High School level literature based US History (kind of a spin-off from Must Reads)

[darlasowders]

If you were to devise something at a higher reading level than Sonlight 100 for high school US history, what books would you include? I want to throw in some world history as well--particularly when we get to the world wars. (I am heading over to Sonlight to see what's in Cores 300 and 400.)

This would be for a teen with a very well developed vocabulary (He finds things amusing that seem to take me a minute to "get"). It's quite obvious I've underestimated him.

Oh, and he doesn't care for history. :tongue_smilie: I'd like to keep them adult level, but in the 300 page neighborhood. He has a lot of his own interests I want to leave him time to pursue.

I have in mind more contemporary works like Witch Hunt: Mysteries of the Salem Witch Trials. (http://www.amazon.com/Witch-Hunt-Mysteries-Salem-Witch-Trials/dp/1416903151/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3JVNEBWR8NCB7&colid=13OOXL9ITEUWZ)

I do think he'd enjoy some of the more classical works if I could just tempt him into trying them...

Any suggestions are good really. If he doesn't read them, I will. :D

[Klothos]

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding by John Locke
The Social Contract by Rousseau
The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine (anything by Paine, actually -- his work was largely meant for farmers and is therefore extremely accessible to today's high school student)
The War of Independence by Albert Marrin
The American Revolution by Joseph Morton
The History of US by Joy Hakim

[darlasowders]

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding by John Locke
The Social Contract by Rousseau
The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine (anything by Paine, actually -- his work was largely meant for farmers and is therefore extremely accessible to today's high school student)
The War of Independence by Albert Marrin
The American Revolution by Joseph Morton
The History of US by Joy Hakim

Thank you! :001_smile:

I've added a couple more books to my wishlist. A couple of these I already own.

If that Ben Franklin bio is the Dover one, I just handed him that the other day.

[Brenda in MA]

Have you looked at the Hewitt Lightning Lit courses? They have 2 American Lit courses that each include a few novels, short stories, and poetry. We enjoyed the variety of materials used.

http://www.hewitthomeschooling.com/book/blight.asp

HTH,
Brenda

[Cedarmom]

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Federalist and ANti Federalist Papers (selections) we used a Teaching Company lecture to accompany the readings

The Constitution

Speeches of Abraham Lincoln-we used Teaching Company with this

The Great Gatsby

[titianmom]

Must read: Memoirs of U.S. Grant
Jeff Davis' Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government