that a new planet had been discovered and had yet to be named. She had a well-thought out, logical idea for a name – Pluto. She shared that idea with her grandfather who supported her idea and passed the name on to someone who would listen. Venetia had been learning about the planets at school and because of that she was able to relate to what was going on in the news in the world around her and make a contribution. I love stories that my children can relate to and make connections with. Since we have also been learning about outer space, The Girl Who Named Pluto was a great read for us.

Another great book we read recently was The Journey That Saved Curious George – The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H.A. Rey by Louise Borden. It was a lengthy read, but it was definitely worth it. The Journey That Saved Curious George covered so much of World War II history, and from several different geographical areas including Brazil, France and Portugal.

So many great discussions were generated from this book as it helped to show how everyone was affected by World War II. H.A. and Margret Rey were on the move, leaving their home in Paris to get away from the German troops headed their way. Along the way you are introduced to people who helped them out and let them stay with them. You also see how lots of paperwork and governmental roadblocks made it so hard for people to flee the country. H.A. and Margret spent a lot of time waiting for their paperwork to be approved.

So many decisions had to be made very quickly. They had to decide what to take with them at a moment’s notice, and then change those plans when their transportation fell through. They had to figure out how much money to take with them and find a way to urgently liquidate it. At the time they had no idea that Curious George would be such a hit, but they took the manuscript with them through all of their travels. I have so much more awe and respect for Curious George, and all that H.A. Rey went through to be able to share his story with the world. By reading The Journey That Saved Curious George, my kids definitely learned some valuable lessons from World War II that they probably wouldn’t have learned from reading a textbook.

We are always looking for our next junior biography to read. If you have any suggestions please leave them in the comments below.

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31 Comments

Crystal

May 4, 2020 at 2:06 pm Reply

Such great back stories to these authors. Really gives you a new perspective when reading these books to the kids.

Diane Kurzava

May 4, 2020 at 3:19 pm Reply

I’m going to have to check out these books for my grandkids. I too used to dislike history, but as an adult I find it fascinating. I want the kids to experience the fascinating part now instead of waiting until they’re grown.

Karie

May 4, 2020 at 5:18 pm Reply

I love using books to teach with. I don’t teach at school anymore but still have my own arsenal of books to teach grandkids. I will have to check which ones to add to my library.