Reviews (1)

Hidden arrows, Poisoned King, and Buried Treasure!
Rich with exciting historical details, The Emperor's Silent Army: Terracotta Warriors of Ancient China by Jane O'Connor offers a well-researched book that tantalizes the reader with tales of a poisoned King, a camouflaged dead body, and a booby-trapped tomb. The targeted audience of ages 9-12 will thrill with the adventure while simultaneously profiting from their newfound knowledge of China's first Emperor, Qin Shihuang, and his war and burial customs. Heavily strewn with color photographs, computer images, maps, drawings, and charts, the book easily captures interest and successfully holds attention with its succinct wording and short chapters that directly complement the images.
Jane O'Connor's career spanning roles as editor-at-large, president of mass market children's books at Penguin, and prolific author is crowned by her most recent gem, The Emperor's Silent Army: Terracotta Warriors of Ancient China. Realizing that no children's books had thoroughly documented the world wonder discovered in China, O'Connor successfully fills the void. This book is a must for any library!
The only negative aspect is that the book fails to be part of a larger history series since once the book is read, the reader will want to read more. The detailed bibliography and author's note provide a scope for further reading on the Terracotta Warriors, but readers will long to learn the same concise and tantalizing information on other subjects as well! Hopefully, Jane O'Connor will follow with more books to engage children and adults since The Emperor's Silent Army: Terracotta Warriors of Ancient China masterfully explores its subject. ... Read more

Book Description

by Julie Stewart Williams. Illustrated by Robin Yoko Racoma. This award-winning book describes and illustrates the life, activities and natural environment in the Hawaiian Islands before Western contact. Accessible to students yet informative for adults.

“…an engaging introduction to the original Hawaiian civilization…” Herb Kawainui Kane.

1997. 191 pp., 7" x 8 1/2". Acid-free text, softcover. ... Read more

Book Description

Gods, goddesses and scenes of life when Europeans first reached the Hawaiian Islands are illustrated; the pictures are based on original art and artifacts. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Ancient Hawaii
This coloring book turned out to not be quite what I had expected. It included many pictures of old Hawaiian gods and homes, and I was hoping for more pictures of ocean and beaches and more sweeping colorful pictures of what old Hawaii must have been like, and for more pictures of people from ancient Hawaii. It seemed more for adults than a kids' coloring book. Still, it is an interesting book. ... Read more

Book Description

In the middle of the Australian continent, a huge sandstone rock rises more than a thousand feet from the flat desert floor. Formerly known as Ayers Rock, this imposing landmark is now called Uluru, the name given to it by the Anangu, the Aboriginal people who live on the land around it. A site of ongoing geological processes and exceptional beauty, it is unlike any other place in the world. In her signature concise and accessible style, award-winning author Caroline Arnold discusses Uluru"s role as a sacred site for the Anangu and how the plants and animals that are part of its natural environment are an integral part of their traditional way of life. She describes the geologic processes that formed the rock"s distinctive shape and red color, the land and climate of the central Australian desert, and how wildlife has adapted to the extreme conditions. Arthur Arnold"s dramatic full-color photographs highlight the unique features and rich colors of the landscape. The area is protected as a United Nations World Heritage Site. In recognition of the rock"s significance to the Aboriginal culture, the Australian government has created the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, which is visited each year by thousands of people from all over the world. Glossary, pronunciation guide, index. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Fantasitc Teaching Tool
I use this book in class rooms all over the place, from 6 year olds to 12 year olds. I am currently planning a 10 week program of literature and art around this book for 10 year olds. The older kids appreciate the things that the younger kids don't pick up on,eg: family relationships between different characters at different times. It a great jump start to talking about Multiculturalism in Australia and how this came about, where the different nationalities came from and why. Discussions about war are also valid. I am using it to focus the kids on their place, physically and metaphorically, we will be creating our own maps and writing to go with them. We are then going to 'publish' them in our own book and hold an exhibition of the original art works in conjunction with their completed page and the completed book.

One of my favourites
This book came out in 1988 during Australia's bicentennial of the European invasion of Australia. It shares a title with a book by Sally Morgan, an Aboriginal women whose search for her own identity and place was published at the same time. This book can be read in either direction. For younger children, it may be easier to start at then end an move forwards. For older children, part of the fun is in uncovering the history of the place - an inner urban area of Sydney.

The book emphasises the timeless continuity of the place, and that even though we might be the temporary custodians of a piece of land, we share a common history and linkage through our humanity, and our Aboriginal history. Lushly illustrated by Donna Rawlins, and words by Nadia Wheatley. A valuable asset to any school library, primary or secondary, and public library, as well as the shelves at home.

My son first showed interest in t at about age 4, and has returned to it periodically since - ie over 2 years. It will stay with him for many years yet!

This is a richly detailed, very touching book about one plac
This is a richly detailed, and very touching book about one place though history. Although it is a children's book, adults will find plenty to interest them, especially if they have an interest in history. There are maps drawn by the characters of where they live that are interesting to observe for the continuity through time. Wars, immigration, and environmental change all play a part. Some things remain the same. ... Read more

Book Description

Remember World War II: Kids Who Survived Tell Their Stories allows readers to understand the war not as seen through the eyes of soldiers but through the eyes of children who survived the bombings, the blackouts, the hunger, the fear, and the loss of loved ones caused by the war. The author shares her own recollections of being able to see the faces of Japanese pilots as they headed for the naval base at Pearl Harbor to drop their deadly bombs on unsuspecting American ships and soldiers, then shares her feelings at having to leave her father behind as the rest of the family is evacuated to the U.S. mainland. A few days later, in the Philippines, the family of a young British girl is forced to turn their house over to the invading Japanese Army and move to a detention center where breakfast is a watery mush made with coconut milk; lunch is slimy spinach; and dinner a thin black soup. But at least she has food and shelter. Twelve-year-old Eiko Arai, of Tokyo, is not so fortunate. When the American B-29 bombers began around-the-clock bombing, fires circle the city destroying everything in their paths. She and her mother have to step over charred bodies to get to the train station, where she becomes separated from her mother. If it had not been for a stranger yanking her on board a moving train, she would have been left behind, alone. Meanwhile in Germany, 14-year-old Hedi Wachenheimer goes to school one day only to be sent home with the words "dirty Jew" ringing in her ears. Worse yet, she finds her home locked and empty and learns that her father and uncle have been taken away by the Nazis. She eventually flees to England to live out the war never knowing the fate of her parents. Lilly Lebovitz escapes the gas chamber by pinching her cheeks to make herself look healthy. She spends the war in a slave labor camp, but at least she survives. For Fred Losch, proud member of the Hitler Youth, the war ends in a ditch in Berlin, where as the prisoner of a Russian soldier, he finds himself wondering "all this effort-for nothing!" Although no fighting took place in the United States, there was a hate war between many Americans and Japanese Americans. On his 13th birthday, Allan Higa finds himself being shipped off to a detention center where he and his family live in a cramped barracks without any heat or electricity or plumbing until the end of the war. Nicholson skillfully weaves these stories and more into her historical narrative of the war to create a history lesson that readers will not soon forget. Some 50 archival images, maps showing alliances and major battles, and a time line of key events in the European and Pacific theaters add to the book's "you are there" feel. ... Read more