Make History Come Alive For Kids, With Biographies and Study Guides from YWAM Publishing!

I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.


It can be very hard to find history books that are age appropriate, that actually stir kids imaginations. Try to add in a Christian perspective, and you have VERY few books to choose from, that aren't from over a hundred years ago!

YWAM Publishing logo

So I was thrilled when as a Homeschool review Crew member to have the chance to check out the amazing books available from YWAM Publishing! We were able to check out their amazing Heroes of History series and Christian Heroes: Then & Now series, of books and  chose one to review. As Miss Grace is so interested in the medical field, we decided to pick out their Heroes of History- Clara Barton  book for her to read.What is really super about this series from YWAM Publishing, is that they also have an amazing  Study Guide to go along each of their books, in the series! As any homeschool Mom knows, that's the equovalent of a homerun!

Heroes of History by YWAM

Before I get to Clara, let me tell you a bit about the series!  Their Heroes of History series  contains 29 books, of unique biographys, that bring history to life with the remarkable true stories of fascinating men, and women, who changed the course of history, like Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Merriweather Lewis, Alan Shephard and Harriet Tubman! Told in an engaging, easy read, format, the books cover more than just hostory and biography! they also touch on related history, geography, government, and science topics! This really helps bring the individual stories to life, and help kids remember what happened! 

Their Christian Heroes: Then & Now series is even bigger, with 47 titles!  These biographies are true stories of ordinary men and women, whose trust in God helped them to accomplish extraordinary things. These are stories of Christians, who have profoundly shaped history, and the books help to answer today's need for positive CHRISTIAN role models. Plus they give kids a chance to see how God works through the lives of those who follow him, no matter the circumstances.

Heroes of History clara barton cover

And now to Clara! We picked  Heroes of History- Clara Barton, Courage Under Fire,  she wanted to find a woman to read about, and I felt Clara was such a leader, she would be a great role model for her! If I had one complaint about both series, is that there are proportionally very few women in the History series, versus the Christian one, where there is a good amount. I know both series are works in progress, and I hope we'll see more women added, in the future!.  

miss grace reading

Now with Miss Grace's dyslexia, it can be hard getting ehr to read PRINT books. She is more interested in audio books right now, but she said she would give it a try, and as you can see above, she was halfway through the book in a week! I was one proud Mama! When she has a book that REALLY engages her, she WILL read it, and thanks to the readbility of the book, she loved it!

Here's an example of a half of a page:
clara barton sample page

She ended up reading about 3 chapters when I was at work, so we ended up actually starting using the FREE study guide, after she had done 2 days reading. These study guides are sent to you after you purchase the book and consist of different levels, so you can use the book for multiple ages! It is very easy to use- when you unzip your download, you have a Welcome Section to get you started, then different curriculum areas. You can choose which to use and to download, or use on your computer.



study guide sample 1

Because of her dyslexia, we do a lot of verbal questioning, versus writing/typing. I've found that she delights more in retelling a story and while she thinks she's telling the gist, she's actually showing me WHAT she learned AND retained. The trained part is a huge thing for me, plus the verbal narration is helping her to formulate a response better. As you can see from the elementary level questions above, the study guide offers the teacher/parent, a chance for not only comprehension testing, but to see if the child can RELATE what they have learned, to their lives! I really believe that when kids CAN do this, the story and morals from it, STAY with them! 

For example, Miss Grace had a HUGE performance this past week, at a major theatre on the Gulf Coast (I shared a bit of their performance this past Friday here on thse blog, as part of International Dance Day). It was the largest audience she has been in front of since NOLA's Jazz Fest, 2 years ago! She told me afterwards that when her stomach was churning backstage, she remembered how Clara took care of the wounded soldiers, not letting them see her fear, so that they would be calm. So she took a deep breath, helped the little dancers in her troop and suddenly everything was ok and the nerves went away! I was one proud Mama!

study guide sample 2

YWAM Downloadable Unit Studies

The Study Guide also includes projects, which are perfect for middle and high school students! I love the one above! While Miss Grace didn't have time to actually layout a pamphlet, she was able to tell me what would have been TIME appropriate to incclude, and share WHERE she felt Clara could have ahnded them out, and which parts of the population really needed to know about the Red Cross. That was sufficient for me!


If you are doing more of a Charlotte Mason or Unschooling homeschool, these books can REALLY work for you! As you can see above, each book is laid out with different curriculums highlighted for the teacher, so you know in ADVANCE, about what your child will be reading about. From there it's easy to have projects materials, additional resources, or schedule a related field trip, for the time they are reading the book! 

Something that struck Miss Grace about the history in her book was just HOW much major history Clara lived through- how the world changed so much, from the time she was a child, and that her actions helped to make some of those changes happen! We have such a HUGE world now, that it can be hard for kids to understand how everyone wasn't instantly bound to the same topics and discussions, like they are now (after a facebook post goes viral), but that it could takes months and sometimes years, for everyone to be on the same page (such as in the 1800s)! This book really helped her to see how actions implemented change so much more in the 'olden days', than now, and how faith in God to help, really inspired people to take those steps!

Miss Grace just finished the book this past weekend (as she had to take time off, due to practice and performance schedule last week), and has been telling everyone how great Clara was! I'm thrilled she found a great role model, as I had hoped, and seeing hwo she can apply not only principles, but vocabulary she learned in the book has been wonderful!

Christian Heroes, Heroes of History & Study Guides {YWAM Publishing  Reviews}

The books we're looking at adding for next year's 'unschooled' History curriculum are her ancestor, Heroes of History- William Bradford, and Heroes of History- Theodore Roosevelt, as she wants to learn more about the man who made our National Park system! We'll definitely be adding  Christian Heroes- C.S. Lewis for 7th grade, as she will be starting a bible analogy curriculum, with Narnia as it's base!

For more info on other books in the series, be sure to check out reviews from my other Homeschool Review Crew members, as some even reviewed those books we want to get next! Just click on the picture above to be taken to their reviews!

There will be 2 more books coming out in May for the series,  John Newton  and Benjamin Rush. So be sure to check out YWAM Publishing's Facebook, Twitter, and blog pages, for notifications about new releases AND special discounts and prices! They have a great Mother's Day special running right now, for example! Their Pinterest page also has GREAT resources for homeschoolers and Christian parents!

So if you are looking for a resource YOUR kids will love, and that inspires them, be sure to check out both series from YWAM Publishing


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