Top Ten Favorites

We have provided a list of Novice Favorites for those who are interested in learning more about a particular culture or country, but what about those who are not studying a specific civilization and are just looking for a good read? For persons whose are generally curious and whose primary goal is merely an interesting diversion we have created a "top ten" list of our favorite books and series.

There are many excellent books, of course, and it was difficult to narrow the field. As it turns out many of our absolute favorite books are part of a series. A good number of the best authors of juvenile history, such as H. E. Marshall, Alfred J. Church, Jacob Abbott, and others were prolific writers and produced not just one but an entire collection of first rate books. Most of their books, therefore, are recommended as part of a series rather than as stand-alone books. In other cases, however, an author wrote a particularly outstanding book on a specific subject, but it cannot be treated as part of a series. We believe both types of books are worthy of consideration.

Our collection of "favorites" therefore, contains two separate lists; one being a selection of particularly outstanding series, (more information about all of our series, can be found here), and one being a selection of exceptional books that are not part of a series. In addition, reading level is important, since it matters whether one is looking for a book suitable for an adult or for a grade-schooler. In order to make our selections as helpful as possible, we selected ten individual books as well as ten series for top ten designation, and took care to include books of each reading level in both listings.

Book Title	Author
	America First by Evans This delightful collection of stories from America's past recounts one hundred interesting and romantic incidents from America's history, and provides character sketches of dozens of early American heroes and heroines. It makes no attempt to relate or explain complicated government issues, and does not provide a chronological or comprehensive account, but instead focuses on stories of great human interest, and reads like a book of fairy tales.
	Stories of Don Quixote by Baldwin This adapted version of Cervantes' classic, Don Quixote was rewritten to make it accessible to grammar school children. The tone and humor of the original however, is well preserved, Cervantes' original is outstanding for its portrayal of quirky characters, and Baldwin's book does an excellent job of faithfully representing these fascinating townsfellows.
	Men Who Found America by Hutchinson This book provides an excellent introduction to the exploration of the Americas. It provides adventure packed short biographies of Columbus, Cortez, Pizarro, Hudson, La Salle, Balboa, De Vaca, Raleigh, Champlain, and many others. The author is very even handed in his treatment of explorers and Indians, and makes moral distinctions between the most abusive conquistadors, and the relatively noble missionary explorers.
	Stories of the Pilgrims by Pumphrey Beginning with Queen Anne's visit to Scrooby inn, tells in story form of the everyday life of the Pilgrims in England and Holland, of their voyage on the Mayflower and their adventures in the New World. The Brewster children and other Pilgrim boys and girls are the center of interest. A wonderful book to read aloud in the weeks before Thanksgiving.
	Buccaneers and Pirates of our Coasts by Stockton This swashbuckling set of pirate tales makes for a grand feast of adventure stories. With chapters such as Masters in Piracy, A Pirate Potentate, and Villainy on a Grand Scale the author recounts the dastardly deeds and desperate feats of dozens of pirates who terrorized the Caribbean Coasts. There is no shortage of action in this book; most horrifying exploits are rendered in reasonably good taste, and many of the tales are surprisingly amusing.
	Great Inventors and Their Inventions by Bachman Twelve stories of great inventions, grouped under inventions of steam and electric power, inventions of manufacture and production, and inventions of printing and communication. The final chapter introduces the famous inventors of the early twentieth century. The story of each invention is interwoven with that of the life of its inventor. Through these stories the reader learns how big things are brought about, and on the traits of mind and heart which make for success.
	Book of Discovery by Synge This book provides the complete story of the discovery of the world, from ancient Mediterranean sea-faring civilizations to exploration of the polar ice caps in the twentieth century. Every major explorer and discovery is mentioned, from the Phoenician voyages, to Alexander's campaigns in India, to Polo's journey to China, to the exploration of the new world, Africa, and the polar regions.
	Boys' Cuchulain by Hull The legend of Cuchulain, the greatest of the Celtic warriors it still a favorite in all of Ireland.
	Mexico by Duncan This thrilling account of the conquest of Mexico by Cortez and his band of conquistadors goes into enough depth to bring alive many of the important secondary characters, and recount the complicated goings-on between hostile tribes of natives as well as the back-stabbing and politicking of the Spaniards. Unlike modern accounts, which tend to simplistically moralize, this version simply recounts the entire complicated story, based directly on original sources. It fully attends to the tragedy of the circumstances, without demonizing either Spaniard or Aztec.
	Indian History for Young Folks by Drake This book was considered the standard narrative of the History of the American Indians, from its first version was published in the 1880's to the mid 20th century. It was written for the general reader, and is both thorough, and very balanced. The point of view of the Indians and early white settlers are both given fair treatment, and dozens of anecdotes relay the complicated story of both treachery and misdealing, and also faithful friendships between the two civilizations.
	Story of the Great War by Usher This book is written for the General reader and gives a very complete overview of the Great War It briefly explains the causes and sentiments of the war, along with a comprehensive overview of the battle strategies. The author notes, that the vast scale of the war, and the fact that simultaneous battles occurred on various fronts makes a full comprehension of the war difficult, but then proceeds to provide an engaging, but thorough review.