The writers at PragerU have come up with a new book series designed for young readers that brings to life the explorers and adventurers that built America. The series currently consists of 8 books, 7 of which focus on individual heroes in U.S. history, with book 8 a compilation of all the others.

The books seek to fill a need. A PragerU spokeswoman explained on video: “We are becoming a nation with amnesia, despite the very rich and complex history we have as Americans. At PragerU, we decided to solve this by coming up with an incredible series called Trailblazers ... which will encourage kids to read while teaching them about American history.... It’s a great resource.”

The heroes profiled in the series are featured in the following order:

• Book 1 — Daniel Boone, tells the story of this frontiersman’s exciting adventures using true historical accounts. It is a biographical tale that “teaches kids all about the start of westward expansion.”
• Book 2 — Johnny Appleseed is the tale of John Chapman, who became known in American folklore as Johnny Appleseed, a real-life character who through his love and knowledge of nature, along with his entrepreneurial spirit, helped settlers survive by planting apple trees to secure free land for them. Once they settled, he helped them get a start in taming the wilderness.
• Book 3 — Follows the famous pioneer captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark as they explore the vast reaches of the American West. The book shows the pair’s resilience and ability to adapt as they faced hostile Native Americans, wild animals, and challenging terrain. They were also some of the first to set eyes on the dazzling natural beauty of the western half of the continent that their explorations opened for everyone.
• Book 4 — Davy Crockett brings to life the legendary “King of the Wild Frontier,” who is one of America’s most well-known heroes. The story profiles Crockett’s life from his frontier days to his becoming a soldier to his time in politics, culminating in his last stand defending the Alamo in Texas.
• Book 5 — Is the story of John C. Frémont, an American explorer, soldier, and politician, who served briefly as a U.S. Senator from California and was also a candidate for president. He led battles in the west against Mexico, and during the Civil War, he secured the only successful Union victory in the western region of Missouri in 1861.
• Book 6 — Is all about the California Gold Rush, starting with the discovery of the precious metal in 1848 at Sutter’s Mill, owned by Swiss immigrant and businessman John Sutter. News of the find attracted a massive flood of adventurers, fortune seekers, and prospectors to California, which had a profound impact on Sutter’s life and on the region where he lived.
• Book 7 — Bass Reeves, tells the story of a runaway slave who became a famous, gun-fighting U.S. Marshall in the “Wild West.” Reeves tamed portions of the unsettled territory in Oklahoma and Texas, and the book is not only a biography of this American hero, but also brings to life an exciting chapter in America’s westward expansion.

As previously noted, these stories are combined in Book 8, which contains “over 200 pages of detailed stories, maps, field guides, writing prompts, and more....” The series brings the true stories of these American legends to life, along with colorful descriptions of the wilderness, mountains, and plains they traversed and explored. Their stories also convey a sense of the American spirit that helped shape the country for the settlers that followed.

PragerU is a non-profit organization with a stated purpose of educating children and adults using digital media and technology. It describes itself as “the leading hub for pro-American content online.” PragerU says it releases new content every day, from its “flagship” short videos to podcasts to news clips.

The organization offers children’s content under its “PragerU Kids umbrella, featuring shows, books, and lesson plans to educate the next generation at home and in schools,” including its new Trailblazers of America book series described in this review. The organization pledges that its offerings consistently convey messages that support liberty, economic freedom, and Judeo-Christian values.

PragerU advertises that it offers free educational and entertaining pro-America content for every grade. But not all content is free, including the Trailblazers series, which consist of hardbound books.

While best suited for students in 3rd through 5th grades, older children and even adults can learn from the Trailblazer books as well. One customer praised the “historical content, storytelling, and maps” that the books include. Another wrote that the stories “entertain throughout” and yet another commented that the series “is inspiring” in that it describes actual classic “heroes.”

One parent confessed to not knowing much about John Frémont until “the Trailblazers” installment, but commented that she was “pleasantly informed and entertained” throughout the story. Frémont’s adventurousness (he was nicknamed ‘The Pathfinder’) “was inspiring to read about - and a reminder of the kind of spirit necessary to survive—and succeed—in such an untamed land.”

PragerU is probably a resource many more parents would take advantage of if they knew about it. This reviewer hopes the word will spread so more families can access the wholesome content available through this organization.

To read the entire book, go to Amazon or PragerU to order!

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