Introduction
Honest History is a children’s educational magazine focusing on supplementing in-school history education. Brooke and David Knight founded Honest History in 2018 to create a kids’ magazine that “combined equal parts creativity, education, and honest storytelling.” The creation of Honest History reflected a broader concern at that time that traditional historical narratives were not neutral and left out underrepresented groups and perspectives (while advancing a specific historical argument, the New York Times’ 1619 Project published in 2019 was part of this larger movement.)
In 2020, Honest History won a National Parenting Product Award1 and boasts tens of thousands of followers across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. According to Brooke Knight, who serves as the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Honest History has a “global audience” and partners with “schools, homeschool groups and charter schools.”2 The magazine’s mission statement declares that Honest History seeks “to share important, well-researched stories that inspire kids to make a positive impact on history themselves.” Each of the issues is written and edited by experts in the subject matter and gives a simple overview of a historical topic paired with charming illustrations that appeal to their young readers.
To explain their mission, Honest History quotes the University of Pennsylvania professor Zachary Herrmann that “the answer is not to tell students what to think, but rather how to think.” Unfortunately, Honest History doesn’t follow this advice. Rather than giving children a neutral account and letting them reach their own conclusions, Honest History slants their writing, leading their young readers to the opinions Honest History desires.
