Teaching Your Children History through Literature

Jody's Michigan Adventures - Seven very short, kid-friendly books, narrated by an eleven-year-old boy, Kevin Murphy, who loves history. Kevin unwillingly becomes a fiction writer then he is roped into relating his baby sister, Katie's adventures with her toy mouse, Jody. The young historian takes the opportunity to tell it like it is, which means that the true history of Michigan is flawlessly revealed behind the tales he weaves from his sister’s lively imagination. Ideal for ages 8-10. A good read-aloud for toddlers, with full-color pictures on every page spread. Reviewed for the Detroit News by Susan Stark. Available in hard copy and electronic version.

The Journals of Kevin Murphy: Summer of the Bear, Vol. 1 for ages 11-15. The award-winning Summer of the Bear is told by Kevin Murphy, of Jody’s Michigan Adventures.  Now a novelist, Kevin looks back on his teenage years, when he was still a history buff, in search of summer excitement and fun.  In the first volume of this series, Kevin remembers that, during his fourteenth summer, he learned to appreciate the talents and contributions of the friends with whom he shared a mysterious, thrilling adventure.  Jean-Baptiste Vaillant, his best friend’s odd, little French Canadian neighbor, takes the boys out in a canoe made by Vaillant’s  great, great grandfather, a voyageur. During their trip, they meet, Mickie Mamânsinam, an Anishinabe teen visionary, from whom they learn about Ojibwe history and culture. Together, the boys help Mickie to solve the mystery of a dangerous bearwalker.  Recipient of the Michigan State History Award for Literature for children and young adults, 2007. ISBN: 978-1-893047-11-2. Available in hard copy and electronic version.

The Journals of Kevin Murphy: Son of Fireheart Vol. 2, for ages 11-15. In this second volume of the series, Kevin vacations with his sister, Katie, at their aunt's house in Santa Cruz, California. One morning, he chances upon an Esselen Indian boy his own age, in the shadows of the cliff. The two boys become friends when Kevin discovers that Esteban is injured. Then one day, on the beach, Kevin stands up for a teenage girl, who is being harassed by the local gang. Esteban backs him, which is very brave, because he knows the gang leader. Their chivalry sets off a series of catastrophic events, culminating in a raging fire in the Santa Lucia Mountains, in which the boys are trapped. Esteban's association with Kevin's aunt teaches the boy to appreciate his "Indianess" and leads to his becoming a tribute to his tribe. ISBN: 978-1-893047-12-9. Available in hard copy and electronic version.

The Journals of Kevin Murphy: Eagle from the Dawn, Vol. 3, for ages 11-15. During high school graduate, Kevin Murphy's visit to his uncle's Montana ranch, he and a Nez Perce Indian friend, Peter Taksoukt, follow the Lewis and Clark route into Idaho. Kevin gets permission to ride a beloved mustang, Tipyahlanah Kaupu (Nimiipuutimpt for Eagle from the Dawn). When the boys reach Tipyahlanah's home in Idaho, the horse breaks free, leaving Kevin heartbroken. Through the experience of a Nez Perce sweathouse, Kevin learns the essential life lesson of letting go, which is what he needs in order to pursue lifelong friendships and to be reunited with the horse. The spectacular trip across the Rockies brings Kevin face to face with lynxes, bears, mountain lions, and eagles. There is also a romantic interest in the Irish-Nez Perce girl he meets at a powwow in Idaho. And, of course, ever the historian, Kevin consults the journals of Lewis and Clark all along the way, while Peter counters with the history of the flight of his tribe from Idaho to just below the Canadian border. ISBN: 978-1-893047-13-6.Available in hard copy and electronic version.