Reviews (1)

Great classroom tool!
This book offers excellent photographs and illustrations, as well as informative text. The interesting layout and design makes it suitable for all ages. All the important information is here and well organized. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A comprehensive reference to exploration
College-level library collections seeking a comprehensive reference to exploration would do well to consider the Encyclopedia Of Exploration: a 2-volume set developed and co-authored by the team of Carl Waldman, Alan Wexler, and Jon Cunningham, devoted to the world history of exploration from biographies of major and lesser-known explorers to histories, chronologies, and national interests. Volume 1, The Explorers, packs in biographical references - almost a thousand entries - with indexes organized chronologically and by relevant occupation, country of nationality, and more. Each explorer receives about six paragraphs of detail ranging from early life to exploration achievement and motivation. Volume 2, Places, Technologies And Cultural Trends, surveys the technical, social, culture and geographic aspects of world exploration, providing A-Z entries emphasizing factors determining mission success or failure, and including maps, charts, discussions of exploration companies and societies, geographical barriers and more. Cross-references connect the two volumes and help readers connect explorers with places.
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Book Description

From Wheaties to telephones, microwave ovens to yo-yos, here are the inspiring and often funny stories of 50 mistakes and misunderstandings that helped bring about life as we know it. With hilarious cartoons and wacky facts, this fascinating compendium illustrates the adage "If you don't learn from your mistakes, there's no sense making them." ... Read more

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Fifty amazing inventions with interesting explaination.
I read this book and I found some amazing things behind the inventions which are now fads. As the yo-yo is a really cool thing around it used to be a weapon and then it accidently turned into a toy for children. You may think that Nursery Rhymes are not very cool, but the cool part in Nursery Rhymes are stories of old history. For example, Ring Aroud The Rosey used to be a poem about a disease that killed people in the old times. The first line, "Ring Around The Rosey," used to be one of the symptoms of the disease which was a rosey rash on the person's body. "A pocket full of posies," was flowers that would supposedly keeep evil away for the human. The next line, "Ashes, Ashes," was "A-tishoo, a-tishoo," which they would need because they sneezed a ton. "We all fall down," was the last thing that happened to the people that got this, they would fall on to their bed and die. There is the thing behind,"Ring Around The Rosey." There are many other cool inventions in that story and all of them are great. I really liked the book. ... Read more

Book Description

The harrowing story of the ill-fated Endurance, now in paperback.

In August 1914, Ernest Shackleton and 27 men sailed from England in an attempt to become the first team of explorers to cross Antarctica from one side to the other. Five months later and still 100 miles from land, their ship, Endurance, became trapped in ice. The expedition survived another five months camping on ice floes, followed by a perilous journey through stormy seas to remote and unvisited Elephant Island. In a dramatic climax to this amazing survival story, Shackleton and five others navigated 800 miles of treacherous open ocean in a 20-foot boat to fetch a rescue ship.

Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World vividly re-creates one of the most extraordinary adventure stories in history. Jennifer Armstrong narrates this unbelievable story with vigor, an eye for detail, and an appreciation of the marvelous leadership of Shackleton, who brought home every one of his men alive.
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Reviews (15)

An amazing story! I couldn't stop reading it!
I began reading this book while quite tired one evening, but found I couldn't put it down! Shackleton and his crew find themselves in one horrible predicament after another, yet all 28 men manage to miraculously survive! The photographs from the original voyage are incredible! A definite must read!

Great true story!
The expedition of 1914, just as The War to End All Wars broke out, of Sir Ernest Shackleton & his crew who sailed from England intending to cross Antarctica from one side to the other.

What they in fact did after the Endurance froze over & sank, has gone into the annals of epic human effort. In the face of crushing odds they all survived 19 months without contact with the outside world.

Rebeccasreads highly recommends SHIPWRECK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD for everyone, not just 10 year olds!

