Free books for students! Help us launch our History School Book Club

We’re excited to announce a pilot program for high school students called History School Book Club. To help us develop the program, we are asking students to watch 2 half-hour videos of historians talking about their acclaimed books, answer 4–5 content questions in each video, and complete a short survey.

As a reward for providing feedback on our History School Book Club pilot program, participating students will be named Junior Research Assistants and receive a free book as a token of our appreciation.

Book Club content is based on our popular weekly book talk series, Book Breaks, and focuses on topics of interest to high school history students. We welcome participation from highly motivated high school students who sign up on their own or teachers who integrate the Book Club into their classrooms (everyone gets a book regardless!).

It’s as easy as 1-2-3.

Step 1: Try out Book Club.

Book Club consists of tailored Book Breaks videos. Each unit lasts approximately 30 minutes and features a renowned historian discussing their pivotal work. The units contain 4 or 5 multiple-choice questions as knowledge checks to ensure students learn as they go. Students can complete as few as two video units to move on to Step 2.

Step 2: Complete a brief survey to give feedback on the program.

Next, students need to take a brief survey. This is the part that’s most helpful for us as we work to develop History School Book Club. Completing the survey means that students become Junior Research Assistants for the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History—a boost for college applications or resumes.

Step 3: Fill out the request form to get a free book.

We’ll send an email with the student’s Junior Research Assistant certificate to get their mailing address and choice of one of three books (while supplies last):

• The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For, by David McCullough
• Ends of War: The Unfinished Fight of Lee’s Army after Appomattox , by Caroline E. Janney
• Relentless: My Story of the Latino Spirit That Is Transforming America, by Luis Miranda

It’s an easy way to make a meaningful impact.

If you have any questions, reach out to bookbreaks@gilderlehrman.org.