Review from 2011:
Middle School History covering China, Korea, India, and Japan from 600AD-1500AD. I really enjoyed the presentation and learning more about this period of time in Asia. Interesting to see how religion spread through the different areas and how it would change in accordance to the needs of the people of that region. I found it fascinating to learn that the Korea had a movable metal-type printing machine 50yrs before Gutenberg made his movable type press. There were lots of little tidbits like that which makes the history much more fun and accessible to the middle schooler and even to those adults (like me) who tend to find history dry and boring.
Page count: 176p/21,674p ytd/330,371p lifetime
Showing posts with label middle-school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label middle-school. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Sunday, October 27, 2019
74:100 Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
Hmmm...this was my review from 5 years ago. Current kiddo is having an easier time with the slower parts and it is definitely interesting to see what each of them gets out of the books as they have all read them at about the same age.
<i>A group of hobbits, a wizard, a rouge, an elf, a dwarf, and a human go walking into the woods....
Yeah, I know, you've heard this one before. This is my third time reading this book since 2008 and at this point, with the movies having been out for so long and the new Hobbit trilogy currently going strong I really kind of figure that everyone knows the plot of these books and if they don't, it's because they really don't care in the slightest.
Once again, I'm reading these for my 8th graders literature course and once again, they are managing to draw me with the language. He is having a bit harder time with it but I'll bet anything that his interest will pick up more as we hit Two Towers and things really get moving. That seems to the be way of it with the 13yr old boys of my house (and hey, I wasn't all that enamored of them when I was a teen either).
Here's a previous review of them I did when I first reread this in 2008 with my oldest:
I last read these books back in 1991-1992, something like that. I remember enjoying them but also being put-off by the intense descriptive scenes which didn't seem to move the plot along (please, no flames on this, I was like 16 at the time, teenagers are stupid). I've moved them several times and always meant to give them another chance, especially after the movies, but there always seemed to be something new to read or worlds where I didn't remember being so bored so I kept putting it off.
Until that is, I found the LOTR curriculum and went "Wow! This is way cool! I gotta do this with Christopher!" And I'm of the mind that if my kids are reading something for school, well, since I'm their teacher I should read it too. So we are reading it together. I stay about a chapter ahead of him and then stop (which surprisingly is starting to annoy me LOL). Now that I'm enjoying it with him and reading it with better appreciation for literature, I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I can't add much to what has already been said about it by so many thousands of other people in the world except that if you tried it years ago and found it dry, try it again. Don't give up on it. It's truly worth the read. And even better, read it with someone you love and enjoy discussing it together. It just adds to the experience.
Honestly, this still holds true. I'm glad I have an excuse to read them again every couple of years with a fresh pair of eyes to discuss them with. It just adds something to the entire experience.</i>
Page count: 398p/19,731p ytd/328,426p lifetime
<i>A group of hobbits, a wizard, a rouge, an elf, a dwarf, and a human go walking into the woods....
Yeah, I know, you've heard this one before. This is my third time reading this book since 2008 and at this point, with the movies having been out for so long and the new Hobbit trilogy currently going strong I really kind of figure that everyone knows the plot of these books and if they don't, it's because they really don't care in the slightest.
Once again, I'm reading these for my 8th graders literature course and once again, they are managing to draw me with the language. He is having a bit harder time with it but I'll bet anything that his interest will pick up more as we hit Two Towers and things really get moving. That seems to the be way of it with the 13yr old boys of my house (and hey, I wasn't all that enamored of them when I was a teen either).
Here's a previous review of them I did when I first reread this in 2008 with my oldest:
I last read these books back in 1991-1992, something like that. I remember enjoying them but also being put-off by the intense descriptive scenes which didn't seem to move the plot along (please, no flames on this, I was like 16 at the time, teenagers are stupid). I've moved them several times and always meant to give them another chance, especially after the movies, but there always seemed to be something new to read or worlds where I didn't remember being so bored so I kept putting it off.
Until that is, I found the LOTR curriculum and went "Wow! This is way cool! I gotta do this with Christopher!" And I'm of the mind that if my kids are reading something for school, well, since I'm their teacher I should read it too. So we are reading it together. I stay about a chapter ahead of him and then stop (which surprisingly is starting to annoy me LOL). Now that I'm enjoying it with him and reading it with better appreciation for literature, I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I can't add much to what has already been said about it by so many thousands of other people in the world except that if you tried it years ago and found it dry, try it again. Don't give up on it. It's truly worth the read. And even better, read it with someone you love and enjoy discussing it together. It just adds to the experience.
