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By Joy Hakim

Introduction

A History of Us is a series of books in which the author explains American history to the children of America by using primary sources-- letters, documents, and pictures of artifacts from the time portrayed in each volume.  The author always treats you, the reader, with respect and tells the story of America as if she was a storyteller spinning you a tale.

This particular volume talks about the years 1945 to the present.  It includes not only historical events like the Vietnam War but also cultural changes like the rise of Rock and Roll, women's singing groups and The Beatles.   Take a magic carpet ride through the history of  Rock and Roll with the author and you will see how America's musical heritage was shaped by its times and how it has shaped music today.

About the Author

Joy Hakim is a graduate of Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.  She has a masters degree from Goucher College.  She started working as a teacher and then as a journalist.  She found that the history books which children used were dry and uninteresting.  They made our country's history look boring.  Over the course of seven years, she wrote the series "A History of Us", for the children of America.  Her hope was that children would see our history as a series of stories that when read together would show them the values  and history of our country.  In order to make sure that children would like her books, she used children, instead of adults,  as editors. Her new book is 2002 Freedom: A History of Us and it continues her philosophy of making America's history accessible to children.

Activities

The decades of the twentieth century can be discovered by looking at our documents and learning about the people, fads, and culture of the day.  One of the best sites for doing this is the Kingwood College Library's Decades Project.  This project recreates each of the decades of the twentieth century and allows you to learn about the clothing, recreations, books, music, personalities, art, and theater of the day.

One very special form of music came alive during this time period.  It was called Rock and Roll.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Timeline will give you insight into the history of Rock and Roll.

For those of you, who become interested in history and would like to look at your own family history, see this Book Talk BAM page Milly and the Macy's Day Parade.

At the Library

Look for all of the books in the History of Us series in your library. Look for the biographies of Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, and the Supremes to learn more about Rock and Roll. If you have decided to look for books that will help you find out about your own family's history, look under the subject headings immigration and genealogy.  You will find books on this topic in the 300s and 900s in North Beverly's library.

If you have any questions, you can contact me at hookedonreading@comcast.net.