TOS Crew - Abraham's Journey

I reviewed the book Abraham's Journey: A Celebration of the American Dream from Inspiring the American Dream by Robert and Kathleen Basmadjian

When I first saw this book the title interested me. Our family really enjoys American history but especially anything that relates to Abraham Lincoln. Even our dog is named Lincoln. I didn't know much about the book but thought I'd read through it.

A Brief Summary

Abraham's Journey is about a boy around the age of my boys aptly named Abraham. His parents recently lost their jobs right before Christmas and their family was going to have to go without. But Abraham thought there must be a way for him to earn money to buy gifts. In this technological time we live in Abraham texted his friends and a "wise old man" appeared. He guided him through time to meet American men and women to help him figure out a hidden talent that could help him realize his dream.

Details

Abraham's Journey was written for ages 7-12. It is a softcover completely illustrated book and is available for $14.99. This book is brief and does not take long to read through.

My Thoughts

I decided to read the book for myself. While I like the idea behind the book this was not my style and so I did not ask my children to read it. Although, Re-Pete (age 11) saw it on the table and read it. He said it was "okay". 

I like how Abraham went through time and met a few Americans that helped shape our country. I also appreicated that he was taking initiative to try and help his family and learned lessons along the way. I do think this could be expanded so much more though. I felt Abraham rushed from one scene to the next with very brief encounters and you don't have a chance to really learn about the person. He met people like Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Norman Rockwell (who helped Abraham realize his hidden talent), and Amelia Earhart, but also modern "greats" like Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, and Bill and Melinda Gates. 

Now, I admit I am on facebook. And it has it's place in keeping in touch with people to an extent. In the book Abraham meets Mr. Zuckerberg and finds that he needs social media to showcase his talent. I don't know, but that just turned me off. I know we live in an age where kids have smart phones and ipads and some are on Facebook. They know how to use a computer early on. It is hard to keep our children, children with all of the technology. Our oldest does not have the ability to text friends as Abraham in the book does neither will we allow him on facebook. And so that spin on the story just didn't work well for our family.

Now, obviously not every family is the same and our children have friends that do have phones and are on Facebook. And that is okay. So this book may be perfect for that family. It is good to see how people like those I mentioned took an idea and made big with it. We can learn from those living as we can from those in history past.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.