Reviews (3)

Human History in Brief
This is one of the best book on global history, you can find every religion from east to west, north to south. You can read about all empires and kings, you can know all cultures and traditions. There is no other book which have reviewed and presented true picture of three major religions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Book Review
The book was not the best textbook.....there is no study guide

Pounds and Education
My daughter have to carry tree of these size books. Her school bag is 18 lbs. Why not divide all of these schoolbooks on two parts and make our kids happy. I believe school (elementary, middle and high) is not military training base.

Gregory Yamin ... Read more

Book Description

Did you know that the ice cream sundae was invented because of a law forbidding the sale of ice cream on Sundays?Or that the first motorcycle was really just a tricycle with a motor? Would you believe that Mickey Mouse started out as a rabbit? Arranged in alphabetical order with anecdotal, fun-to-read text, this fascinating book is packed with the stories behind these— and over 100 more— inventions."[An] entertaining volume of trivia." — Kirkus Reviews ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. in full color. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Beginnings and Endings.
This wonderful children's book explains the history of the ill-fated ship, from the beginning of its maiden voyage in England to the discovery of the boat at the bottom of the ocean depths by Dr. Robert Ballard. The illustrations are lively and vibrant, giving depth to the easy to understand, yet enchanting text. I have read several children's books about the Titanic and this one seems to have the best of everything.

Well Written and Educational
This fabulous children's book recounts with wonderful illustrations and simple language the tragic and familiar story of the Titanic. When the movie came out my children (then 5 and 8) were not allowed to watch it (why ask for nightmares? ). This book, carefully written with attention to detail, was sufficient to satisfy their need to know about this event in a manner that was sensitive, appropriate and accurate. There is even a picture in the first chapter that shows a cut-away style picture of how the ship was set-up: "Fancy rooms" on the top decks, swimming pool and squash courts at the bottom, and all kinds of rooms in between. Someday my children will be old enough to handle the feelings that the movie evokes, but until then, (since we live in Washington State) I want to be able to use a ferry once in a while! I'm very thankful for this well written, historical children's book!

I LOVE THIS BOOK!
When I was in the 3rd grade, this was my favorite book of all time. I literally must have read it 100 times. I can't believe that I found it on Amazon.com! I am so excited to read it again. I would recommend anyone to get this book- especially Titanic enthuiastes like me(this book made me one).

As good as it gets
Ever since the movie came out, my 2nd grade students have had a fascination with Titanic. You couldn't ask for a better book than this to describe the ship, the passengers and the human pride and frailties that led to the sinking. This book is well-written enough that it is easy for young minds to understand and complex enough to keep them entranced. Even adults will find it interesting and, between you and your kids, your copy will probably be read to shreds in no time!

I could not even breathe when I finished the book!
I was sad when the men died and it was not fair for the poor people when they tried to get saved. The Titanic couldn't get past the iceberg because there was a wall of icebergs. There was another ship nearby, but they didn't understand that the Titanic was sinking. I am eight years old. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Fascinating Heartfelt Intriguing Answers
This is by far the best book I have ever come across about the night of April 15, 1912 when the Titanic sank.
This book is filled with 882 ½ facts (because the ship was 882 ½ ft. long) about the people, the ship, crew, heartwarming stories of how mothers pleaded for their sons to be allowed into life boats, how lovers said goodbye to each other, how people were refused into life boats, and how others never made it out of the ship.
There are detailed names, dates, info about the aftermath, a "whatever happened to..." page with facts about survivors, as well as great info about the discovery of the ship, exploration of the wreckage, facts about the movie directed by James Cameron, and a great glossary at the back of the book to learn about different words associated with the ship.

What I love most about this book is the heartfelt facts about the people who were on the ship, and what happened to them. If you have ever wanted to learn about The Titanic, this is THE book to buy. An Outstanding tribute to the souls loved and lost. Deserves 10 Stars.