An incredible, horrifying, and amazing trip
This 1999 winner of the Orbis Pictus Award (given for outstanding nonfiction for children) is a detailed and well-researched account of Sir Ernest Shackleton's incredible 1914-1916 voyage to Antarctica. Jennifer Armstrong does an excellent job of creating interest all through the book, sharing interesting details about what the men ate, and the games and activities they use to passed the time. The book includes many photographs taken by the photographer on the expedition, giving a sense of realism and immediacy.

The author follows Shackleton's trip from England to South Georgia Island, then the failed attempt to get to the Antarctic continent. The ship becomes stuck in ice, but the ice migrates, moving the Endurance further north, toward the open ocean. Before they reach the sea the ice crushes the ship, forcing the men to abandon it. It is after the sinking of the Endurance that the narrative gets so exciting that the book is impossible to put down. The reader reads with growing horror of the crew's travail across the ice and out to tiny, barren Elephant Island.

When it seems that the men can't possibly have anything worse ahead of them, Shackleton and five men sail a small lifeboat eight hundred miles back to South Georgia Island. Armstrong's description of the harrowing fifteen days spent in the lifeboat holds the reader in a vise-like grip. She winds down the tension with a very satisfying epilogue relating what the crewmembers did with the rest of their lives. The captioned photograph at the end of the book showing the entire crew shortly after their return to civilization is a perfect touch.

Non-fiction perfection
There was a spate of Shackleton books, documentaries, and films not too long ago following the events of September 11, 2001. During that time, people couldn't get enough of the story of a man facing ridiculously insurmountable odds to save his men and return home from the Antarctic. Preceeding this surge in Shackleton love, this book appeared in 1998 and tells the story perfectly. I must admit that I fell in love with this book. Armstrong is a master here, breaking the monotony of the months the men spent waiting for the Endurance to be free from the ice flows by telling about the crew's practical jokes and games. The author is careful to include photographs only as they occur in the text. At the beginning of the trip, the ship's photographer takes a great many shots of life with the crew. Towards the end, photos are few and far between. In some books for children, this might be a huge drawback. Here, it works exceedingly well. The text grows more and more interesting as the photos diminish. I belive that if the author did not say right from the beginning that Shackleton and every single member of this crew survived, this book might be impossible to continue reading. The notes in the back are of some help, and the photos of the crew members are useful. What makes this book stands out is that it captures a group of people doing work that they are exceedingly good at. It is very satisfying to read about accomplished individuals. This book might or might not read well to children. I don't know how well it would do. Still, I would recommend it to anyone and pair it with books of fiction and non-fiction that deal with the Antarctic or exploration. The fact that this book wasn't given so much as a Newberry honor is an appalling fact.

This book deserves 1000 stars!
I picked up this book in the library two days ago wondering if I would enjoy it. My mom said to go ahead and check it out because she had enjoyed it and thought I would too. So I took it home and put it in my tape player. Boy, I can't stop listening to it. On our way up to our dog training class I couldnd't stop telling my mom about this, and that from the book. I would definetly reccomend this book to anyone who wants to read a GOOD BOOK. ... Read more

Book Description

We commissioned Jeanne (author of over 50 books) to write a children’s book about Galileo, the result is an insightfuland delightful look into the life of a courageous man of faith and science.It was Galileo’s questioningmind and insatiable curiousity which drove him to monumental breakthroughs in astronomy, physics, and mechanics. His many discoveries and inventions challenged and eventually changed ‘the acceptabled way of thinking’ in these fields of thought.Learn all about this remarkable figure in this title packed with many of the author’s original illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Renaissance Man
This book was a fun and informative read. The author, Jeanne Bendick, included much about the times and way of life. She clearly explains and illustrates the thoughts of the day about the universe as well as the differences between the thinking of the ancient Greeks and Galileo, who did not blindly accept the ancient teachings.

