A question has come up repeatedly over
the years as to what to use for Wisconsin history –
particularly if
you are like me and you use Charlotte Mason's philosophies and
methods and are wanting to use living books in this part of your
child's education as well. There have always been some suggestions
made, but nothing written in stone. So, I decided to take on the
project of coming up with some good suggestion. To be honest, I will
likely add ideas to this list as I go along. I have included
suggestions from others (people that I know love Mason's methods and
know what a good, living book looks like!). I am including books of
various interest, reading levels, etc. I don't think you should
confine your learning about your home state to just one year and
would suggest picking out one or two to read each year. To be honest,
having lived in both Indiana and Oklahoma prior to Wisconsin,
Wisconsin is an amazing state with a long, wonderful history and the
geography of our state is amazing as well.
I started my search with the
Wisconsin
Historical Society Press (WHSP) website. I had high expectations.
Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed with what I found there after
I checked out many of the books from our wonderful library system. I
suspect that the DPI or other educational institutions works heavily
with WHSP as to how the children's books are written. At the time of
my writing this, I had returned the book to the library. There was a
lot of dry, dull books there with lots of leading questions included
included, along with lots of bolded words that they assumed the child
needed the definition of (which was often included at the bottom of
the page or in a colorful box on the page. Sometimes, there was a
glossary at the back instead (not a bad thing, but still....the
bolded words on every page was just a little much).
I started with the current textbook
(fully knowing it would be a textbook, not a living book). I looked
at it thinking it could possibly be used as a spine, a guide,
something... The book is called
Wisconsin:
Our State, Our Story and
is for 4th
grade school children. It has a historical event on each page
(vignette style) with pictures and blurbs in boxes. If you use it for
a spine of things to cover in your homeschool, go for it. Use it as a
pictorial resource. The rest is pretty much textbook fodder and it
DOES talk down to the children. It is a shiny, glossy book with lots
of pictures. You can learn more about what the book covers on the
WHSP site here:
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Content.aspx?dsNav=N:1109
I also looked at the book
WisconsinHistory Highlights, Delving Into the Past, which was written in 2004.
I did look at the beginning and it confirmed what I said a couple of
paragraphs back. This book says that it was made possible through a
collaborative project with the D.C. Everest School District and the
Fund for the Improvement of Education Earmark Grand Award. I don't
find it to be of any different value than the Wisconsin: Our State,
Our Story text book. It is a black & white textbook again written
in vignette style with lots of leading questions at the end of each
bit.
I also looked at two books, currently
available on the WHSP site on
Wisconsin's
native heritage. The books were...okay. I suspect there are much
better books out there and I will continue looking. The book
Indian
Nations of Wisconsin, Histories of Endurance and Renewal by Patty
Loew is the book written towards adults. It is okay. It isn't
twaddle, but not a living book. It is more of a “just the facts”
kind of book. Patty Loew has also written a book towards the
elementary level called
Native
People of Wisconsin, but to be honest, it has the same kinds of
problems that the Our State, Our Story book does, but does have many
more pictures than the adult version. I really felt like the author
could have made it more engaging than she did. I do want to continue
to look deeper here. I have a list from my husband's godmother to
work off of. She is Oneida and I trust her, but would like to look
myself before I pass them on.
I found a couple of books that might be
okay on the WHSP site, but I had to turn to my library to find better
books. There are some real gems in the older books from WHSP. I know
Charlotte Mason people are often pigeon-holed as only using old
books, but you know – that is because there is a LOT of fluff out
there in the more recently printed books. Not that there are not any
living books being currently written, but they are few and far
between, particularly when you are looking at a relatively narrow
subject (when just about any old thing can be published) and it can
be like looking for a needle in a haystack at times, particularly in
the history genre. There are a lot of “just the facts”/dry books
out there – full of information, but really awful to read. There
are also a lot of dumbed down books that only have basic facts and
are worse than awful to read. One book, called Wisconsin: Celebrate
the State by Zeinert & Hart written in 2007 stated that people in
Wisconsin like to complain about the weather....but, by an large,
while not a living book, it was not dumbed down or hard to read. Lots
of facts about Wisconsin. I did not think it would be one of my
favorites and that is still the case, but it is not a bad book for a
quick overview. Wow....did I really just say that? LOL!
So, what books did I love?