Marvelous!
Brilliant reference book. If you ever had wondering questions about the Titanic, this is your book. Summary: This book has answers to almost all of your questions about the ship and the sinking, etc. Wonderful facts. Reaction: Though this book is thin, it has plenty of little bits that can keep you interested 100 years later. Every Titanic fanatic will find a new fact on the ship and the people involved with it. Wonderful. A MUST BUY!!!

Cool!
I love to read about the Titanic, and this book satisfied my hunger for more books about it. This book provides 882 and a half questions and answers about the Titanic. It was easy to read, well written, and had many photos. This book's questions and answers were very interesting, and I learned a lot from reading this book. This is an awesome book!

Amazing!
This book is the most interasting book I've ever read about Titanic, and trust me I've read lots of them. There is 882 1/2 interasting answers on your questions about Titanic. If you want to know why there is 882 1/2 questions and answers in this book ? Open the first page of this book and you will see why there is 882 1/2 questions and answers in this book about the past of Titanic.

Things I Did Not Know
Bought this book through book club at daughters school. It is VERY informative. I thought I was up on a lot about Titanic, but this really taught me a lot more. Very good for any student or historian. ... Read more

Book Description

Emperor Franz Josef was in his study when word reached him that his son, Crown Prince Rudolf, had committed suicide.Ten years later, a young Italian anarchist stabbed the Emperor's wife to death.And sixteen years after that, the Franz Josef's nephew and heir would be gunned down by a Bosnian Serb in Sarajevo-the event that propelled Europe into the world war.The Emperor would not live to see the end of the conflict, nor the subsequent dismemberment of his multinational empire. ... Read more

Book Description

From crusades to world wars, from ancient monuments to bloody revolutions, here is a fascinating tour of the historical events that have helped shape the world today. How did the ancient Egyptians build the Great Pyramid? How did Alexander the Great conquer so much of the world? How did the Vikings accidentally discover North America? Who led the "reign of terror" in the French revolution? Who stormed the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg? Who was Lawrence of Arabia? When was communism born? When did Montezuma rule? When was the Normandy invasion? With perspective, scope, and clarity to great events in history, this book answers these questions and many, many more. Great Events that Changed the World shows children the history of our amazing world in easy-to-follow panoramic tableaux and maps. Filled with superbly detailed artwork and exciting text, this is a valuable and enjoyable source book for the entire family. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Incredible Illustration & History made easier to understand!
This is an incredible book!!! The illustrations are wonderful, of course, DK. It describes everything from the Egyptians to WW II very thoroughly. I recommend this book to all ages, and especially to people who like history, but don't want a too detailed version of it. This fantastic book puts all important events of history together, and makes an interesting "walkthrough" out of it. The thing that impressed me most was a map of all the places that were in Alexander the Great's journey, and picture next to each location. So, if you want a book with every imporatnt bit of history in it, but not too long, get this marvellous book. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

I find it helpful in our homeschooling
We do a thematic literature approach to homeschooling and I love it when I can find books that bring in science to our studies. We find this series especially helpful. It doesn't go into deep detail, only a general overview, but is a good starting point when studying Ancient Greece. I also like to include "Archimedes and the Door of Science," "Aristotle and Scientific Thought," and "Classical Kids" which includes a lot of Greek science projects. ... Read more

Book Description

Against the fascinating tapestry of Frances history during the Hundred Years' War, Diane Stanley unfolds the story of the simple thirteen-year-old village girl who in Just a few years would lead France to independence from English rule, and thus become a symbol of France's national pride. It is a story of vision and bravery, fierce determination, and tragic martyrdom. Diane Stanley's extraordinary gift to present historical information in an accessible and child-friendly format has never been more impressive, nor her skillful, beautifully realized illustrations (here imitating medieval illuminated manuscripts) more exquisite.

