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Rating: 
Summary: Buyer Beware.
Review: Customer reviewers alleah and Tom Steinberg (see Spotlight Reviews) sum up this series quite well. I'd like to add that, as a homeschooler of a special needs child who is what I call a "reluctant reader", I find the short, to-the-point entries written in interesting story format not only do-able for my son, but an excellent means of imparting the comprehensive, overall view of American history he will need as a foundation for the more difficult, in-depth work he will be doing in high school. I strongly recommend this series to all families with grammar/middle school students, whether homeschooled or private/public schooled. In addition, I recommend the eleventh book in the series, "Sourcebook and Index: Documents That Shaped the American Nation". (Titles of books should be underlined, not in quotation marks, but, alas, the program doesn't allow for that.) Well worth owning, as these books are hard to find in libraries (at least where I live) and, as reference books, can't be borrowed, only read right there at the library.If you are going to purchase the series, Amazon has the best price I've seen by several dollars per book.
Rating: 
Summary: Easy and enjoyable for reluctant readers.
Review: Customer reviewers alleah and Tom Steinberg (see Spotlight Reviews) sum up this series quite well. I'd like to add that, as a homeschooler of a special needs child who is what I call a "reluctant reader", I find the short, to-the-point entries written in interesting story format not only do-able for my son, but an excellent means of imparting the comprehensive, overall view of American history he will need as a foundation for the more difficult, in-depth work he will be doing in high school. I strongly recommend this series to all families with grammar/middle school students, whether homeschooled or private/public schooled. In addition, I recommend the eleventh book in the series, "Sourcebook and Index: Documents That Shaped the American Nation". (Titles of books should be underlined, not in quotation marks, but, alas, the program doesn't allow for that.) Well worth owning, as these books are hard to find in libraries (at least where I live) and, as reference books, can't be borrowed, only read right there at the library. If you are going to purchase the series, Amazon has the best price I've seen by several dollars per book.
Rating:
Summary: Buyer Beware.
Review: I doubt there's any US History textbooks more excitingly written for kids age 9-12 than Joy Hakim's. (This series is the one used in one of the best private schools in Silicon Valley.) They're glossy and beautiful, and well-nigh irresistible. What an incredible shame. What's the problem? The problem is they contain a version of history so slanted as to amount to an utterly shameless propagandizing of children. I'm a liberal atheist, but, really, these books should be sealed into a time capsule, to entertain future historians. I assume Hakim simply doesn't know any better, but even a Marxist with a PhD in American History would blush a little to discover that a child reading this series would never suspect that close to 100 million innocent men, women, and children died under the yoke of socialist regimes, nor that a third of the world was plunged into an unnecessary grinding poverty for decades. On the other hand, they will learn, as they should, that National Socialism murdered six million innocents, and that the Ku Klux Klan 'grew hugely' in the 1920s. But they won't learn that any other serious totalitarian movements also grew hugely in the 1920s, or that five million innocents died under the rule of Lenin's first experiment in socialism in the 1920s. On the contrary, all anti-Communism in the twentieth century is presented as nothing better than a witch-hunt. Indeed, anti-communism is literally referred to as a 'witch-hunt,' several times. Come on. So, was the fight against Hitler's National Socialism a 'witch-hunt'? Why such a palpable double standard for twin evils? Hakim teaches children that while National Socialism was indeed a real and present danger, and even worth waging an unprecedented World War to fight it, on the other hand, international socialism, or Communism, was, as she tells it, never any real danger to Americans. For instance, there's a chapter on the HUAC hearings in which McCarthy is referred to as a 'liar' about a half a dozen times. The chapter literally begins with the opening sentence "Joe McCarthy was a liar." Sure, he's controversial, but the latest research by historians just doesn't back up Hakim's wild-eyed account of liberal anti-socialism in America as nothing better than a nefarious 'witch-hunt' conducted by 'liars' and oppressors. Totalitarian Communist Lillian Hellman is profiled as a hero, and the overall impression is given that none of these people really were Communists, but, instead, were all just as falsely accused as the supposed 'witches' of Salem. This conclusion is then used to prove the statement that Americans are a fundamentally paranoid people, who basically lose their marbles very once in a while. (See book "Not Without Honor." on McCarthy and PBS documentary on Salem to find out why even Salem wasn't actually paranoia after all, but a toxic crop of moldy rye.)
