Tuesday, March 24, 2020

YWAM Publishing Heroes of History - Ben Carson Review

{Disclaimer:  I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.}


YWAM Publishing offered us several choices from their Heroes of History series of books and we chose to review Heroes of History - Ben Carson.  YWAM Publishing also sent us a digital Study Guide to go along with our book. 

 Heroes of History - Ben Carson A Chance at Life

The Heroes of History biography series brings to life remarkable true stories of fascinating men and women who shaped and changed the course of history!  You may remember our review last April of YWAM Publishing Heroes of History - Alan Shepard.  I was super interested in reading Ben Carson's story next so it was such a blessing to receive it.

Back Cover

I appreciate that these books are extremely flexible!  You can use them as read alone titles or as family read-alouds.  You can also integrate them as supplements for numerous subjects or use it as a stand-alone curriculum.  They can also be used for both group and/or individual study.

A reading our book.

I had A (10th grade) read this on her own.  B (8th grade) is going to read it next!  A also completed the Unit Study 2 part of the Study Guide as well - she filled out a fact sheet about Ben Carson and made a timeline of important events from history and Ben Carson's life as directed in the study.

Ben Carson Fact Sheet and Timeline

If you don't know much about Ben Carson, he grew up in Detroit and hoped to become a doctor.  It didn't seem a likely path with his poor grades and struggles but Ben turned everything around and become one of the best neurosurgeons.  In fact, he was the first surgeon to successfully separate conjoined twins joined at the back of the head.  His life is inspiring and incredible to read about.


The Ben Carson study guide contains guides for using this book in small groups, classroom and homeschool environments.

I want you to know that this study guide is chock-full of ideas for using this book in various curriculum areas including history, geography, essay writing, creative writing, reading comprehension, public speaking, drama, and art.  I also appreciate that the guide reflects a wide range of learning styles.

One of the ideas suggested in the guide is to create a display corner of objects and items related to or representative of Ben Carson and his life.  The guide gives ideas and suggestions on things you might want to include.  You can see the one that the kids and I have been working on below.

 Our Display Corner

I especially love the squishy brain.

Our guide contains chapter questions.  There are six questions for each chapter of the book and this book has 18 chapters.  The six questions include a vocabulary question, factual question, two comprehension questions, and two open-ended questions seeking and opinion or interpretation.  The first three questions are geared toward younger students while the last three are geared for older students and considered more difficult.  Answers to the first four questions can be found within the Appendix of your guide.

We have not been using this guide for writing but there are great ideas for essay questions if you want to use them.

Hands-on Project Ideas

I really like the hands-on projects and ideas as well.  Ben became excited about science after playing with a chemistry set.  This ties in perfectly for A as she has been studying Chemistry this year and we have done multiple experiments.

 A performing a chemistry experiment.

Chemistry Balloon experiment

Playing Operation is a great way to imagine being a surgeon.

I would highly recommend this book if you are wanting to learn more about Ben Carson or if your family is interested in the medical field.

There are currently 29 biographies in the Heroes of History Complete set including Billy Graham, Clara Barton, and Orville Wright.  I'm super interested in reading Billy Graham's story next.

Be sure to click on the banner below to visit the Homeschool Review Crew blog to read even more reviews of YWAM Publishing.

32 Heroes of History {YWAM Publishing Reviews}

You can engage with YWAM Publishing on social media @:

7 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing your book review. I am encouraging my sister to study medicine in the future. This book is perfect for her.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds great and bound to keep you entertained during lockdown. At least for a little while.
    Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kristine Nicole AlessandraMarch 31, 2020 at 7:10 AM

    These books will keep kids busy with learning. I like books and toys that would encourage curiosity and learning. I will get these books once we are out of this community quarantine. My grandson loves learning about science!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is great because my son and I were just talking about medical careers. I will look into this book for him!

    ReplyDelete
  5. That really looks like a fun book to read! I wish I had this when I was young. And oh my, seven children? You are blessed!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mama Maggie's KitchenMarch 31, 2020 at 4:00 PM

    This book sounds really interesting and fun to read. I am going to check out Heroes of History - Ben Carson. I am definitely spend time reading this and share with my husband and son.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks everyone! If you aren't familiar with YWAM book series - they really are the best. And Aurora, I never thought we'd have seven kids but I wouldn't change a second of it!

    ReplyDelete