Honestly, this still holds true. I'm glad I have an excuse to read them again every couple of years with a fresh pair of eyes to discuss them with. It just adds something to the entire experience.</i>
Page count: 398p/19,731p ytd/328,426p lifetime
Monday, September 16, 2019
67:100 The Ancient American World by William L. Fash & Mary Lyons
My review from 5 years ago (which includes a review from a few years before that:
<i>Middle-School Ancient History. Here's my review from a few years ago:
<i>This covers the MesoAmerican, Incan, Maya, and other cultures of South and Middle America from 5000BCE to the Spanish conquistadors of the 1400 & 1500s. There were chapters on several cultures I don't remember having learned of before and it was amazing to see the incredible art and ways they came up with to not only survive but thrive and what rich cultures came and went during that time. As always, the more I read this series of history books the more impressed I am with them. Much more detail in these than even my high schoolers World History text.
This time had the added bonus in that a few years ago, my family and I took a trip were we got to see some of the ancient Maya ruins and speak with some of their descendants so that part of the book definitely had a deeper resonance with me this time around in a very wonderful way. </i>
Page count: 176p/18,052p ytd/326,747p lifetime
<i>Middle-School Ancient History. Here's my review from a few years ago:
<i>This covers the MesoAmerican, Incan, Maya, and other cultures of South and Middle America from 5000BCE to the Spanish conquistadors of the 1400 & 1500s. There were chapters on several cultures I don't remember having learned of before and it was amazing to see the incredible art and ways they came up with to not only survive but thrive and what rich cultures came and went during that time. As always, the more I read this series of history books the more impressed I am with them. Much more detail in these than even my high schoolers World History text.
This time had the added bonus in that a few years ago, my family and I took a trip were we got to see some of the ancient Maya ruins and speak with some of their descendants so that part of the book definitely had a deeper resonance with me this time around in a very wonderful way. </i>
Page count: 176p/18,052p ytd/326,747p lifetime
Thursday, May 23, 2019
33:100 The Ancient Roman World by Ronald Mellor & Marni McGee
My review from a few years ago:
Covering from the legends regarding the founding of Rome to the fall of the Roman Empire. There were some famous people like Archimedes that didn't get mentioned so won't be heard of at all in this entire series which I find to be a shame (time to pull out some other books and rectify that) but on the whole a good installment for this series and for middle-school history in general. It is very difficult reading this one while at the same time reading the "a-g approved" high school Glencoe as it makes Glencoe look absolutely horrid for all the glaring omissions. This series is just so much richer and goes so much deeper than what is given to our high school kids. Just continues to go to my point that we should stop worrying about quantity and worry more about quality because what they are being taught in high school really isn't worth anything when it's so shallow the bottom of your shoe barely gets wet if you step in that puddle.
Here's my review from a few years before that:
Part of "The World in Ancient Times" history series for middle school by Oxford. I learned a lot with this one starting from the beginning as they had more than one version of the founding of Rome. Weird since all I had ever heard about previously was the story of Romulus and Remus. There was also a fair amount on the emperors that came after Augustus, how they were chosen, how they ruled, etc. There was a chapter on the Jews and their history as well as a chapter on how Christianity started and spread. In all, I felt it was a good well-rounded history book that presented a lot more than just what seems to be typically known and explained the findings that told us these things.
Page count: 192p/8,252p ytd/319,137p lifetime
Covering from the legends regarding the founding of Rome to the fall of the Roman Empire. There were some famous people like Archimedes that didn't get mentioned so won't be heard of at all in this entire series which I find to be a shame (time to pull out some other books and rectify that) but on the whole a good installment for this series and for middle-school history in general. It is very difficult reading this one while at the same time reading the "a-g approved" high school Glencoe as it makes Glencoe look absolutely horrid for all the glaring omissions. This series is just so much richer and goes so much deeper than what is given to our high school kids. Just continues to go to my point that we should stop worrying about quantity and worry more about quality because what they are being taught in high school really isn't worth anything when it's so shallow the bottom of your shoe barely gets wet if you step in that puddle.
Here's my review from a few years before that:
Part of "The World in Ancient Times" history series for middle school by Oxford. I learned a lot with this one starting from the beginning as they had more than one version of the founding of Rome. Weird since all I had ever heard about previously was the story of Romulus and Remus. There was also a fair amount on the emperors that came after Augustus, how they were chosen, how they ruled, etc. There was a chapter on the Jews and their history as well as a chapter on how Christianity started and spread. In all, I felt it was a good well-rounded history book that presented a lot more than just what seems to be typically known and explained the findings that told us these things.
