We had the opportunity to review the physical book of Milton Hershey: More Than Chocolate by Janet and Geoff Benge and its accompanying digital study guide, which is part of the Heroes of History book series from Youth With a Mission (YWAM) Publishing.
Over the years, I have become a fan of the YWAM book series. YWAM is one of those companies you want to own everything they publish. I have slowly collected books from both of its series, Heroes of History and Christian Heroes: Then & Now, to add to our home library. Having complete sets of both series is my goal, because my children enjoy reading the books. I am seriously considering “biting the bullet” and purchasing them all for our school. The stories alone are worth the price, which is reasonable whether or not you purchase a set of books or individual ones. The books work well as a read-aloud for all ages, but could also be used by a middle to high school student as independent history and literature study reads.
YWAM publish biographies of notable Christians who made a difference in the world. The stories may work solely as a good read or may be paired with the curriculum that is built around the books YAWM publishes. The company also carries many other products that would be of interest to homeschoolers.
We read through Milton Hershey: More Than Chocolate, which tells the story of the man behind the chocolate. I think when most of us hear the name Hershey, we immediately think candy, chocolate, yummy, etc. That is “sweet”, but Milton Hershey was more than just a candy maker. Before he was known as a successful chocolatier, he was referred to as a dreamer and a failure; and that was by many in his family. Hershey did not allow his pride to get in the way of his dream. Instead, he did what he needed to do, which included borrowing the money from and the time of his mother and Aunt and requesting a $700 bank loan and then requesting more while still owing. What really stood out to all of us is Hershey’s perseverance through his failures. I do not know if I would have pursued my dream through all of the failures and experiences he had. Although Hershey kept asking for help, which many did not want to give, he certainly paid back in a big way with his philanthropic efforts after the success of his company. The Benges have a talent of relaying the stories of other people in an interesting and captivating manner.
The study guide is available to purchase and use alongside the book, but is not required to enjoy the history shared through the stories. We received a digital copy of the study guide for Milton Hershey. The Curriculum Study Guide is not required, but if you would like to turn the learning experience into more than just a book read, having the study is very helpful. You can turn the history study into one that includes other areas of study with art; creative writing; drama; essay writing; geography; public speaking and reading comprehension with the activities included on the guide. Something I like about the exercises in the study guide is they are geared towards that student who is working alone and may not have a classroom of peers with which to complete projects. The activities can be easily adapted for more than one student.
Because I have a wide age-range of children, we just used the reading comprehension questions that followed each chapter in the book. I always like this time with my children, because it is so interesting to hear the different interpretations of the same material. They are all individuals. Sometimes, they think alike and other times, they differ, but all make great points.
You should really consider YWAM products for your school. YWAM is a non-profit organization and much of the money they receive from your purchase goes back into the mission field, supporting people internationally.
You may purchase Heroes of History- Milton Hershey for $7.50.
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