Mention COFA, and most homeschoolers immediately recognize the abbreviation for the Childhood of Famous Americans series. The same people may not be so familiar with Patria Press, but soon will hear more about this new publisher. The original Childhood of Famous Americans series included over 200 titles, but only 50 of them are still in print. Patria Press is changing that with the Young Patriots Series of Fictional Biographies for Children. Patria Press has bought the rights to several of the original COFA series and is bringing them back to press with minor revisions and new covers. Fans of the original series will be pleased with the newer editions of the informative biographies, which so far feature Amelia Earhart, William Henry Harrison, and Lew Wallace.
Lew Wallace, Boy Writer, brings to light the childhood of a writer that
many may not be immediately familiar with. In his later years, Lew Wallace
wrote Ben-Hur, a book later to become an epic film, chronicling the life
of the early Christians in the Roman Empire. Wallace lived a somewhat privileged
life as the son of David Wallace, a 19th century politician in the Midwest,
and the grand-grand-nephew of John Paul Jones, the famous Revolutionary
hero. Lew was a student at a variety of schools, because his relentless
zeal for life kept him rotating from school to school due to disciplinary
problems. Lew Wallace was a forerunner of the modern unschoolers, gaining
all the education that he needed from life experience. He had little use
for schoolbooks and rote memorization, preferring instead to learn from
the pilot of the river ferry, or the Indiana State Library full of fascinating
books. It was not unusual for him to skip a week of school because he found
something “more interesting” to do.
The Young Patriots series authors have spent many hours in research for
their work, which shows in the detail of the stories. Martha Schaaf, a
librarian herself, details many little known but intriguing events in her
story about Lew Wallace, such as his skill as a woodsman, his talent for
pencil sketches, and his long held desire to be a war hero. The story grabs
the readers’ interest immediately with a thrilling account of a near
accident involving Lew’s baby brother, Charles, and a runaway carriage.
Young boys especially will enjoy reading about Lew’s escapades in
the newly settled Midwest, all told from a young boy’s point of view.
Although the story is about a man who became famous as an adult, do not
expect the book to center around his adult writings. The book starts when
Lew is five and has just earned his breeches (boys in the 1800’s
wore dresses until they were five), and chronicles his adventurous childhood
up through young adulthood. No mention is made of his later fame, leaving
the door open for students to follow up and discover how Lew Wallace ended
up making his mark in the world.
The Young Patriots series will inspire children, allowing them to look
at history through the eyes of America’s future heroes. While most
historic figures seem untouchable, children will identify with and enjoy
the normal childhood adventures of these famous Americans. Look for new
books in the series, as Patria Press will soon release the childhood biographies
Juliette Low, Girl Scout, and James Whitcomb Riley, Young Poet.