Lies My Teacher Told Me: Young Readers’ Edition

This is a slimmed-down version of the author’s famous book for adults. Even though it’s meant for younger readers, it hasn’t lost any important information in the abridgment. Younger readers are made aware of the weaknesses in American history books used in their history courses, but the author does not go into as much detail in the text itself. The author also uses examples that are as clear and interesting as ever. This book can help change a student’s paradigm. It would work perfectly in high schools and in teen sections of libraries.

I absolutely love this book. It's not only well-written and engaging for an adult, but it's clearly important for kids. And it underscores so much of what I've seen in the school systems through my own kids and others I've spoken with. The problems with so many textbooks that the author addresses tie into why I chose to homeschool my kids through elementary school. And why we try to discuss "real" history after watching movies, etc. Unfortunately, sometimes that "real" account is hard to find. I'll be grabbing copies for my kids ... and searching out the original edition for myself.

I have a 12-year-old who loves history and loves to question everything: this book is so perfect for him! From Helen Keller to Woodrow Wilson to Columbus this book goes into untold history and inconvenient truths. It even goes into the American interference in Chile, Guatemala, and others. This is eyes-wide open history for kids who are encouraged to question and never settle for easy answers. It will inevitably lead to more questions and prompt further research, but that's a good thing in my view. I will be reading this book with my child.