Here we go:
A wee bit of Geography - if you cannot get to that part of the state to see it for yourself, at least read a well written book about it!
Alluring
Wisconsin: The Historic Glamor and Natural Loveliness of an American
Commonwealth by Fred L. Holmes - For exploring the geography and
landmarks of Wisconsin, I cannot say enough about this book. I would
use this with middle to highschool age students. While an older book,
it is a beautifully written book written in 1937. Fred L. Holmes was
a prolific writer about all things Wisconsin. A word of warning –
the author was a product of his time, so some of the words he uses to
describe the native population are typical of the time, but I
absolutely would not throw out the book based on those few words.
Here is an excerpt from Chapter 7 of the book:
“Rockbridge was the exclamation
point on the route. For it is a real rock bridge! This formation of
stone, one layer upon another, ten miles north of Richland Center,
crosses the east branch of the Pine river. A solid wall of rock sixty
feet high, one hundred feet thick and about a mile long is what
proved to the world that at one time it constituted a part of the
shore line of what was probably a large body of water. Cutting its
way through this wall of rock, the Pine river, eight feet wide and no
longer that deep, has built over itself a natural bridge. Although
it is sufficiently wide, it does not serve as a wagon bridge, but is
used only by visitors who go on foot. Those travelers are rewarded
for their climb to the top of the bridge by lovely wild flowers,
pins and birch trees. It is the one spot in Richland County where
trailing arbutus grows. In the fall, bittersweet may always be found
there.”
General Wisconsin History Books:
Old
World Wisconsin: Around Europe in the Badger State (also
published simply as Old World Wisconsin) by Fred L. Holmes. This was
reprinted in 1990 (making it more easily found). He wrote the book
to capture Wisconsin's amazing cultural diversity before it
disappeared. This book should not be missed!
The
Making of Wisconsin by Smith & Callahan (1927) – This
little gem is also beautifully written and was published by the
University of WI. The writing is good and interesting. You can read
it for free
here.
You can even get it for
99
cents for your Kindle. A word of warning - again, the author's
are a product of their times as are their writings, but to me, that
is not a deal breaker.
Wisconsin:
The Story of the Badger State A popular history, including
Travelers' Guides to historic destinations by Norman K. Risjord
(1995) - This book has more of the conversational tone that I was
looking for in a book that covers WI history. It is NOT a WHSP book
(and I think that shows through). You could easily use this for late
middle school through highschool. I think this one might be my
favorite of the more recently published books.
A
Short History of Wisconsin by Erika Janik (2010) This book is
published by the WHSP. This one was an engaging book without talking
down to the reader.
----------------------------------------
An important event in Wisconsin:
The
Great Peshtigo Fire – An eyewitness Account by Reverend Peter
Pernin with a Foreword by Stephen J. Pyne. You want to include this
book in your reading about Wisconsin. The Great Peshtigo Fire was a
huge, but forgotten fire in WI that was heavily influenced by the
weather. Why was it forgotten? Because it was the same night as the
Great Chicago Fire. It also changed how logging was done along with
how/why prescribed burns eventually came to be done was done both
here and elsewhere around the country. I highly recommend including
the reading of the foreword in this book. For additional information
(maps, pictures, etc.):
http://www.peshtigofire.info/
*One note on this particular event – I did not care for the book
The
Great Peshtigo Fire by Scott Knickelbine. I wanted to. Truly.
But, it was full of really short sentences. The author did try to
quote Rev. Pernin a couple of times, but the book was really left
wanting. It was dumbed down for children....Sigh. This comment on
Good Reads explains it, “An excellent read, especially for
Wisconsin students.”
There is also an interesting looking
series of fictional books for children by Nelda Johnson Liebig about
a couple of children during the time of and after the Peshtigo Fire.
It starts with
Carrie's
Crazy Quilt. I have requested these books to look at, as well.
------------------------------------------
Wisconsin History-themed books:
I have to include
Little
House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder! No explanation
needed. I know it is mostly fact/some fiction, but it fits better
here for the moment.
I ADORE the book
Muskego
Boy by Edna Hong for the younger children. We are lucky that our
library has a copy of this book. It is written for children, but it
is well done. It tells the story about a boy and his family migrating
from Norway to the Muskego/Wind Lake area of Wisconsin. It is a
beautiful story and my older children enjoyed me reading it to them
years ago. I look forward to reading it to my younger children in the
next year or so.
