* * * John Smith Escapes Again!

Author: Rosalyn Schanzer
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 64 pages
Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books (October 10, 2006)
ISBN: 0792259300

This is a very interesting book. Based closely on John Smith’s own writings it’s very easy to get pulled into the narrative. He lived a most exciting life and Rosalyn Schanzer does that life justice.

What impressed me the most, besides the detailed maps, illustrations and ‘time facts’ is the way Schanzer illuminates the time period that John Smith lived in. While we see the hero (often at large) we also see some of the selfish villains of that day like Edward Wingfield and John Ratcliffe and many others. The danger and adventure and the evil that selfishness breeds make the heroic qualities of John Smith and his passion for America and all the possibilities really come alive. Schanzer also sets the story straight about Captain John Smith and the Native American princess girl Pocahontas. When will this book be made into a movie?

Buy now on Amazon.com

* * * The Adventurous Life of Myles Standish

Author: Cheryl Harness
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books (October 10, 2006)
ISBN: 0792259181

I LOVED this book and wish they’d let us read history like this when I was in school. Cheryl Harness gives you the scoop on what life was like in England and all of Europe before any ships sailed to the New World. She takes difficult history (like the passionate divisions in the Church) and imparts it with candidness and clarity. She also slips in interesing facts about ‘minor characters’ that you might miss in an ordinary history book (such as the fact that a boy almost accidentally blew up the Mayflower), which makes the historical figures seem more like characters in a novel.

So it’s easy to imagine and even ‘experience’ the history she shares from that point on – we see what motivated the pilgrims and kept them going. She really does describe an adventure and this ‘history’ reads more like an adventure novel (with Cheryl’s easy narrative) than the dry dates and names you might expect in a history book. Best of all, there is a timeline along the bottom of each page that lets the reader know what else was happening in history during that period so the reader can better relate and get a full worlwide perspective.

Buy now on Amazon.com

* * The Mayflower Compact

Author: Judith Lloyd Yero
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books (October 10, 2006)
ISBN: 0792258916

An introduction to the birth of our country through the history of the Pilgrims at Plymouth and the creation of the Mayflower Compact. Illustrations and ‘little mini facts’ woven throughout the book bring history to life and make it interesting for children by giving them an almost personable account of what life was like for the people who set sail from England to the New World.

Better than a dry tale of dates and names, The Mayflower Compact tells a story about the times the pilgrims lived in, which makes their harrowing quest all the more exciting and engaging for the young reader.

Buy now on Amazon.com

* * Celebrate Ramadan & Eid Al-Fitr

Author: Deborah Heiligman
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books (September 12, 2006)
ISBN: 0792259262

Ramadan is a sacred time of fasting and prayer for Muslims throughout the world. The three day celebration that follows, Eid Al-Fitr, is a celebration of faith, family and community.

Celebrate Ramadan is a great book to help you introduce your child to another culture and broaden his world. Deborah Heiligman combines history, religious customs and culture with stunning photographs of both the somber and sacred month of Ramadan and the exciting celebration that follows. The dress, the foods, the families gathered – all make the holiday come alive to the reader. Young readers will relate to their peers in the photographs and see how other children in the world live.

Buy now on Amazon.com

* * Celebrate Diwali

Author: Deborah Heiligman
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books (September 12, 2006)
ISBN: 079225922X

This is the third book I have reviewed in the Holidays Around The World series by Deborah Heiligman, published by National Geographic Children’s Books. I’m impressed.

These books are such an easy way to show your child the different cultures and celebrations throughout the world. Heiligman does a great job of bringing otherwise complex subjects to life for children. Did you know that Diwali is the Hindu celebration of good triumphing over evil, of light over darkness? Neither did I, but this little book brought a whole other world to life for me and my children and there is even a recipe and a game to try.

I cannot imagine a home library (especially for homeschooling) that doesn’t include this series.

Buy now on Amazon.com

* * Celebrate Thanksgiving

Author: Deborah Heiligman
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books(October 10, 2006)
ISBN: 0792259289

This book is simply wonderful. With a plethora of photographs that depict a variety of people and modern day celebrations as well as historical dress, “Celebrate Thanksgiving” by Deborah Heiligman really brings the spirit and history of this holiday to life.

Not only does the book cover the traditional American aspects of Thanksgiving like the turkey dinner and pumpkin pie, the football games and parades and the prayerful thanks for all our blessings, it also broadens the understanding of Thanksgiving for children by including historical aspects such as native American history as well as modern day celebrations accented by various ethnic cultures in our melting pot society.

This is a fun, heartwarming book to read with your child and if the other holiday books in this series are done just as well, I heartily recommend them.

Buy now on Amazon.com

* * It’s NOT The Stork!: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families and Friends

Author: Robie H. Harris
Illustrator: Michael Emberley
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 64 pages
Publisher: Candlewick (July 25, 2006)
ISBN: 0763600474

The only reason I didn’t give this book three stars is because some parents may find some of the illustrations to be more information than they would like to impart to their child (age 4 and up) and feel that the book encourages a curiosity that might not yet be present in their child. In my case, I thought the info was somewhat okay for my three-year old and more appropriate in many other respects for my nine-year old.

This is definitely a book to review in hand before purchasing simply so that you know what you are getting and whether or not it is appropriate for yourchild.

All that said, “It’s NOT The Stork” is a trove of very well illustrated information that is detailed and child-friendly about everything the title states and it’s given in a matter-of-fact way that young children can easily grasp. The book is written for pre-school, kindergarten and early elementary school children, answering questions about their bodies that they naturally have in a plain and candid way. The subjects cover and follow a natural progression from discovery of self, to discovery of/curiosity about others, growing stages, mommies and daddies, how babies are made, pregnancy and birth as well as discussion about good and bad touching.

Read with a parent, the book can invite an open dialogue about health, hygiene, love, sex, family, pregnancy, appropriate and inappropriate contact and whatever information and ideals parents wish to share with their child.

Buy now on Amazon.com

* * * The American Story – 100 True Tales From AmericanHistory

Author: Jennifer Armstrong
Illustrator: Roger Roth
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (August 22,2006)
ISBN: 0375812563

Jennifer Armstrong has knitted together a patchwork ofAmerican tales that are sure to delight the young (grades 4 – 7) and the old. As she states in her introduction, this is not a comprehensive or traditional timeline. It’s a book of stories that will give children a more vivid, more alive perspective of history. And it does. My children will devour this book out of sheer pleasure and learn quite a lot about the events and personalities that shaped our country. This is definitely a history book that can inspire your children to crave and seek more.

Not only are the stories short and written in a newsy, informative and engaging style, but the illustrations bring the stories to life. Armstrong covers the years from 1565 to 2000 with some interesting obscure stories you might never hear in the classroom (but you might hear from your grandparents) mixed in with the very well known and that’s what makes the book so unique, interesting and enjoyable. This is a great addition to the family library and a treasure to hand down from generation to generation.

Buy now on Amazon.com