History Matters The League of Nations Covenant was incorporated in Article I of the Treaty of Versailles. The Grateful American Book Prize recommends Ruth Henig's The Peace That Never Was: A History of the League of Nations (2019). https://ow.ly/Bwao50YIVSM

2026 Grateful American Book Prize CALL FOR BOOK SUBMISSIONS The Grateful American Book Prize is accepting submissions for outstanding historical fiction, non-fiction, and biographies for readers, ages 11 to 15. https://ow.ly/eSQ050YGwx1

Where To Go Adams National Historic Park Quincy, MA From the "sweet little farm" at the foot of Penn’s Hill to the gentleman’s country estate at Peace field. https://ow.ly/gWnR50YGu50

A BOOK by ME - True Stories Written by Kids for Kids Mother to the Boys in Blue: The Story of Mother Bickerdyke Mother Bickerdyke cared for Union soldiers on 19 battlefields during the Civil War. She organized 300 field hospitals and saved many lives. https://ow.ly/Y2x050YGu1G

Frances Perkins, Then and Now Rebecca Brenner Graham received a 2025 Grateful American Book Prize Honorable Mention for Dear Miss Perkins. In this interview, Graham reflects on Perkins’s enduring legacy and its relevance to current U.S. policy. https://ow.ly/2XnZ50YEWPl

Robert E. Howard: The Life and Times of a Texas Author by Willard M. Oliver Reviewed by Ed Lengel A superb biography, not least because it sets Howard squarely in the context of his Texas roots, his family & literary influence, & the creative world of pulp literature. https://ow.ly/oW6850YEy0v

History Matters Showing our children that their past is prelude to their future On April 1, 1976, Steve Jobs, and Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple Inc. For more information, the Grateful American Book Prize recommends David Pogue’s Apple: The First 50 Years (2026). https://ow.ly/AT6P50YCWuX

Saul Bellow Special to the Newsletter by Michael F. Bishop Bellow was a towering figure of 20th-century American literature, a novelist whose sharp intellect, vibrant prose, & unflinching exploration of the human condition earned him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1976. https://ow.ly/Q1SV50YCVWu

April 2026 Newsletter Gearing Up https://mailchi.mp/929c520c03b9/april-2026

A Dangerous Idea: How the Scopes Trial Still Shapes Our World An Interview With Award-Winning Author Debbie Levy Levy reflects on how the Scopes Trial can be seen in current debates about education, science, and truth... https://ow.ly/TozI50YvQVq

Civic Learning Week (March 9–13) begins with the National Forum—themed Liberty and Learning: Civic Education at 250, co-hosted by iCivics and the Democratic Knowledge Project—on March 9 and 10, in Philadelphia. Read Louise Dubé, inspiring article. https://ow.ly/bOa050YqFSg

Where To Go Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway This driving tour includes more than 30 sites and winds for 125 miles through Dorchester on Maryland’s Eastern Shore before going into Delaware and ending in Philadelphia, where Tubman first found freedom. https://ow.ly/nw8P50Ypjgs

A BOOK by ME - True Stories Written by Kids for Kids A Life in Pieces: The Persistent Journey of Larry Ross by Mrs. Vice’s 6th Grade Class of 2024 The day Larry Ross decided to flee his home in Czechoslovakia during WWII, was the day his life changed forever. https://ow.ly/Og6s50Ypj4M

The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald Reviewed by Ed Lengel Originally published 1945, the book reflects a particular perspective on postwar America ... it is an important social document of a transformational period in the history of the United States. https://ow.ly/g2Gz50YpioP

John Steinbeck Special to the Newsletter by Michael F. Bishop One of the most influential American writers of the 20th century, renowned for his vivid portrayals of the working class, the struggles of ordinary people, and the landscapes of his native California. https://ow.ly/KMyN50Ypi67

History Matters by Michael F. Bishop for David Bruce Smith's Grateful American Book Prize On March 4, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated for a second presidential term. The Grateful American Book Prize recommends Lincoln's Greatest Speech by Ronald C. White, Jr. https://ow.ly/Bt9W50Yp95k