Reviews (5)

A superb illustrated juvenile biography of Joan of Arc
I was sold on Diane Stanley's juvenile biography of "Joan of Arc" after reading her two-page prologue, "A Hundred Years of War," in which she explains the political situation in France when King Charles VI of France died two months after King Henry V of England. If you remember the end of Shakespeare's "Henry V," then you might be familiar with the agreement that was put into place following the Battle of Agincourt, but how many young readers have really studied that particular bit of English history by the Bard? However, in these two pages Stanley explains why the 19-year-old dauphin, Charles VII, was still uncrowned when Jeannette d'Arc in the small town of Domremy began receiving heavenly visions.

Stanley tells the familiar story of Joan of Arc in considerable detail, but always with one eye towards understanding what was happening from the perspective of a seventeen year old girl who road into battle and was proclaimed the savior of France and the other on the historical context of these events. She also pays attention to the details, listing the specific charges for which she was tried and the "confession" that she signed, which are often omitted from similar juvenile biographies, and at the end of her story she pays as much attention to the aftermath of her martyrdom as she did to setting up her life.

Throughout the book Stanley makes nice use of historical texts, dropping a lot of quotations and specific lines from the trial transcript and other sources. The text is accompanied by Stanley's illustrations, which are done in the style of the illuminated manuscripts of the time. As a result young readers will get a solid understanding of life of times of the woman called Joan of Arc by history, and be able to inform their friends that the new hit show on CBS should really be called "Jeanette (or Janet) of Arcadia."

Diane Stanley does it again!
A beautiful book! Diane Stanley carefully traces the life of Joan from her humble beginnings to her tragic end. The book even comes with a pronunciation guide to help those of us who haven't been to France. Although the language is at 8+ year old range, my 5 year old daughter loves it anyway!

Wonderful for kids
Not only was this an accurate portrayal of Joan of Arc's story, it was wonderfully written and illustrated. I would recommend it for anyone who is starting out in learning of the saint. It is educational and enjoyable for a child.

A role model for girls
This is a beautiful book that I purchased for a seven year old girl. I am a medievalist and the depictions in this book of the clothing, etc. are true to fact. The next copy I buy will be for myself as I collect good children's books on medieval times. Every year I publish of list of children's book on this time period that I recommend in our group's newsletter and this book is high on the list.

MY DAUGHTER LOVED IT
My 8 year old daughter devoured this book in one sitting, which is amazing considering that she hardly ever reads non-fiction. (She was not pleased at the not-so-happy ending, however!)

Beautiful illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
In reading "A Kid's Guide to African American History," I have learned so much about African American history that brought back memories of my grandmother teaching us. I remember my grandmother, Dorothy Coleman, telling us about our family history, about the struggles and triumphs, and how our great-great-great grandfather was Thomas Jefferson. The story brought amazement to our ears and a complete history to our family. I would give this book 10 stars, and I recommend it to everyone! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Disappointing
The editorial review of this series from School Library Journal is wrong. The new editions of these books do not "expand greatly" on the original 1988 editions; they greatly contract. The 1988 edition of the books on Ancient Egypt and Ancient Mesopotamia had eight chapters and 92 pages. This new edition gives them only only six chapters and 64 pages, and the word count per page is reduced. Indeed color pictures and illustrations were added and the glossary expanded, but the text is reduced to about two thirds of the original. Students are better off reading the original editions in the Watts "First Book" series.

Pretty pictures, but not much text
This book is part of the Science of the Past series. This book examines the Mesopotamians' knowledge of medicine, mathematics, astronomy and metallurgy. It concludes with a glossary, and a list of Internet sites.

