Favorite Enrichment Book Series: Who was…Where is…What is…

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I think I have recommended this book series to every mom I know. The Who Was series has been a staple in my house for two years. We’ve read Who was Beatrix Potter, Who was King Tut, Who was Neil Armstrong, Who was Alexander Hamilton, Who is Jane Goodall, and many more. We’ve read many Where is and What is as well - all very interesting. And for all of them, we had a memorable and meaningful unit study. Here’s what we love about this series:

1) They are short!

Each book is about 100 pages - it’s a one-sitting (or two) read-aloud for mom to read to her kiddos while they play with unit themed activities or with their own choice tactile items.

2) Great for a co-op book report!

Our Coop Group book club had a blast with this series! Everyone got to pick a Who was/Who is book and report on that person (dressed up as them!). Everyone enjoyed labeling the timeline with their special person. With Who was King Tut? bringing in a B.C. life span, the timeline was quite the shocking experience! About 45 feet long!

3) The books include pictures.

The pictures are simple and often enough to assist your children with their own mental pictures.

4) There are Interesting spotlights about other historical figures.

Each book spotlights other important people of its time, which can send you down the rabbit trail for more future fun.

5) There are many references to historical events.

Some books do this more than others, but they all reference multiple events in history, historical figures, and even point out literature from the time period. All more reasons to head down the rabbit trail.

6) They focus on Interesting stories about childhood

Each book spends much more time on the figure’s childhood than a typical historical book. Sometimes the stories are actually written by their sibling!

7) Great for road trip enrichment!

Checking out national parks? Learn all about President Theodore Roosevelt who solidified the national park system in a read-aloud! On the way to the Grand Canyon? Read-aloud Where is the Grand Canyon and the canyon and the visitor centers will be way more interesting to you all. Driving to D.C. on your east coast tour? There is an entire set of 25 books about American History you can dive into before or during your trip.

8) They are inexpensive.

Most of the books are under $6 each. For the price of a Starbucks coffee and a pastry, you can build the foundation to a wonderful learning experience.

I literally just ordered Who was Helen Keller? on Amazon, because we are about to learn about the five senses…and she didn’t have two of them! Pair that with a game of Blind Man’s Bluff, Dining in the Dark fun with your family, and learning the alphabet in sign language, and now you have a micro unit study.

Easy peasy.

(For examples of how to use a Who was book for a unit study, check out our podcast Episode 29: Unit Studies or our Diary of a Wimpy Kid theme day (Who is Jeff Kinney) that was designed around what we learned about my children’s favorite author!)