Joy Hakim: Finding the Stories in Science and History

QUESTIONS I'M OFTEN ASKED

Q: Most science books have chapters with titles like "energy" or "matter." Your books often focus on people. Why should schools be using them?


A: People are a hook, they put information in a framework, which helps with understanding and memory. But the books don't neglect scientific issues, as you can see on this page, which describes the science of flight.

As for energy and matter, readers of The Story of Science journey through historic time with those concepts. They learn how the ancients addressed them, how Isaac Newton came up with laws that deal with them, and what Albert Einstein did that makes us understand them in a completely new way.


Q: Do you see your series replacing traditional textbooks or being used in conjunction with standard textbooks?


A: I wrote A History of US as a new kind of text—an anti-textbook—to replace those ponderous tomes that no one reads willingly, but they can also be used as a supplement. The ten small volumes give this series great flexibility.

The Story of Science is a text that spans subjects. It can be used to teach critical reading, it includes a lot of world history, and the science is complemented with coordinated experiments in the teaching materials. These are books built on respect for both teachers and children. They work especially well in multi-disciplinary classes.

Q: What age group constitutes your target audience? What ages are you writing for most?


Corrupt politician Boss Tweed, by Thomas Nast, in A History of US, Book Seven
A: I've been surprised by the range of ages of my readers. I get mail mail from eight-year-olds (bright) and I've had more than one letter from an octogenarian. Storytelling has a broad appeal. A History of US is being used in many elementary and middle schools (which is what I intended) but it is also used in some AP history classes and in a few college courses. Freedom, the one-volume American history, was written as a companion to the PBS series but it is being used in middle and high schools. PBS HAS A TERRIFIC TEACHING WEBSITE THAT COORDINATES WITH BOTH HISTORIES here: PBS History of US: Freedom Teaching Website The Story of Science is being used in middle schools, in adult education classes, and in everything in between. These books have been translated into Korean, with other translations in the offing.


Teachers often deal with 20-30 students in a classroom, each of whom may be at a different reading level. I'm told these are high-interest books that keep kids reading. It's the teaching materials and the expectations that vary with ages. As a reader, I often read over my head, I encourage readers of all ages to stretch their minds and don't worry if you don't understand it all.


Q: I've always used a traditional textbook, why should I switch?


Gentleman often smoked outside in the 19th century, while many thought it was improper to smoke around the house or in the presence of ladies. From A History of US, Book 8, Ch 18
A: The standard textbook has failed our students. Almost no one reads them willingly. They're usually massive and backbreaking in format and dull in content. I wrote A History of US to attempt to break that non-reading book mold. Think of the standard textbook as a reference book. It can be useful on the teacher's desk, but it has kept our children from discovering the pleasures of reading. In this Information Age we need to encourage literacy, question-asking, and critical thinking. Textbooks don't do that.

Q: Are there any errors in the books?


Graciously, several readers have alerted me to errors or discrepancies in The Story of Science, Book 1. I invite readers to contact me if they see something they believe to be an error and sincerely thank those who have contacted me. If you are reading or teaching with the first printing of Aristotle Leads the Way you need to know that on page 83, the correct area of the square is 1 (not 2). On page 180 the 30-60-90 triangle is incorrectly labeled. The hypotenuse should be 2. And, on page 221, each person ends up with 262 monetary units of animals (not 168, which is the total of animals). These errors have been corrected in the second printing.

Quotes From Readers


Here's author Joy Hakim.

"Best of all is Joy Hakim's way with the story. Never dull, never the least plodding, she brings refreshing spirit and common sense to the telling of every episode. The historic personages, great and small, are all alive, real people, and the idea that history might ever be thought of as a chore has clearly never crossed her mind." –David McCullough, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of John Adams

"I wish the nation's schools would use Hakim's books as texts." –Arthur Levine, President Emeritus, Teachers College, Columbia University


"Compelling writing makes this series a must." –Stephanie Harvey, reading specialist and author of Strategies That Work

"Every child deserves to learn with such material." –Janet Allen, literacy specialist and author of Words, Words, Words

"Joy Hakim's books are a reading teacher's goldmine."
–Janet Harris, 8th grade teacher, Pennsauken, N.J.

"Humanizing details have made Joy Hakim the J.K. Rowling of the history world." –Alison Adato, Joanna Blonska, People Magazine

"Imagine a history textbook so full of provocative storytelling and graphics that it brings your sixth grader to tears." –Gwen Sublette for Colorado Parent magazine

"We owe Joy Hakim a great debt of gratitude." –Elizabeth McPike, American Educator Magazine

"Joy Hakim is breaking all the rules." –Valerie Strauss, the Washington Post

James McPherson, professor of American history at Princeton University says of Joy Hakim's work, "I was impressed by the accuracy and depth of her research."

"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 at Indiana University.

"Dear Joy Hakim,
You have saved me from another year of boring Social Studies text books. 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.
Yours truly,
Katie Rahowski"