The middle to upper elementary student will gain insight into science, other famous astronomers/scientists from that era, geography, and history through this book. Each chapter concludes with a quote from Galileo that is perfect for copy work. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

8-10 page bios on the explorers
This book contains short biographies of 8 important explorers who "discovered" the Americas. These are ideal for the teacher who wants to know more than the textbook. This is also an excellent resource to use in class for students to learn more about the explorers. Students could use this resource in order to create "baseball" cards about the explorers. Or simply to use for students who want to know more about the explorers they learn about in class. The map inside the front cover is one that every student should have in his or her Social Studies notebook.

Explorers Revealed
Teachers and intermediate aged students will find this book full of interesting information about many well known explorers. What they won't find are exaggerated claims, found in some social studies text books, of the bravery and importance of well known explorers. Written in interesting prose, each chapter of this book reveals the foibles, faults and mission of an explorer. A valuable resource for teachers, this book will help balance dry, older or current textbook writing that rarely hints at the darker side of history. Students will be surprised by the human qualities, both light and dark, of these historical figures. This book provides information but allows them to make up their own mind about the importance of these explorers' role in history. ... Read more

Book Description

Join Meriwether Lewis and William Clark's Corps of Discovery as they navigate the muddy Missouri River and begin a great adventure set against the background of the vast North American continent. Lewis and Clark for Kids takes children from President Jefferson's vision of an exploratory mission across a continent full of unique plants and animals through their dangerous and challenging journey into the unknown to the expedition's triumphant return to the frontier town of St. Louis. Twenty-one activities bring to life the Native American tribes they encountered, the plants and animals they discovered, and the camping and navigating techniques they used. A glossary of terms and listings of Lewis and Clark sites, museums, and related Web sites round out this comprehensive activity book. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A great resource for lesson plans
I found "Lewis and Clark for Kids" to be an excellent source of information and activities for both children, parents and teachers. There is an abundance of information about the actual journey plus there are great activities for children to engage in to learn more about the various indian cultures that Lewis and Clark interacted with on their journey of discovery.

Lewis and Clark Bicentennial
The Lewis and Clark Bicentennial is here, finally! If you are still on your own undaunted journey of discovery or plan to teach children about these two courageous men and their corps, then you NEED this book. It will be invaluable to any teacher of intermediate students.

Four stars and a half!
I would have given this book five stars if there had been just a few more activities in it.

The book reads as non-fiction literature and is interspersed with good photos and interesting sidebars. There are also some useful activities for the child to do within the text to reinforce what is learned.

This book would be useful for all grades but can be read independently in the middle school grades. The book contains a glossary, index, web site suggestions, bibliography, listings of museums and parks and other handy references.

great book!!
This is an awesome book if you want to teach children anything about Lewis and Clark! Full of information on their journey and awesome hands-on activities. A must for teachers during the next five years.

solid history
This is a good history for kids. The text is interesting and exciting; this would be an enjoyable supplement to history lessons in grades 4-8. The activities are a fair assortment; (though be warned! Putting red food dye, even mixed with cold cream, on your skin will leave a mark for several days.)

Oddly enough, though there is a map showing the expedition's trail, there is no map showing the Louisiana Purchase. The trail map uses only a current map of the U.S. The book should provide a map of the U.S. in 1803.

Herbert does a fair job of putting issues in their historical perspective, without interpreting events in the light of modern sensibilities. For example, she says that Clark's slave York became a member of the expedition (I wonder if the Corps of Discovery considered him a member?), and merely notes at the conclusion that he was not rewarded with a land grant because he was a slave. She carefully avoids evaluating events by modern political correctness, while still giving a sense of the excitement, danger, and wonder of the journey.