Rating: 
Summary: Good content with a few remarks
Review: I have read the whole books of this series. The whole books consist of approximately 1850 pages not including table of contents and appendixes. Very few authors managed to write history book without putting the reader to sleep. Joy Hakim is one of the few. The author explained the history of the United States by telling stories. From the first Native Americans who crossed the Bering Sea a few thousands years ago to 2000 Presidential Election Fiasco. The book emphasized on the civil right issue, which is justice and equal right for all Americans, regardless of the race. Overall, this is a very good and entertaining book on the history of the United States. However, the author judgemental opinion on some of the political figures may trouble some. It didn't trouble me since I am a liberal and so does the author, but if you are a conservative you may not like to read this book.
Rating:
Summary: The best history books.
Review: I loved every moment with all of these books. Refreshing information. Author put time into her books. There isn't a perfect history book out there but I relished in her efforts. These are not a waste of money.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad History book
Review: I teach 8th grade social studies and this textbook is the worst piece of garbage I have ever read. There is no relevant vocabulary, no glossary, and lacks important facts. It is unfortunate that trees were killed to write this horrible book.
Rating:
Summary: History made fun
Review: If you want your children to know about their heritage, then BUY THESE BOOKS! Don't worry about the person who says it misleads readers about the Native Americans--it doesn't. The original inhabitants of the Americas are highly complimented, with their many achievements described and their staggering variety of lifestyles nicely detailed. Yes, Hakim notes that when hunting became easier for the plains Indians, they tended to waste buffalo meat. She never accuses them of leaving the huge piles of disgracefully-rotting flesh on the prairies. And as much as we might like to think the Indians never wasted a single buffalo bone, well, it's not likely to be the truth. Those hunters were humans and like all humans, when life got easier, wasting became easier too. And to denigrate the entire wonderful series on the basis of one sentence is incredibly narrow-minded. Your children--and you, very likely--will return to this series again and again as the years pass. It's a worthy addition to any home library!
Rating:
Summary: As a student
Review: My 8th grade history class started these books back when they first came out in paperback volumes (in fact, I think our first couple were still hardcover) and I can honestly say we had a ball with these texts. I would sit in the car on the way to my riding lessons and just read them like regular books (my history teacher had to keep giving me the next ones early). I'm now a student of history in college and Joy Hakim's series definitely was part of the inspiration for my choice of major, because she proved that history didn't have to be all facts and boring outlines. It could actually be interesting and feel real. Definitely an excellent read for anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Didactical propaganda, not accurate evaluation of history
Review: Unfortunately these books do engage young minds in historical events and periods. I say unfortunately because once these children read another book, article, or text about a particular subject they will be in for a shock. The definitions of terms throughout the books are downright wrong in some cases or simply used in the wrong context to support her ideas. She lets you know, in no uncertain terms, which movements, religions, and political parties are the "right ones" and the "wrong ones". There are rarely opposing veiwpoints on issues raised in the text so you get a very one-sided look at many important issues. She does cover a diverse range of topics throughout the series but does not give the reader the sense, or demonstrate herself, that there is more than one way to look at and interpret history which is a real shame. If you use these books to teach history to your children or to a classroom, please do not let them be your only reference. There are many more books out there that do a much better job at conveying history and teaching students how to think about and evaluate history.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good
Review: Written in a format that appeals to any reader, as in, a conversational tone, defintely improves their readability. The layout of pictures, photos, titbits of information, etc. prevent the child from groaning at yet more blocks of text at each turn of the page.
The author is fairly opinionated, making bold statements that could cause the reader to think her word is final on any given subject in the books.
I'd still recommend them for middle grades. At that age, anything that stimulates some sort of interest in history is miraculous! Thankfully more factual, less opinionated history books are read in High school, even if they are as boring as heck.
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