-----------------------
These books were suggested by Kathy Seeger of the Living Education Library in Edgerton, WI:
The Day They Gave Babies Away by Dale Eunson: Based on a true story,
it
is about a Scottish couple who are immigrants and settle in Wisconsin in the 1800's. The book tells the
tale of a 12-year-old boy who, after the death of his parents, gives his
five younger brothers and sisters away to carefully chosen families on
Christmas Day. There was also a movie made based on the book called "All Mine to Give".
Chief Black Hawk by Frank Beals is part of the American Adventure Series and is a biography of the famous Sauk Indian chief.
Rascal by Sterling North is set in Wisconsin. "
Nothing's surprising in
the North household, not even Sterling's new pet raccoon. Rascal is
only a baby when Sterling brings him home, but soon the two are best
friends, doing everything together--until the spring day when everything
suddenly changes."
Old Abe: The Eagle Hero by Patrick Young is a children's picture book about the Civil War's most famous mascot. "Gives children a bird's-eye view of history via the "biography" of Old
Abe, an eagle who served as mascot for the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer
Infantry during the Civil War and eventually went on to appear at the
Chicago Wold's Fair in 1865, following his "retirement."
On Sand Island by Jacqueline Briggs Martin is set in the Apostle Islands in the 1800's. "In the deep blue waters
of Lake Superior lies a small island of hummingbirds, rabbits, and
hardy Norwegian fishing folk. On that island lives a boy named Carl who
wants nothing more than to be out on the water in a boat of his own
making. So this is a story of sawing, nailing, and sanding. But because
Sand Island neighbors are closer than cousins, this is also a story of
picking strawberries, moving rocks, and mending fishing nets fine as
lace."
Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling C. Holling covers the geography of the Great Lakes and is a wonderful book to use with a map of the Great Lakes and really take some time on (not a speed read!). "A young Indian boy
carves a little canoe with a figure inside and names him
Paddle-to-the-Sea. Paddle's journey, in text and pictures, through the
Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean provides an excellent geographic and
historical picture of the region." I love this statement about it: "Geography of the best kind made vivid
by the power of imagination." -- Horn Book
Pioneer Girl: The Early Life of Frances Willard by Clara Ingram Judson - I found this review over on Kirkusreviews.com: "The first of a series of books about the life of Frances Willard. At the
age of seven she drove with her pioneering family from Ohio to
Wisconsin in 1846. Even as a child, the young Frances broke precedents
-- demanded to be called Frank, demanded schooling, proved she should be
allowed to ride a horse by riding a cow and at eighteen won her
father's respect by announcing that from then on she would make her own
decisions. These early years are told in story form and Frances might
have been any little pioneer girl. Well done."
Wisconsin's First Settler's - The Indians by Nicholas Georgiady - Kathy says this about it: "
Simply written and textbookish, but does cover the 4 original types of Native Americans to come to WI. Elementary level."
The Underground Railroad by Raymond Bial: Kathy notes this: "This is not well written, but not horrible, but does have a map showing the UR routes, only one of which leads to Milton, WI wink emoticon.
The cover photo is from the tunnel in the Milton House, and it does
have lots of great and interesting photos. Would work well for olders."
----------------------------
More books that I am either reading or have yet to read – reader
beware – they may or may not be living books:
Plank
Road Summer &
Plank
Road Winter by Hilda and Emily Demuth – timeline is 1852 in
Wisconsin and there is a tie-in with the Great Chicago Fire (there
may be mention of the Peshtigo fire, but I don't know yet). There is
a link to the author's blog on the Good Reads page:
https://plankroad.wordpress.com/
I will let you know my thoughts after I read them.
Badger
Saints and Sinners by Fred L. Holmes – same author as Alluring
Wisconsin and Old World Wisconsin. I think this could prove to be a
good one, but I have not read it yet.
I can see that there are lot more books
on Good Reads under Wisconin History that I want to take a look at.
I have a few more on request through our library as well, because....rabbit trails to more interesting looking books. If you have great suggestions, please let me know!
-------------------------------------
Other books I did not care for, but I
will mention:
So, I have looked at the
Young
Readers Series. If you have an elementary child interested in
learning more about a specific person, these might be okay, but I
cannot call them living books. They have the bolded words,
definitions at the bottom of the page, a glossary at the back of each
book, and lots of short, boring sentences.
