C++ Strings vs. Character Arrays
Koenig and Moe's Accelerated C++ and Stroustrup's Programming: Principles and Practice Using C++ are using std::string and other components from the standard library from the start. If I remember correctly, they don't even present C arrays for Koenig and Moe and Stroustrup does it quite late in the book (perhaps even just in an annex).

That approach, qualified as modern, is the preferred one in my circles.  The other approach, often qualified as historic, follows more closely how C++ evolved, but doesn't take advantage of "newer" (relatively, they are 15 years old now) development and doesn't teach what is practised now (at least on projects not encumbered with too much legacy) but 10 years ago (there is always a lag before being mainstream).