"Rod Franchi has created an antidote for the ’one-thing-after-another’ poison that kills people’s enthusiasm for and interest in history. A masterful storyteller, Franchi speaks directly to students, weaving together historical details to link the present to our past as only a skillful history teacher can do. Students will enjoy the book as they learn from it and teachers will benefit from the meaningful plots and subplots Franchi sees running through the long 19th century." —Bob Bain, associate professor of education and history, the University of Michigan
"This slim volume breaks down 19th century history to make it interesting and readable, highlighting topics of historical debate as well as events and figures that have been omitted from textbooks for years. Rod Franchi's high school teaching experience shines through in his clear, concise writing, accessible to today's teens and lesson-ready for classroom teachers." —Bethany Bratney, National Board Certified teacher librarian
"Rod Franchi writes as one who truly understands how to speak to teenagers—the masterful tightrope walk of treating his readers like adults but recognizing they aren't quite adults yet. Many of my students struggle with understanding the historical context of the texts we read. They take history courses, but they don't always retain much beyond dates and names, and their writing and argumentation skills suffer. This book hooks them with the stories and solves their context problem in a way that’s accessible and interesting to many levels of teen readers." —Hattie Maguire, AP English language and composition and AP seminar teacher
"Rod Franchi has an uncanny ability to unpack history, to get to the point, and to make the story fascinating. If you want to understand the core issues in the story, 19th Century American History for Teens is the book to read...whether you are a teen or decades past." —James W. Fraser, professor of history and education, New York University, and author of By the People: A History of the United States
