Are you looking for a way to bring history to life in your homeschool? A fun book from Ann McCallum published by Charlesbridge can help. Called Eat Your U.S. History Homework: Recipes for Revolutionary Minds, this book explores some flavorful recipes and remarkable events from US history.

This $15.95 book is a beautiful hardcover. It has a dustjacket to help protect the cover. There are 48 pages inside. The pages are well designed, with colorful illustrations, informative sidebars, and more.

The book begins with an introduction and some kitchen tips. These can help you get the most out of the material and ensure everything is done safely. Then, there are six different sections, each covering an important event in US history from the first Thanksgiving through the first Independence Day. Near the end of the book, you will discover a history review, glossary, and index.

It is important to note that these recipes have been modernized. Colonists cooked with many ingredients that are not common in today’s kitchen, such as bear grease and squirrel. So, the original recipes have all been updated to make the recipes accessible for the modern kitchen.

In each section of the book, you will find a history lesson. In our homeschool, I read this aloud to the kids. This content is very kid-friendly and reads like a short story. It is a fun way to introduce your kids to these historical events. There are bolded vocabulary words that you can find in the glossary.

Next, you will find the recipe. Each recipe has a “Before You Begin” section that tells you how long it’ll take to prep and cook, what the oven temperature should be, and how difficult the recipe is. There is also a yield amount, so you know many servings the recipe makes. There is also an “Equipment” section that details what you need to make it happen. Then, you will find the “Ingredients” list that details how much of each item you need to make the recipe.

Following these lists, you will find the recipe “Method.” This has step-by-step details on how to make the recipe.

After you are done cooking, there is another historical tidbit on a related topic. Finally, there is a “Side Dish” section that has some more information, and some discussion questions that make your kids think critically. For instance, one “Side Dish” question asks students to look in their refrigerator and identify items that the pilgrims would not have had available. These questions are a fantastic way to extend the lessons.

My children enjoyed cooking the recipes in this book. My younger crew learned a lot about US history, and my older kids had fun reviewing. They learned some new facts as well. In our house, the favorite recipe by far was the Colonial Cherry-Berry Grunt, but Independence Ice Cream was a close second. There are several great recipes, so you will want to try them all.

If you are looking for a fun way to learn about history, I highly recommend this book.

 -Product review by Lisa Tanner, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, June 2020