Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

We have been using Brain Quest as a back bone to our home schooling adventure with two children. We use an array of other materials, but Brain Quest gives us some structure to our lessons and keeps us on track. This is the FIRST brain quest book that I have seen political spins on information- so much to the point that it's attempting to re-write HISTORY, which is scary, considering its influence over young minds and its position of knowledge and authority. To be UN BIAS, BOTH sides need to be presented or it needs to STATE that it's an OPINION lesson. Their take on Columbus, in this edition, is abhorrent and attempts to re-write history. I'd like to know their sources on this particular topic. There is definitely malice in choosing the words they've chosen to use in this otherwise seemingly innocent crossword puzzle lesson on the MASSIVE topic of how America came to be settled and WHY it was settled over 300 years ago. Brain Quest blatantly has the naive child write that Columbus came to America with the goal of massacre and conquering the natives. This is FACTUALLY incorrect. Columbus came to America, to settle, because the Queen of Spain was the only person in Europe who would fund his voyages (with the intention of finding a better trade route to India). When he landed on "American" soil, he noticed the Natives were fighting against each other- brutally- leaving scars. When Columbus tried to speak to the Natives, some were friendly, cautious, but kind and showed him deep scars from neighboring tribes. He decided he could teach the natives to fight while riding horses, they could battle BETTER and they could become ALLIES against the more brutal tribes. He returned to Spain with this information. His main desire was just to be able to travel on the oceans again. He loved sailing, but found it difficult to find people to help FUND these large sailing expeditions (in which MANY sailors died). Columbus made a SECOND trip to "america" by agreeing to bring SETTLERS in order to appease the Queen's lust for money by growing the Christian religion to funnel money up to her through the priests within the soon-to-be churches. If the goal of his second voyage was to SETTLE AND CONVERT NEW MEMBERS of the church, then why would brain quest have the CHILDREN write that Columbus's goal was to CONQUER the natives? You cannot convert new members to a church if all the natives are DEAD. It makes no sense. This edition also does a pretty stingy job of covering climate change and eco global health . There are more options than what is discussed in this one-page lesson, as well as some conflicting data done from other resources that maybe brain quest should include- since it's inconclusive data results. OR just state that it's brain quest's OPINION if they dont want to discuss from all sides. This series is USUALLY really well thought out and non-bias. However, this particular edition had my blood boiling and lead me to needing to supplement a LOT of extra reading and learning from many other resources to teach my children the TRUTH behind America's history.