This book is very short indeed, the main body being a mere 40 pages long, including some pages that are mostly taken up by pictures, but excluding the glossary and so forth. The pictures are excellent, and the information seems to be correct. However, this book is rather too short to provide much information. Overall, I do not recommend this book. ... Read more

Book Description

How long did it take to build the Titanic? Why did it sink? What was it like to be a passenger? What happened to the people who survived? Find out the answers to these questions and more in Magic Tree House Research Guide: Titanic, Jack and Annie’s very own guide to the ship and its story. Includes information on the people who sailed on the Titanic, life on board the ship, the search for the sunken remains, Titanic artifacts today, and much more!
... Read more

Reviews (2)

The best book, by Jacqueline Shaw
This nonfiction book tells you everything you ever wanted to know about the Titanic. Some of the information the book tells you includes, how they built the ship, the day everyone boarded the ship, the types of people that were on the ship, and finally how the boat sank. I also enjoyed the pictures in the book. Some of the pictures were of the rooms, the details of the ship, and the boiling room. I recommend this book to people who want to learn about the Titanic and are from grades 1 through 5.

This book is a excellent book
I love this book because it like takes to the plase were they are and it make you want to read the book these book take you on a advender. It makes you like be the characters Jake and anny. ... Read more

Book Description

As early as 1630, Spain, France, England, and the Netherlands had settlements or colonies in North America. Always looking for ways to expand their territory, these European nations were constantly at war with one another over trade, borders, and religious differences. Beginning in 1689, their conflicts in Europe spread across the Atlantic to America. Over the next seventy years, competing European powers would battle for control of the New World. The winner would take the prize -- all of North America.

Struggle for a Continent tells the riveting story of the French and Indian Wars seventy-four years of fighting that determined the destiny of the future United States.

Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies 2001, National Council for SS & Child. Book Council

Book Description

Opera’s colorful history is rich with exciting stories. Through conversational text, informative sidebars, and full-color photographs, young readers will learn about the talented people--composers, singers, musicians, stagehands, set and costume designers, makeup crews--and the technical wizardry that go into staging opera’s lavish performances. There are even behind-the-scenes glimpses of many of today’s great opera companies, including the Royal Opera House in London, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and the San Diego Opera. Created in association with London’s Royal Opera House and the San Diego Opera, this book-and-CD package is a sumptuous introduction to the world of opera. The accompanying CD captures memorable moments from some of the most famous operas. ... Read more

Book Description

Illus. in full color. "A skydiving collision and rescue in midair; a girl

snatched from the jaws of an alligator; a toddler saved after falling down an

abandoned well: the three exciting true rescue stories in this title are told

with realistic detail and suspense that will make kids read."--Booklist.




... Read more

Book Description

To be a slave.To be owned by another person, as a car, house, or a table is owned. To live as a piece of property that could be sold...

This book is about how it felt. The words of black men and women who had themselves been slaves are here, accompanied by Julius Lester's historical commentary and Tom Feelings's powerful and muted paintings, To Be a Slave has been a touchstone in children's literature for over thirty years.

"It is rare to find a book that enables children to identify as compellingly with slaves as this one does." -Publishers Weekly

"From history-and for our time-there's nothing better than To Be a Slave." -The New York Times Book Review

Awards:

A 1969 Newbery Honor Book
An ALA Notable Book
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Smithsonian Magazine Best Book of the Year ... Read more

Reviews (7)

"I was here in slavery times. I was here."
This small collection of slaves memories and stories offers a vivid, heartfelt look into the often horrific lives these people once led. The pain and suffering, the sacrifices and dedication of this amazing race make for an equally amazing book that opens the soul and teaches, without preaching or purpose, to love and respect every race. A perfect collection of facts and stories.

Sobering, simple collection of accounts by former slaves
The purpose of this book was to document the lives of former slaves, grouping together areas of similar experiences. The full gamut of the horrors of American slavery are described, whether it was being beaten, raped, or having your family split apart for different masters to take away. The living conditions and variety in their treatment also are discussed, making this book, while simple enough to be read by middle schoolers, powerful enough to be read by anyone seeking a true account of slavery prior to the Civil War.

