The Story of Texas

by John Edward Weems

Children of all ages will enjoy this colorful, instructive book on Texas history. Told in simple language, the story emphasizes the drama and excitement of the state’s history – from prehistoric times, when Texas was largely underwater and inhabited by strange creatures, to the modern age of space travel and computers.
 
The text is amply illustrated by lively sketches and paintings that will make reading about history fun.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

220 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1986

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

As we’re listening to James A. Michener’s Texas, I find myself impatiently wanting to know more about the history of this bold brash state, the place of my husband’s birth—one of the very first things I knew about him. Is he proud of having been born in San Marcos, TX or what? Yes! As proud as you can be of anything you have no control over. 😁When we lived in Louisiana and now that we live in Oklahoma, you can perhaps imagine the jokes! 😉

This book is a quick if somewhat dated (1986) history of Texas. It was written to celebrate the sesquicentennial (150th) birthday of the state’s winning its independence from Mexico in 1836. It is for middle schoolers with lots of watercolors depicting scenes from early frontier life all the way through to the 1980s. One would like to see the next 35 years of the state’s growth and change included in an updated book. Perhaps as the 200th anniversary approaches such a project is being considered.

Most people have heard of the amusement park, Six Flags, but do you know what the six flags which have flown over Texas are? Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United Stares of America and the Confederate States of America. Once Texas was readmitted to the Union, the flag of the United States again flew over the Lone Star state, and it remains the primary flag with the former Republic of Texas (Lone Star) flag as the state flag.

Also, where did the name of Texas come from? It was long thought it was named after a friendly group of “Tejas” Indians. Actually, there was no tribe of that name. The natives referred to were the Hasinai, a group of Caddoan Indians who greeted the first European explorers with the word, “Tejas,” meant to indicate friendship.

What a lovely name for a proud magnificent state, full of natural wonders, diverse people* and fascinating as well as tragic history! I wish “Tejas” to all; we all could use some more of it!

*A plethora of famous people have come from the Lone Star state, including two U.S. Presidents, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Lyndon B. Johnson and of course some famous people have died there, Bonnie and Clyde and sadly, President John F. Kennedy.

[Allison Riding Larsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Technically a children's book but it was 200+ pages!! A bit of whitewashing but mostly a helpful history refresher.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Story of Texas is our main Texas History text. It is a timeline of the history of our state and a good introduction to many Texas statesmen.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted a quick story of Texas Independence. It was an easy to read children’s story. It was very brief history of Goliad, Alamo, and San Jacinto. I wanted a more informative story.

[Katie Brohard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and fairly quick overview of Texas history through 1986.

[Rikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book that I enjoyed reading to my children during our homeschool class. It is interesting and informative without going into too much detail. (We will get into a more detailed study of our state at a later time.) They enjoyed it as much as I did and it sparked a lot of questions and discussions about Texas history. It also created enough interest in them to warrant a visit to a local museum that has an exhibit on Texas history.