| Hear from Users | ||||||||
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| Quotes from Educators
"Joy Hakim's books are a reading teacher's goldmine." –Janet Harris, 8th grade teacher,
“I wish you had been here with us on Friday afternoon. When I finished reading the first chapter of your book, A History of US–The First Americans, the students all clapped. Your style is so passionate that it stirred the ten and eleven year olds and their much older teacher. This is the first time in my 36 years of teaching that reading a textbook sparked spontaneous applause! Thank you for writing these informative and engaging books!" –Ellen Baker, a fifth-grade
“I recently bought Books 1 and 2 of your Story of Science series. I will very soon order the third book on Einstein. I bet I've read 15 or more books on the history of science. Yours are absolutely the best ever written I'm sure. I'm sending copies of the first two books to a good friend of mine who is a professor of history in
I appreciate your efforts and talents a great deal. Please write more about science. This country needs you!” –William C. Dees, Johnson Professor of Chemistry
"I interrupt the tedious work of averaging grades today to share with you something very exciting. You will find along with my note some letters from students in one of my eighth grade social studies classes [about the series: A History of US]... One day this past week when they had completed another of many classes devoted to the role play based on a chapter in 'From Colonies to Country' I asked them if their lively, good work was due to their talents or to your book. They all said it was because of your book, and they decided on their own to write you thank you letters. I have never in thirty years of teaching seen that happen. I hope you find their letters gratifying. The ideas expressed are strictly their own and spontaneous." –Margaret Ford, 8th grade teacher, CT "I discovered your books [A History of US] while engaged in one of my 'time off' rituals in a bookstore almost two years ago. I remember sitting on the floor cross-legged in the history section thinking I struck gold... I approached my principal and indicated I would like the three fifth-grade classes to use [A History of US] to supplement our textbook.... From that conversation along with some 'creative financing' we purchased eighteen copies.... The other two fifth-grade teachers also enthusiastically embraced the books and we proceeded to purchase eighteen more of each volume. Consequently, our 'Hakim' books (as we always refer to them) now have reversed roles with our Houghton Mifflin textbook." –Donna Kasprowicz, fifth-grade teacher, CA
"This book is outstanding! I found myself reading all around the house, even trying to read while giving my daughters a bath! Now all I want to do is read the rest of the books as soon as possible and get them for my students." –George Coggan, teacher,
"I have been using [A History of US] in my classroom for three years, and I can state unequivocally that it is the best resource I have ever used." –Lynn Silk,
"I was impressed by the accuracy and depth of [Hakim's] research." –James McPherson, professor of American history at Princeton University
"I wish the nation's schools would use Hakim's books as texts." –Arthur Levine, past president, Teachers College,
"Last year, I was invited to talk to a group of 5th graders about life in one-room schools. It was unusual for me to see 5th-grade students who were excited and interested in history. So I asked the teacher to show me what book they were using because they obviously loved history. In short, they were using your books. The teacher gave me a copy of book three and I was pleasantly surprised to find a story about 'WARRAGHIYAGE!!!!' Elementary students never learn about the incredibly interesting life of Sir William Johnson and there he was in your book. I was so excited about my new find that the teacher gave me books two and three." –Bob Millward, Professor of Education,
“Thank you so much for all of your books. Our 12 year old homeschooled son Quinn has grown up reading every one we've been able to get, including the entire History of Us series starting at 6 or 7 years old! He's been reading and re-reading The Story of Science books 1 and 2 over and over again. We're anxious to get book 3 (Einstein) and have had it on order through Amazon now for almost a year. We're confused about the release date. Can you help us? When and whee can we get a copy soon? Thanks so much, your contribution to modern education is greatly appreciated and your praises are sung far and wide! –Kathleen and Erik Lawrence, Putney, VT
“I would rather read your books than play Nintendo.” –Steven Brooks, Punta Gorda, Florida
"My name is Ben Brown. I am eight years old. I am home schooled. I've never written a fan letter before, but I'm a big fan of you. For history I am supposed to read one chapter of your book. Instead, I read the entire book. I am now on book three of your great series..." –Ben Brown