Powerful!
I had to read this book for a college class, and I was really moved by it. It's such a powerful read. This book will give the reader a first hand experience of what it was like to be a slave. What makes this book so good is that it's the words of the slave. It's their stories and their words. The reader will learn how they were beaten and how their families were split up...sometimes for life. If you have a interest in reading about slavery, then you must add this to your collection.

The Best Way to make a book.
A Great Book sums it up. The book is made by shorts exerts from other books or from people in the Library of Congress. It is hard to read, to see what our forfathers did to the blacks. It really is. I have read other books about slaves but nothing as far in as this. Its saddening. It tells you how the slaves were sold by fellow africans so the whites who crammed them onto small boats. They made it so that the slaves could only sit. One person was quoted on saying that they couldn't stand up again until 2 weeks after they go off the boat. After getting off the boats, there were sold to their masters on the auction block. Then it told how the slaves revolted. They did it a bit at a time in different ways. Some rebelled by acting as stupid people as their masters thought they were. Then as the Civil War came, many slaves were freed and other ran away. As the emancipation came, all slaves were freed. The slaves didn't know what to do though. Like how to plant, farm, anything. As the book said, "Negroes were bit by two snakes, One that pointed south that bit slavery, the other faced north and bit freedom. They both hurt the negroes."

To Be A Slave
My recommendtion for my book is for people that want to learn something new. I think that my book, TO BE A SLAVE, was full of interesting facts that happened to the slaves. They had a rough life and they went through alot of misery. They were beaten if they did anything wrong or said anything wrong. I recommened this book to anybody that is interested in history. I read the book every moment that I had because Icouldn't wait to see what would happen next. ... Read more

Book Description

New Look! Relaunched with new jackets and 8 pages of new text!

Here is a spectacular and informative guide to the dangerous and adventurous life of piracy, privateering, and buccaneering. Superb, full color photographs of weapons, ships, flags, maps, and treasure offer a unique and revealing "eyewitness" view of pirate life on the high seas.See a pirate's cutlass and pistols, a letter of marquee - the pirate's license, a hoard of pirate treasure, a real pirate costume and the many different kinds of Jolly Roger. Learn how pirates attacked a Spanish treasure ship, why European kings and queens encouraged piracy, which Caribbean islands were pirate hideouts, what pirate ate at sea and why women pirates disguised themselves as men. Discover what kinds of ship the pirates sailed in, how governments tried to stamp out piracy and why skillful navigation was so important to pirates, and much, much more! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Shiver me timbers, this book be scurvylicious!!
DK eyewitness books are some of the greatest non-fiction books around. The distinctive white background and high-quality photography gives this book an edge over any other pirate picture book. And -- these pictures are real! They're beautiful photos of historically piratey things, accompanied by informative captions and text.

Learn about Anne Bonny, a fearsome female pirate, peruse the pictures of pirate treasure, from Spanish doubloons to richly ornamented crosses. Compare the different pirate flags, and learn about who made each one. Check out the different types of ships, authentic pirate clothes and weapons, and a storehouse of other REAL pirate information.

If you know someone (young or old) who is fascinated by all things pirate, then you must introduce them to this book! It's a visual crash course in pirateness, and it's excellent!

So much stuff!
This book gives lots of fascinating information about the weapons and tactics pirates used. The information is divided into small fact capsules with illustrations, which keeps it from ever being boring or overwhelming. And there's so much on a page that the book's worth re-reading several times, in case of something missed or forgotten. A gotta-have for the piratically-minded!

Good book
This is a very good book with lots of facts about anything that has to do with piracy. If you are inturested in pirates, get it. It is well worth the money.

Review of "Pirate"
While this series is generally aimed at readers of a younger age, these magnificently illustrated books are fascinating for adults as well. "Pirate" is no exception. It is a gloriously readable book with profuse illustrations covering the history of piracy from ancient Greece to the 1800's. Dozens of captioned pictures and paragraphs of text make this a great book for browsing through when you just don't feel like serious reading. The book itself is nothing like a children's book. They could market this as an adult book without changing a thing ... Read more