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US History with Blossom and Root

Important: Please scroll down for important announcements regarding the required books (or spines) for this curriculum. PLEASE DO NOT PURCHASE UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS!

Timeline for Future Volumes:

Vol. 1 of A River of Voices: The History of the United States is available! (Covers First European Colonies to 1791) Please scroll down for information, samples, and store links!

Vol. 2 (1790s to 1890s) has been released and is available for purchase! Click here to see it in our store.

Click here to view a sample of A River of Voices Vol. 2.

NEW ANNOUNCEMENT: Upon its release on April 30th, 2024, will begin screening Made in Asian America: A History for Young People by Erika Lee and Christina Soontornvat to replace A Kid’s Guide to Asian American History: More than 70 Activities (A Kid’s Guide series) in Vol. 2.

We will be updating this website soon with more information about Vol. 2.

Vol. 3 does not currently have an anticipated release date.

Vol. 1 Samples (Book Lists are Located in the Parent Guide Sample and are Organized by Pathway):

Click here to download your sample of the parent guide!

Click here to download your sample of the student notebook!

(Required books are not included with your purchase!)

Important Information: Availability of Spines for this Curriculum

Many of the spines for this curriculum have become temporarily unavailable on and off (in physical format) over the past year and a half. We post updates here on our website as we hear them from publishers so please check for those! Please read through the required spines for your chosen pathway in the parent guide sample (scroll down to find that), and assess their availability before purchasing this curriculum. Most of these do have audiobook, ebook, and PDF options available. We, unfortunately, have no control over when publishers will run reprints. We do not plan to substitute or swap out any spines at this point in time, but if we hear from a publisher that they do not intend to continue printing one of the titles, we will begin the process of finding new spines at that time. However, this is not a quick process, and will take time and review by our committee. In the meantime, we cannot offer any refunds on the purchase of this curriculum because spines are temporarily unavailable in print, so please be very certain of your decision prior to purchasing. We hope to see all of these titles back in stock soon. Thank you! 

Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491 is currently available in print form at Scholastic. Click here! There is both an audiobook version available and an MP3 file available on Amazon as well.

A Kid’s Guide to Latino History: More than 50 Activities If this book is temporarily out of stock (in physical form), there are ebook and PDF versions available from Chicago Review Press: https://www.chicagoreviewpress.com/kid-s-guide-to-latino-history–a-products-9781556527715.php?page_id=30.

Detailed Announcement Regarding A Kid’s Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Davis and Arlene Hirschfelder:

UPDATE TO ORIGINAL POST BELOW: Birchbark Books has it listed in their store (10/6/20): https://birchbarkbooks.com/childrens-books/a-kids-guide-to-native-american-history .

There is an ebook version available on Amazon and from Chicago Review Press, and they do have a PDF copy for sale on their website, which is an excellent option to consider. PDFs are not the same as ebooks, and for many, they are easier to read. I think that’s been the solution for a lot of parents right now. Here is their website. https://www.chicagoreviewpress.com/kid-s-guide-to-native-american-history–a-products-9781556528026.php

I do not have a recommended replacement at this time—the other spines that we looked at when we wrote this curriculum were all problematic. If Chicago Review Press informs me, at any time, that they do not intend to continue reprinting, we will then “go back to the drawing board” to find an alternative spine. This will not be a quick change or fix–we spend months carefully screening each and every resource we include and run them by a committee of consultants that must also approve them before we include them. We will make an announcement if and when we decide to offer an alternative spine. In the meantime, the ebook and the PDF are both readily available. You might also check local used book stores and independent book stores too–they often have books in stock that other places don’t (and it’s always great to support them anyway!) Hopefully those copies will be back on the shelves soon! Please check back here for updates. Thank you!

Click here to see Vol. 1 in our store!

secular homeschool history curriculum

A River of Voices Vol. 1 Donation Recipients

As of June 2020, all profits generated from sales of A River of Voices Vol. 1 will be used to support a variety of arts and nature-centric organizations, as well as individual artists, musicians, writers, film-makers, and content-creators. Donations will typically be made between January and March of each year, though some may be made outside of this window. In some cases, we will use funds to sponsor memberships, courses, products, etc. for the creator or organization to gift to others as they see fit, rather than making a one-time donation.

Please note that this list is updated on an on-going basis as donations are made. Please join us in supporting these wonderful organizations and individuals by following and supporting them on social media, attending their performances and workshops, purchasing their products, sharing them with friends and family, and / or making donations if you are able to.

Castle of Our Skins

From their mission statement: “Born out of the desire to foster cultural curiosity, Castle of our Skins is a concert and educational series dedicated to celebrating Black artistry through music. From classrooms to concert halls, Castle of our Skins invites exploration into Black heritage and culture, spotlighting both unsung and celebrated figures of past and present.”

Click here to visit the Castle of Our Skins website!

Red Eagle Soaring Native Youth Theatre

From their website: “Red Eagle Soaring Native Youth Theatre (RES) exists to empower American Indian and Alaska Native youth to express themselves with confidence and clarity through traditional and contemporary performing arts.”

Click here to visit the Red Eagle Soaring website!

The SUSU CommUNITY Farm

From their mission statement: “SUSU commUNITY Farm is an Afro Indigenous stewarded farm in Southern Vermont. We offer life-affirming spaces for Black, Indigenous, People of color to THRIVE.”

Click here to visit the SUSU CommUNITY Farm Website!

Click here to visit their Go Fund Me page!

Phamaly Theatre Company

From their mission statement: “Phamaly Theatre Company’s mission is to be a creative home for theatre artists with disabilities; to model a disability-affirmative theatrical process; and to upend conventional narratives by transforming individuals, audiences, and the world. Phamaly Theatre Company strives to create a world in which disability and the differences within the human condition are celebrated and the theatre experience is accessible and welcoming to all.”

Click here to visit the Phamaly Theatre Company website!

Vibe Theatre Experience

From their mission statement: “viBe Theater Experience (viBe) provides girls, young women, and nonbinary youth of color (aged 13-25)  in New York City with free, high quality artistic, leadership and academic opportunities. viBe works to empower its participants to write and perform original theater, video and music about the real-life issues they face daily. viBe’s performing arts and training programs provide the platform for participants to amplify their voices and “speak truth to power”, by creating an artistic response to the world around them.”

Click here to visit the Vibe Theatre Experience website!

Please note: We are not an umbrella school, charter, etc. and we do not submit any records whatsoever to the state for anyone. We simply provide homeschool curricula that can be downloaded and used to teach your children in your home. Parents are responsible for knowing, understanding, and following all requirements for homeschoolers in their state, regarding declaration of intent, attendance records, testing, portfolios, etc. Blossom and Root does not provide these services and is not responsible for ensuring that these requirements are met for your family.