Congratulations to the students and teachers at AEF (Alternative Education Foundation). This Fort Lauderdale K-12 private school, focused on developing cognitive skills, is so excited about starting American Hero for their eighth grade students that they’re introducing it at the end of this school term, not waiting for the fall.

“We had a board of directors meeting recently” says Dr. Lance Fein, the Executive Director of the middle school, “and one of our students went up to a board member to ask what was going to be done about getting textbooks that are more relatable. As it happened, that board member knew about Midgard and thought it would be a good fit.”

The staff immediately reviewed a sample copy, “loved it,” and decided that they wanted to dive in immediately. “Getting teachers to change what they’re doing on the fly is not always easy,” says Fein. By this point in the year lesson plans are made and the curriculum is set. But Fein says, “the teachers liked that the book was written in story form and well-illustrated and looked more inviting than traditional textbooks, which are so outside what our students enjoy it’s not realistic to expect them to work.”

What works best, says Fein, “are books that are interactive. When students can actually write in the book, for example, that interaction gives the book more meaning. We also want to be more inclusive. Most textbooks seem to be written towards the white, middle class, male student. We want to be more multi-cultural and it has to make sense for the subject content. American Hero has found that sweet spot.”

The storytelling is so strong in American Hero, says Fein, that the teachers don’t know whether to use it in the history or literature course.

Enjoy the books, AEF, and let us know how it goes.