The article attempts to present selected theoretical standpoints concerning the place and role of school textbook narrative in teaching history to school students. In this context we posit a hypothesis about the hybrid construction (history memories and ideology) of the narration for teaching history in Polish school textbooks in lower secondary schools (gymnasium). The research was undertaken between 2010-2014. We focus on the issues of the role of gender in history textbooks; a perspective which is visible in Western culture but almost not present in the teaching of history in Poland. Our starting point for this research was concerned with how to close this gap and also draw upon research experiences from French and English experiences, showing that the quality of history textbooks has deep social consequences for the perception and stereotyping of the roles of men and women in public life. The general issues concerning the critical orientation are illustrated by the results of our research findings.