However, classroom teachers and homeschooling parents will want to discuss slavery and racism with their students. Sacagawea's contributions to the expedition were enormous, but she obviously never received the recognition and rewards the white members of the expedition did. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

this is a great book!
I've been looking for a book like this for my niece who has gotten bitten by the "disaster" bug ever since the movie "Titanic" came out. This is an excellent book for older children and young teens. The text really makes the whole Hindenburg tragedy come vividly to life. And the pictures are just "Wow!". I think Ken Marschall has done the illustrations for some other notable large-illustration books including ones on the Titanic, and he outdoes himself again on this book. The detail is superb. I'm highly recommending this book to my friends who are looking for Christmas gifts for their kids. I'm even going to buy a copy for my mom! :-) Books like this don't come any better. ... Read more

Book Description

Sacagawea was only sixteen when she made one of the most remarkable journeys in American history, traveling 4500 miles by foot, canoe, and horse-all while carrying a baby on her back! Without her, the Lewis and Clark expedition might have failed. Through this engaging book, kids will understand the reasons that today, 200 years later, she is still remembered and immortalized on a new golden dollar coin. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An Amazing Woman
This book starts out in Idaho. It's about a woman named Sacagawea, who was taken away from her family. A few of her friends left her. The men who came for her called her bird woman.
Sacagawea got married when she was 15 and had a baby. She guided Lewis and Clark across the Western United States. They had to map it out for Thomas Jefferson after the Lousianna Purchase. It took a long time for them to travel to the Pacific and back. She was a huge help to them because she knew what food was safe to eat and what to use for injuries, and helped communicate to the Native Americans they encountered along the way. Lewis and Clark and her took a ship to find here family and they did. Lewis shot himself. Sacagawea died in1896. I think another title for this book should be The Life About Sacagawea. I think she should have lived longer. I will like to tell people to read this book because it's a great educational book. The best part was when she had her baby. The part that I didn't like was when she died. She is a true American heroine. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Eyewitness Viking
This provided all the information needed for a school report.

excellent book
This is an excellent source for basic information about the Vikings. It provides pictures of actual artifacts from the Viking Age, as well as photos of reenactors dressed in period clothing. A very informative book, for children and adults alike! ... Read more

Book Description

This Level 4 book is intended for proficient readers.

In Antarctic Adventure: Exploring the Frozen South, the history of the exploration of the frozen continent is filled with victory and defeat. These stories testify to the courage of the human spirit. These 48-page books about fascinating subjects like pirates, mummies, and volcanoes are for proficient readers who can understand a rich vocabulary and challenging sentence structure. In addition to the stunning photographs, informative sidebars, and glossary, readers will find archival photographs and paintings. Averaging 4,500 to 5,000 words in length, Level 4 books are 40 percent pictures and 40 percent text.The Dorling Kindersley Readers combine an enticing visual layout with high-interest, easy-to-read stories to captivate and delight young bookworms who are just getting started. Written by leading children's authors and compiled in consultation with literacy experts, these engaging books build reader confidence along with a lifelong appreciation for nonfiction, classic stories, and biographies. There is a DK Reader to interest every child at every level, from preschool to grade 4. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

No More Winnie-the-Pooh Coloring Books for My Kids
Little Johnnie and Betsy and Allison will no longer spend mindless hours coloring bunnies and squirrels- now they can learn important American history lessons from the comfort of their own kitchen table. I'll tell ya- these pictures are going up on the frig!

Really good
I can't say enough about this one - this is way beyond your usual coloring book. Are your kids tired of coloring simple bunnies and trees? This is beautifully drawn and has an educational edge as well. A good one! ... Read more

