I struggled with history all through my school years. It was the most dry, boring, painful subject I could think of - well, geography was a close second, with the long lists of capitals and national products and climates and geological features to memorize. Just faceless names and dates learned by rote, that was what history meant to me.

My father loved history, and the stories he could tell...! It's funny that I never put the two together until I grew up and began to read living books and found out that history was about real people who wrestled with many of the same issues I had to wrestle with!

Michelle Miller obviously loves history, and she breathes enthusiasm into this guide to early American History for younger students, approximate grades 1 - 5. I am a great believer in the living books approach, as you might have gathered, but this is much more than a booklist.

Starting out with "Notes for Mom," Mrs. Miller puts you at ease with her conversational style. She begins by listing the sorts of questions you might be asking when considering using this guide, easing into a discussion of what makes up history. She challenges the standard assumptions you might have if you attended public schools and offers a new definition for history: God's initiation (of all life and the laws that govern life; making man in His image and giving us free choice) and our response.

The study guide is arranged in chronological order, from the time of the explorers to 1800. Starting with a "general history of American discovery" and then going into individual explorers, the guide next addresses the Native Americans already residing in the land along the Eastern seaboard, in general and by specific tribes, including lists of activity books, cooking, and crafts. Next the early settlements are explored, the Pilgrims are introduced, the Puritans arrive, and the colonies are founded. Then we look into daily life in the colonies, early wars, the Great Awakening (bet you won't find this addressed in your average history textbook!), pioneers pressing westward to Kentucky, and the American War of Independence and early days as a new nation. Such a wealth of information! I see many "old friends" in the booklists, and others just begging to make my acquaintance.

Each section contains a thoughtfully-written and thought-provoking introduction in a conversational style that sets you at ease and seeks to kindle a fire of "interest." Then follows a list of books related to the historical period covered in the section. Books include general resources, histories, activity books, historical fiction, some books labeled "Overview" and others "In-depth study." Many of the books listed have a brief description for the parent's or student's convenience. Looking at the books listed, I saw a number of "old friends," living books that make history, instead of a dull and dusty recitation of dates and facts, a fascinating study of what has gone on before.

In addition to taking in information, students are also encouraged to internalize concepts and express their understanding in their own words through "ThinkWrite" exercises sprinkled throughout the text. One purpose of these exercises is to "focus students on the deepest spiritual issues and consequences." Sample ThinkWrite responses and a resource list are included in the back of the guide for convenience in planning and in using the guide.

Throughout this guide the student is brought back to the precept that history is God's story, and that all we do must be viewed through a lens of Biblical thinking. This focus, along with the use of "living books," makes this a most attractive resource for homeschoolers following the Christian Classical method or the Charlotte Mason method, for example.

If this were a garden, the profusion of blooms might be bewildering until you noticed the careful organization and helpful and informative signposts sprinkled throughout. This is not just a booklist; it is a complete course of study!

Though TruthQuest History: American History for Young Students is designed for Grades 1-5, resources and suggestions for parents of older students are included that allow the study of history to be a family affair, spanning a range of ages.

An online discussion group is available. Simply send an email to Historyquesters-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

History was a struggle for me, even American history, the story of the country I live in! I never realized, listening to my father's stories of his parent's honeymoon at the Grand Canyon at the turn of the century, or growing up in the Depression, or serving in the Army Air Corps in World War II, that I was learning "history." I only knew that history was a boring subject filled with desperately long lists of dates and names that were all too easy to muddle!

Quite by accident I discovered a "living book" ("Killer Angels," if you were curious, about the battle of Gettysburg), written by as enthusiastic a historian as my father was, with a love for his subject and a gift for storytelling, and suddenly I was fascinated. I sought out diaries and letters and more information on the people involved, and discovered a rich new world - in reality, an "old" world that had been there all my life, but to me it was new and fresh and exciting.

Ask my children about their favorite subject in school and they'll answer, with great enthusiasm, "History!"

It seems to me that this "living books" approach must be paying off. If you are already using this approach, or curious and wanting to try it out, look into Michelle Miller's TruthQuest History Guides.