Did you know the printer of the Declaration of Independence was a woman from Baltimore named Mary Katherine Goddard? Learn more about the printer in this NPR interview. https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5517357 #WomenHistoryMonth

March 2026 Newsletter When Cultural Ideas Converge—and Bump—Through the Ages https://mailchi.mp/6590dd800559/march-2026

A Dangerous Idea: How the Scopes Trial Still Shapes Our World An Interview With Award-Winning Author Debbie Levy She received a 2025 Grateful American Book Prize Honorable Mention for her book. She reflects on how the Scopes Trial can be seen in current debates. https://ow.ly/uIQr50Yngyg

What 42 massive and decaying presidential heads say about America Crowds flock to see the sculptures in a muddy field. Their responses to the crumbling dignitaries are surprisingly tender and even patriotic. https://ow.ly/7ncm50Yhz6y

History Matters - Showing our children that their past is prelude to their future The Founding of the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company 1906 The Grateful American Book Prize recommends Howard Markel’s The Kellogg’s: The Battling Brothers of Battle Creek (2018). https://ow.ly/9xUp50Yh9PT

At the nation’s first presidential transfer of power, George Washington was ‘radiant’ On the morning of John Adams's inauguration, Washington walked to the ceremony alone and made history by happily turning over the presidency to his elected successor. https://ow.ly/MkrK50Yh8At

Presidents Day Remember to revere and respect our Democracy https://gratefulamericanfoundation.org/presidents-day-2026/

All restored rooms at Mt. Vernon on the first and second floor are open to the public. https://ow.ly/Zy4Z50YbG5C

Where To Go Gettysburg National Military Park Museum Gettysburg, PA The Center includes the Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War, the film A New Birth of Freedom, narrated by award winning actor Morgan Freeman, and the Cyclorama painting depicting Pickett’s Charge. https://ow.ly/4Shm50Y9yIR

Living With Lovejoy A BOOK by ME - True Stories Written by Kids for Kids Owen Lovejoy lived in the free state of Illinois. After witnessing his brother being murdered for his work in the abolition movement, Owen became even more passionate about ending slavery. https://ow.ly/4prM50Y9yBb

The 2026 Grateful American Book Prize is open for submissions of historical fiction, non-fiction, and biographies for ages 11–15, published between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026. Submit online by July 31, 2026. https://gratefulamericanbookprize.org/

History Matters - Showing our children that their past is prelude to their future, with book recommendations Seattle’s anti-Chinese Riots, February 1886 Michael Luo’s Strangers in the Land https://ow.ly/yIC050Y9hkA

Hank: The Short Life and Long Country Road of Hank Williams by Mark Ribowsky Reviewed by Ed Lengel A fascinating study of one of the most talented, and tragic figures in American music history. https://ow.ly/VpMa50Y8vnw

“Dr. Spock”: Benjamin McLane Spock Special to the Newsletter by Michael F. Bishop In 1946, he published his first book, The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care. Its opening line, “Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do,” set its revolutionary tone. https://ow.ly/TK3J50Y8o7q

February 2026 Newsletter Reflections in Blue https://ow.ly/1Pem50Y8csK

American Masters Honors Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel in New Documentary Premiering TONIGHT January 27 on PBS Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire, an intimate portrait narrated in his own voice, explores how the author’s life as a Holocaust survivor inspired his work. https://ow.ly/j3Pe50Y4yQ5

January 27 - International Holocaust Remembrance Day The United Nations General Assembly officially designated this date for the world to remember the six million Jewish victims and millions of other persecuted groups. https://ow.ly/1qLr50Y4hwz

Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday Remembering. January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968 https://ow.ly/nvrT50XXFUT #MartinLutherKingJr #MLKDay #CivilRights #HistoryMatters #RememberingMLK

