Stories of Great Americans

by Edward Eggleston

Not just a history book, this little gem makes a great reader, and what a wonderful way to introduce young children to their American history, with 52 short biographical sketches sure to catch a child?s imagination and with the charming illustrations from the 1895 edition.

Genres: History, Childrens, American History, Biography, Nonfiction, Homeschool, School

163 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Edward Eggleston was an American historian and novelist.

Reviews

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book from my granny's house. Simple stories, mostly wartime stories, written for kids to easily understand. The difference in the times was quite visible. Even the foreword spoke of "all the little boys" that would read these stories and become "great men", with no mention of little girls. It also tended to portray Native Americans overall as vicious savages that must be controlled and overcome, instead of victims who were having their homes and livelihoods stolen from them.

[Lidija · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect introduction to American history for K-1st grade. The stories are interesting and memorable and lay a good foundation. Just the right length chapters for little attention spans. The kids loved listening to it as a read aloud. Their favorite chapter was the one about Mr. Goodyear the "India Rubber Man."

[Two Hearts Homeschool · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this aloud to my 5 year old at lunch time over the space of a few months - he frequently asked me for just one more chapter. As I read the last chapter today I said somewhat regretfully “That’s the end, bud”, to which he replied hopefully “We can read it again”! Nothing beats living books like these - ours is a “desk copy” inscribed 1926. A treasure.

[Rick Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stories, some of them off the beaten path.

[Ana · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is insight into American history to be gained from the casual racism and misogyny that drips ever so casually from the pages. I would be wary of reading such a biased narrative to young (or malleable) minds without providing a reliable counter narrative.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

My boys really enjoyed these short stories about interesting people.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice stories, but it's definitely dated and lacks diversity of people represented. We did enjoy the stories, but I also felt a lot of them were a bit idyllic and not entirely historically accurate.

[Willow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our battered old copy of this book lent character and authenticity to its stories, and we enjoyed reading about famous Americans as well as lesser known people. Many of the anecdotes began in the childhoods of these people, and I think that helped grab the interest of my kids.

I wasn't greatly impressed by the writing style, however. The sentences were short and choppy; the book was clearly written to be an early reader of sorts, so the vocabulary and sentence structure did leave something to be desired. As I read this aloud, I modified many passages on the fly just to make them sound more natural and less, well, dumbed-down.

Nonetheless, my kids liked the book and my son consistently asked for additional chapters each day, finally giving a melodramatic show of melancholy upon finishing the book altogether. This may be his assignment for silent reading sometime in the near future, so he can continue to revel in its adventurous passages. ;-)

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

i like all the history and stuff in this book because it tells stories from the past.

[Jaeger Matthias · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE IT