Balance is the key.
Certainly, to enjoy the many books on American history which I have collected for my fourth and fifth graders, they need some framework so they understand the historical setting of the novels, biographies, and non-fiction books. From there,I find that many get more joy out of family vacations which enjoy visits to America's history lands - and now they can visit such sites on the internet. Joy Hakim's texts The History of US is outstanding for giving such a framework to the students - but of course we only have one per teacher in the elementary grades. If your entry does not appear after posting - click 'Reload' button.