Book Description

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson sends Lewis and Clark out west to explore. He tells them to make maps. He tells them to draw pictures and collect plants. Most importantly, he tells them to send presents! What kind of present is good enough for a president? Beginning readers will truly enjoy reading about this fun and little-known slice of American history. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Fun and Funny Reader
Lewis and Clark, A Prairie Dog for the President, is a fun read that's nicely paced. Author Shirley Raye Redmond uses whimsy and humor to tell this historic event: President Jefferson sends the eager Lewis and Clark off to explore the West. The vast young nation has never been fully explored. The president wonders how long it will take to get to the end of it and what they will find. One of my favorite parts is the banter over what to name the barking prairie creature they discover and send back to Jefferson.
"You can call it a ground rat."
"No, it looks like squirrel. I'll call it a barking squirrel."
"Squirrels don't bark. Dogs bark. We should call it a prairie dog."
"That's it!" Lewis and Clark agreed.
Later it starts all over again, when the President asks, "Is it a gopher?"
The illustrations by John Manders are just as pleasing. I like the facial expressions on the people and animals, especially the mischievous smile of the prairie dog. Manders is skilled at portraying action and emotions. And like the author, his sense of humor is so much fun. A buffalo and bear pose to be sketched. A buffalo won't fit in a shipping crate. Prairie dogs pop in and out of holes, eluding capture. A poor scout is so weighed down with "presents" for the President, he must be hoisted onto a boat.
Together, Shirley Raye Redmond and John Manders have created a delightful book. ... Read more

Book Description

New for Spring are four titles - Wildflowers, The Body, Explorers, and Composers.Explorers: Columbus spying the New World, Balboabeholding the Pacific, Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon - it's all the world's greatest explorers, from the Phoenicians to the present.

For kids who are learning it all for the first time, and grown-ups who want to get it straight, Fandex puts knowledge at your fingertips.In full-color ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Quick Reference Guide for Students
These are handy quick reference cards that can help you on a report or paper. They are ideal for students and include many different explorers who were important to history. A very good buy. Also available in cats, wild flowers, and trees. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1804 Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were sent
by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the largely uncharted western territory of North America, and thus became critical figures in America"s expansion and major contributors to its scientific
scholarship. They observed and documented scores of animals, including the Great Plains wolf, mule deer, prairie dogs, grizzly bears, and salmon. Several species and subspecies of mammals, birds, and fish previously unknown to science were recorded for the first time; the information gathered would serve as the basis of scientific study for years to come.
Collected here are stunning photographs by William Muñoz that catalog the diverse array of wildlife witnessed by Lewis and Clark. Nature lovers and history buffs alike will be intrigued by this unusual account of the journey, whose bicentennial will soon be
celebrated. Route maps, suggestions for further reading, chronology of
animals sighted, index. ... Read more

Book Description

Jean Fritz brings history to life once again in 10 true tales of 15th-century European explorers--from Bartholomew Diaz and Christopher Columbus to Juan Ponce de Len and Vasco Nez de Balboa--who changed the map and left behind stories of adventure too good to miss.Fritz approaches [the salient facts] with playful irreverence; accordingly, the frequently traveled material can seem refreshingly new. -- Publishers Weekly, starred review[Fritz] turns in a fast-paced narrative enriched and enlivened by fascinating stories and details of the sort that rarely appear in standard textbooks. -- Kirkus Reviews, pointer reviewNo one is better than Jean Fritz at making history interesting as well as comprehensible. -- The Horn BookJean Fritz lives in Dobbs Ferry, New York.Anthony Bacon Venti lives in Rockland, Maine. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Good, but...
This book is humorous and includes, in my opinion, appropriate treatment of some negative aspects of the explorers (such as the slave trade). However, I have found subtle bias which may offend some Christians. The burning of the library at Alexandria is blamed on Christians, although this is not conclusively proven. Fritz writes "Christians did not believe in scholarship. They thought it was sacrilegious to be curious." This is a gross overstatement at best. In listing people and things sent with Columbus to the New World on a second trip, Fritz groups "six priests... in addition to fifty horses and a pack of dogs trained to attack hostile natives if necessary." Interesting that priests are listed with horses and attack dogs. Aside from these kinds of things, the book is interesting. I intend to "edit" when and if I read this to my children.

