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The Smart Aleck's Guide To American History (2009)

by Adam Selzer(Favorite Author)

3.85 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0385736509 (ISBN13: 9780385736503)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Delacorte Books for Young Readers

review 1: There are much funnier books of satirical American history out there--The Daily Show's in particular (even Dave Barry Slept Here is pretty hilarious, if I remember)--but what sets this book apart is that Selzer actually attempts (and succeeds for the most part) to be accurate as well as funny. In other words, you can actually use this book to learn American history, not just make fun of it. And he does an excellent job of exploding various myths about America along the way. Pretty funny too - teens might not get it, but I thought using Dr. Billy Joel as the primary source for the "We Didn't Start the Fire" era was genius.
review 2: Being a history teacher and a sucker for autographed books, I found it ironic to meet this author at a Language Arts conference. H... moree was sarcastically witty and instantly, I found his approach to American history refreshing. It was primarily tongue-in-cheek as is this book, sacrificing many unnecessary details for the essence of well-chronicled events. In other words, perfect for an average or uninterested middle schooler, or even one smart enough but only interested in being a class clown. It is clean and often dry humor for the most part, refraining apologetically from foul language. It covers the essentials, from George to George (Washington to Bush), and even takes a pop culture turn in the last chapter, chalking up history as it parallels rock 'n' roll. Entertaining for a history nerd such as myself, and affirming as I check off all the things I cover in my 8th grade class. less

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