History Matters - Showing our children that their past is prelude to their future, with book recommendations Grateful American Book Prize recommends Robert V. Remini’s The Battle of New Orleans. https://ow.ly/c56350XToSK #HistoryMatters #BookRecommendations #GratefulAmericanBookPrize

Where To Go Hamilton Grange National Memorial NY, NY Hamilton’s life is memorialized at The Grange, the home he built on a country estate in uptown Manhattan https://gratefulamericankids.org/hamilton-grange-national-memorial/ #HamiltonGrange #AlexanderHamilton #WheretoGo #HistoryTravel

Justice in the Wind A BOOK by ME - True Stories Written by Kids for Kids Bill took part in the March on Washington, where he heard MLK give his famous speech and was inspired to become a public servant. https://ow.ly/OiYu50XT3CE #ABookByMe #MarchOnWashington #CivilRights #HistoryMatters

History Matters - Showing our children that their past is prelude to their future, with book recommendations Andrew Roberts’ Churchill: Walking with Destiny https://ow.ly/Gfh450XSvTY #HistoryMatters #WorldWarII #Churchill #BookRecommendations #GratefulAmericanBookPrize #HistoricEvents

War Without Mercy: Liberty or Death in the American Revolution by Mark Edward Lender and James Kirby Martin Reviewed by Ed Lengel Lender and Martin make an important, and valid point. The war was more violent than generally recognized. https://ow.ly/T8gW50XSt48 #HistoricalBooks #BookReview

“Deep Throat” Mark Felt Special to the Newsletter by Michael F. Bishop Felt was a legend at the FBI who became one of the most important sources in the history of American journalism; he guided Woodward and Bernstein through the thickets of the Watergate scandal ... https://ow.ly/fFkJ50XSrPT

January 2026 Newsletter Angling to Clarify Memory https://mailchi.mp/050b02022a40/january-2026

History Matters Showing our children that their past is prelude to their future, with book recommendations. The Grateful American Book Prize recommends Douglas Waller’s A Question of Loyalty: Gen. Billy Mitchell and the Court-Martial that Gripped the Nation (2004). https://ow.ly/hnPj50XATxs

George Washington’s living quarters back on display after restoration Mount Vernon, the first U.S. president’s estate along the Potomac River in Virginia, is undergoing the most extensive renovation in its history. https://ow.ly/uQcq50XIO0E

Where To Go The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Washington, DC The world’s largest & most significant collection of aviation & space artifacts. https://ow.ly/UPxr50XFSmN #GratefulAmericanFoundation #GratefulAmericanKids #Wheretogo #TravelRecommendations #Smithsonian

History Matters Showing our children that their past is prelude to their future, with book recommendations that relate to historic events. William “Boss” Tweed’s Prison Escape, December 1875 Grateful American Book Prize recommends Kenneth D. Ackerman’s Boss Tweed. https://ow.ly/HZJy50XGlme

Run: To the Port of Last Resort Written by Amen Gabre and Illustrated by Faith Mutum A BOOK by ME - True Stories Written by Kids for Kids https://ow.ly/Nn2A50XFSfW #GratefulAmericanFoundation #GratefulAmericanKids #ABOOKbyME #BookRecommendations #AmericanHistory #AmericanHistoryBooksforKids

Jonas Salk: A Life by Charlotte DeCroes Jacobs Reviewed by Ed Lengel ...This shy, self-effacing, likeable man had become known as a miracle worker: the scientist who single-handedly annihilated the scourge of infantile paralysis—polio. https://gratefulamericanfoundation.org/jonas-salk-a-life/

Katherine Anne Porter Special to the Newsletter by Michael F. Bishop An admired American short-story writer, a miniaturist whose polished, ironic prose could compress a great deal into just a few pages. https://gratefulamericanfoundation.org/katherine-anne-porter/

December 2025 Newsletter An Alliance of Heroines https://mailchi.mp/8e38bd3a128e/december-2025

Happy Thanksgiving! Best Wishes for a happy, healthy, and meaningful holiday. https://gratefulamericanfoundation.org/thanksgiving-2025/