A lively history of the Age of Exploration--warts and all.
This is the first popular book I have seen on the Age of Exploration that lets the reader in on important details that have been evaluated honestly in scholarly works for decades, but which our more traditional popularizers have tended to gloss over in favor of the notion that the Europeans who led the continent's conquest of the world were all both unstoppable and righteous.

(See John H. Perry's "Establishment of the European Hegemony, 1415-1715" (HarperCollins, 1961) for a good example of a more scholarly work that also includes all the warts in its accounts of the famous Age.)

It's a lively, easy-to-read book, and it does a good job of telling both the heroic and the not-so-heroic aspects of the story.

Well done.

Two thumbs down...
I was so looking forward to digging into this book with my kids, so we could "explore" the age of exploration. We have enjoyed many of the books by Jean Fritz, especially those written about Colonial and Revolutionary America, but this one should not be included in that list.

Ms. Fritz has an apparent personal dislike for certain groups of people and makes her dislike abundantly clear throughout the work. Unfortunately, this bigoted approach leaves such a bad taste in the reader's mouth that the entire story becomes unpalatable. The worst result of this approach is that Ms. Fritz has decided to rewrite history based on her own personal opinion instead of actual fact. This is a NON-FICTION book, so by inserting fiction into the equation, she has destroyed the trust that a reader should have in an author.

All in all, I was sadly disappointed and will definitely question reading more of this author's work in the future.

Fantastic Book!
This book is so full of information on the age of exploration, you'll be wondering why it was so hidden from you before. The book is wonderful, fun and so interesting. I can't wait to share it with my students.

Gets you thinking outside the box
I only recently discovered Jean Fritz, and with each of her books that my daughter and I read together, I continue to be more and more impressed with her writing skills. She has the ability to bring history and historical figures to life and look at events with a fresh perspective.

Around the World in a Hundred Years tells the stories of how Europeans came to discover some of the less well known parts of the earth. Maybe it's because Ms. Fritz grew up in China, but she has a sensitivity to non-western points of view, and is able to address these events from the point of view of the 'discoverees' as well as the 'discoverers'.

More importantly, she is able to help the reader make those critical connections between events that helps bring make them understandable. I highly recommend this book! ... Read more

Book Description

Christopher Columbus was not the first to discover the Americas, but his voyages led to European exploration of the New World. Rich in resources and natural beauty, the Americas were irresistible to gold-hungry conquistadors. The newcomers gave little thought to those who had called the lands their home, and exploration soon came to signify conquest. The New World -- and the lives of its inhabitants -- would be changed forever.

Reviews (2)

Good picture book for middle grades history course
This text is lengthier than the Constitution book. I believe it can still be easily read and discussed in two class periods. The text can be easily separated between the Conquistadors and other French & English explorers. This book covers quite a few explorers so, a graphic organizer that lists the names of the men would be helpful for students to keep information during the story.

Exploration and Conquest: The Americas After Columbus
Outstanding description of explorers to the new world after Columbus. Puts the voyages and their countries motives into perspective with clear and concise chrolological account. Highly recommended for the 4th grade explorers unit, and from the 3rd grade through the 7th grade. An excellent historical book and contains good color illustrations. I would recommend it to students from the 3rd grade through the 7th grade, and wish to include a recommendation for teachers, as well. ... Read more

Book Description

"The Maestros do a real service here in presenting the more familiar explorers in the context of all the migrations that have populated the Western Hemisphere....An outstanding introduction."--Kirkus Reviews. "The dazzlingly clean and accurate prose and the exhilarating beauty of the pictures combine for an extraordinary achievement in both history and art."--School Library Journal. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great book!
I came across this book by Betsy Maestro "The Discovery of the Americas" and I loved it. The text is simple and the illustrations are great. It is historically accurate as well, a must in my checklist. I didn't realize she also wrote the historical series "You Wouldn't Want to..." They are my favorite!! I recommend all of her books, especially for teachers. This series "The American Story" are great. I just wished they were more but she doesn't have one for the Revolution which would be great. ... Read more