"Other books just give the information, plain and flat. You make it fun. I don't know exactly how you made Social Studies fun, but you did, and I thank you for that." –John, 5th grade, Hearst Elementary, San Diego "You have saved me from another year of boring Social Studies textbooks. Your books are great and make you feel you are in the book with the Indians or the Europeans or whatever it is. You make me feel like I am really jumping into a time machine into the past." –Katie Rahowski I have finished "Aristotle" and am working on "
Author Joy Hakim traces the evolution of scientific thought from ancient times to the present. With lively, character-driven narrative, Hakim highlights the curiosity of the world's greatest scientists, and encourages a similar spirit of inquiry in the readers. " –The Science Teacher, November 2004
"In her new series of science books for middle-schoolers, Joy Hakim combines science, history, geography, culture, and art to tell the story of science in a way kids love. And don't be surprised if you learn a lot yourself." –American Educator, Fall 2004 "Hakim emphasizes the importance of mathematics to scientific progress and is not afraid to sprinkle a few numbers through the text, showing, for example, how the concept of zero transformed math into a tool for understanding practically everything...'The Story of Science' is richly informative and illustrated...Hakim, who is also the author of 'A History of US,' clearly appreciates science and the matchless might of a reasoning mind." –Natalie Angier, The New York Times
"[Hakim's] punchy take on
"Imagine a history textbook so full of provocative storytelling and graphics that it brings your sixth grader to tears." –Gwen Sublette, Colorado Parent magazine
Joy Hakim is, "breathing new life into the study of our nation's past, inspiring teachers and schoolchildren from
"Joy Hakim... has become a hero to school-children in the
“Speaking of adults relearning science painlessly, I am in the middle of Book 2 of a three-book series called The Story of Science, from Smithsonian Books, by Joy Hakim. Her first book, which I loved, is called Aristotle Leads the Way, and I'm right in the middle of Newton at the Center....
The books are written for middle-school graders and up, and if you always thought that you weren't a science person, this series is for you! I have never seen anything on the history of science (and math) written in such an engaging way, that put so much of the history of our human development into perspective. Moreover, it's a wonderful beginning point for a parent whose kids are starting to get into the upper grades in science -- partly so that you can know what they're talking about, and partly so that you have a terrific way to spark dinner table conversation that will help your kids integrate what they're learning in school. I'll probably be writing a more comprehensive review of this series later in the summer, but I wanted to make sure my readers knew about this at the beginning of the summer.
Happy reading! (Really, you'll be happy.)” –Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, June 29, 2007 "Joy Hakim's A History of US, winner of the NCSS's James A. Michener Prize in Writing, is the perfect text for the
–Susan Dangel and Maria Garriott, Johns Hopkins Talent Development Group
"In the sorry state of current textbooks the achievement of Joy Hakim's A History of US is all the more impressive. Hakim set out to write a series of books that would combine the best qualities of the earlier narrative histories with modern historical research. Convinced that history is inherently fascinating, she fills her books with anecdotes, quotations, humor, and well-described characters. Instead of talking down to children in simplified language, her books invite children to make an effort." –The New York Review of Books, June 11, 1998
"Ms. Hakim is a fine story-teller who winks at readers and never talks down. Her audience may be wary of science, but children should delight in the foibles and bad luck of scientists past." –Bettyann Holtzmann Kevles, The New York Times "We owe Joy Hakim a great debt of gratitude." –Elizabeth McPike, American Educator Magazine
"Joy Hakim is breaking all the rules." –Valerie Strauss, The
"Every child deserves to learn with such material." –Janet Allen, literacy specialist and author of Words, Words, Words "Compelling writing makes this series a must." –Stephanie Harvey, reading specialist and author of Strategies That Work
“I am thoroughly charmed by The Story of Science. The books read lightly and easily while conveying an imposing amount of information. When I was in high school, I used to wonder why the textbooks had to be so horrible. Why, I wondered, didn’t real writers write textbooks, so that we students could complete our reading assignments without wading through prose that resembled a federal budget analysis translated into Esperanto? Please accept my congratulations on this remarkable accomplishment.” |
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