Hi Reader,

Do you have a question about my new ebook, From the Margins to the Center: A People's History of the United States Told Through Children's Books?

I'm here to answer the most common questions I've been getting about this brand-new resource.

#1 Is this a history curriculum?

No, this is not a full curriculum. It is a set of in-depth book reviews broken down by periods of U.S. history and by age group (with books for kids as young as age 5 and as old as age 14).

You could certainly put together a solid year-long U.S. history curriculum by selecting from the books in this guide, but there are no additional discussion questions, activities, or writing prompts included.

#2 Who is this resource for?

While I dreamed up this ebook while creating a U.S. history plan for my homeschooling family, From the Margins to the Center is for ANY family, educator, or community worker who's looking for great historical fiction picture books and novels, as well as engaging, truth-telling non-fiction.

If you're a family whose kids attend traditional school: Use the ebook to find historical fiction that will sweep your child into another time period, without having to resort to some of the “classic” titles that reinforce racism.

Have a child who’s fascinated by what frontier life was like in the 1800’s? Skip Little House on the Prairie and read one of the recommended novels by Indigenous, Asian, Black, and Jewish authors.

If your family has been talking about the struggles of immigrant families today for justice and dignity, read one of the many recommended titles about immigrant experiences in the 19th, 20th, or 21st centuries.

If you're an educator: While you may not have control over the main texts used in your school, From the Margins to the Center will give you lots of picture book, novel, and non-fiction ideas for supplementary activities, readings, or projects.

The guide is broken down by historical period so that you can easily find what you need, whether you’re in an elementary or middle school setting.

If you're a home educator: I think you’ll love this guide because I created it as I pieced together an entire year of U.S. history for my own homeschool kid.

Whether you’re looking for books for a particular period of history or want books for all of U.S. history, there are plenty of what Charlotte Mason called “living books” inside this guide that are so much better than learning from a dry textbook.

#3 What format is this resource? Can I order a printed copy?

This is a digital PDF, not a physical resource. Because it’s in PDF format, you can print it out yourself if you prefer a physical copy. There are 86 pages of book reviews, with an additional 14 pages of reading checklists.

If you don't have a printer at home, I've heard good things about HardCopyHQ (though I haven't used them myself.)

#4 What's included in the ebook? Can I see a sample of what's inside?

You can view sample pages of From the Margins to the Center here.

The ebook includes:

• Book reviews that are broken down by historical period (for example Abolitionism and the Civil War, Progressive Era movements, and the Great Depression.) There are book recommendations as far back as Indigenous history before colonization and as recent as the COVID-19 pandemic.
• In-depth book descriptions that help you understand the plot, historical connections, and other details to help you decide whether the book is one your kids will enjoy.
• Bibliographical information including recommended ages, page numbers for chapter books, dates the book takes place in, whether an audio book is available, and the identities of main character and author.
• Reading checklists for each time period: As you read through the guide, use these printable checklists for each historical era to note which titles are interesting to you. Then take your checklist to the library or bookstore.

#5 Are all the recommended books written by People of Color?

I have worked hard to find #ownvoices books (where the author of the book shares ethnic or other identities with the characters they are writing about) whenever possible.

While most of the 240 books in the guide meet this standard, some of the non-fiction books do not. I have labelled each book with as much information about the author’s identities as I could find.

#6 What do you mean by "peoples history"?

“People’s history” is a term coined by historian Howard Zinn. Zinn believed that attempting to be distant and “objective” when presenting history simply favors the viewpoint of people in power.

As the Zinn Education Project describes:

In From the Margins to the Center, I’ve included books that tell history from the perspective of:

• Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
• women of all races
• immigrants
• poor people
• religious minorities
• LGBTQ people
• Disabled people

Many of the books share stories of resistance, protest, and organizing for justice that these groups have carried out throughout U.S. history.

#7 What periods of U.S. history are covered?

There are books for the entirety of U.S. history, starting with Indigenous history before European colonization and ending with the early 2020s.

You can see a table of contents in the free sample pages, which lists all the historical periods.

I have another question you haven't answered.

Just reply to this email and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

​If you're ready to purchase From the Margins to the Center: A People's HIstory of the United States Told Through Children's Books, you can do that here. ​

xo,

Rebekah

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Rebekah Gienapp (she/her/hers) | rebekahgienapp.com | Connect on Instagram | Coffees for Gaza |

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