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A newspaper-style family reference guide to American history from earliest times to today, with a running timeline and QR codes linking to The Washington Post archives.
Experience the events that shaped the USA from earliest times to present day, as if it were all breaking news! Newspaper-style features bring history to life – from articles reporting events as they unfold to obituaries of key figures, recipes, inventions and more. Live through the events that shaped America, including the American Revolution, the Civil War, the Civil Rights movement and the September 11 attacks. Experience America’s fun and playful side, too, from the invention of bubble gum to the wondrous debut of Mickey Mouse. And learn about some unexpected and lesser-known sides of American history, like teen hero Sybil Ludington’s ride during the American Revolution and the Navajo Nation’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. A running timeline and special context boxes support readers’ understanding of how episodes in America’s past have influenced its present day and its future.
Developed in collaboration with The Washington Post and featuring QR codes linking to podcasts and archival resources, this richly illustrated reference helps families explore how America’s past continues to shape its present and future, and is a powerful and compelling commemoration of the 250th birthday of the USA.
Selected for the CBC Hot Off the Press List: February 2026 list - The Children's Book Council
"Simply extraordinary, impressively original, profusely illustrated, and thoroughly 'kid friendly'...an ideal and unreservedly recommended pick." - Midwest Book Review
"Rather than retelling events from a distant historical perspective, the book presents original newspaper coverage, photographs, headlines, and firsthand accounts as they were experienced in real time. This unique approach gives readers a vivid sense of immediacy, allowing them to understand not only what happened but also how people reacted to events as they unfolded." - Children's Literature (CLCD)
"This unique offering reports on selected events in American history as a series of breaking news stories formatted as newspaper spreads...This graphic work will make for a fun and interesting supplemental material for social studies units." - Booklist
"Lovers of history, current events, and general learning will find this book thoroughly thought-provoking." - YA Books Central
"History buffs and a person picking up the book will find hours of enjoyment reading the wide variety of entries...Entries honor the diversity of the US." - Puget Sound Council for Reviewing Children's and Young Adult Literature
"This book has it all, and the text and generous graphics will engage families to discover their home through time." - Oregon Coast Youth Book Preview Center
CONTENTS
Foreword by Williams Lewis, Publisher and CEO, The Washington Post
How to Use This Book
BEFORE 1600 (10-21)
1600s (22-31)
1700s (32-63)
1800s (64-105)
1900s (100-149)
2000s-TODAY (150-160)
Glossary (170)
Source Notes (176)
Index (178)
Credits
Acknowledgments