Page count: 192p/8,252p ytd/319,137p lifetime
Wednesday, May 22, 2019
32:100 Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
Esperanza has an envious life. The only child of a rich ranch owner in Mexico, doted on by her parents, lots of pretty dresses, education, servants, etc. Yes, it is an idyllic life and one Esperanza can't imagine changing until one day it does. Her father is murdered by bandits and according to her uncle, everything but the house is left to him. Her mother has the house but without the income from the ranch, there is no way to keep it so her uncle, her father's brother, says he will marry her mother but both she and her mother know that he is a cruel man and they would be separated. So instead, they choose to run and hide all the way to America. Some of the family servants are going and offer them a place with them and their family that has already been established in CA working as crop pickers. It will be a hard life, harder than either of them has known, but at least they have the chance to stay together and free. They had no way of knowing that they were immigrating right during the start of what would later be known as the Great Depression.
A beautifully done tale of heartache and love, despair and hope, telling a tale that too often goes untold of why people immigrate and the hardships they face. This is something I think there needs to be greater visibility and discussion of and let us remember that first of all, these are humans who are deserving of respect and compassion.
Page count: 304p/8,060p ytd/318,945p lifetime
A beautifully done tale of heartache and love, despair and hope, telling a tale that too often goes untold of why people immigrate and the hardships they face. This is something I think there needs to be greater visibility and discussion of and let us remember that first of all, these are humans who are deserving of respect and compassion.
Page count: 304p/8,060p ytd/318,945p lifetime
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
23:100 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Owning their own land has always been important to Cassie's family ever since her grandparents were able to purchase some. Cassie knew how hard her father worked to make sure they kept it but she didn't truly understand it until this year. For the time when she accompanied her grandmother to town and was pushed and embarrassed but made to apologize to a white girl for the incident. For the black families who were set on fire by the night riders. For the black families who reside on white land and know they can lose it at any time for any reason.
Cassie now understands why having their own land is so important.
Read and studied with my 7th grader. Again, I feel books like this are good to help point out that these are the experiences of others in America, the experiences that are all too often barely mentioned, if at all, in the history books.
Page count: 276p/5,832p ytd/317,037p lifetime
Cassie now understands why having their own land is so important.
Read and studied with my 7th grader. Again, I feel books like this are good to help point out that these are the experiences of others in America, the experiences that are all too often barely mentioned, if at all, in the history books.
Page count: 276p/5,832p ytd/317,037p lifetime
Friday, April 12, 2019
20:100 The Ancient Greek World by Jennifer T. Roberts & Tracy Barrett
From a few years ago:
A look at history from the earliest civilizations that we have records for and how those civilizations eventually came to be called Greek through cultural similarities, language, and religious beliefs but how the lack of true community and nation forming eventually led to it's downfall. Again, a rich look at the culture not just the bare bones history and mythology.
Here's what I said when I read it a few more years ago:
I felt this did a very good job of going through ancient Greek history. It didn't focus over much on religion and mythology as I've seen so many others do. It focused more on how people lived and how their lives developed. Lots on the wars since that was, unfortunately, a fairly common occurrence but also on the development of the poleis (Greek city-states). They told of King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans against Xeres of Persia (the basis for the recent movie 300). Lots on the inventors and philosophers as well. Overall, very pleased with this series for middle school history.
Page count: 191p/5,116p ytd/316,321p lifetime
A look at history from the earliest civilizations that we have records for and how those civilizations eventually came to be called Greek through cultural similarities, language, and religious beliefs but how the lack of true community and nation forming eventually led to it's downfall. Again, a rich look at the culture not just the bare bones history and mythology.
Here's what I said when I read it a few more years ago:
I felt this did a very good job of going through ancient Greek history. It didn't focus over much on religion and mythology as I've seen so many others do. It focused more on how people lived and how their lives developed. Lots on the wars since that was, unfortunately, a fairly common occurrence but also on the development of the poleis (Greek city-states). They told of King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans against Xeres of Persia (the basis for the recent movie 300). Lots on the inventors and philosophers as well. Overall, very pleased with this series for middle school history.
Page count: 191p/5,116p ytd/316,321p lifetime
Monday, March 18, 2019
17:100 The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
Kenny, age 9, is part of the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. As a middle child and a bookish soon with a more physical older brother and more biddable younger sister, he has a hard time figuring out just where he belongs in the scheme of things. Some days, he wants to be more like his older brother, Byron, but then there are days like this when they are packing up the family for a road trip to Alabama to drop Bryon off with their grandmother to try and keep him out of trouble at home and see if she can't help him learn to behave better. However, the kids have never been in the deep South before and there are some lessons that hit too close to home.
I read this with my 7th grader and we both really enjoyed it. There are some scary parts in it and the end section talking about how things like the church bombing were too common are hard for kids to read but I felt it was hard enough to try and open eyes to the racism that exists in our country without being too graphic for more sensitive readers. Of course, with too many of children having to live through active shooter drills at schools, I think they are all too aware of at least what hate can do and that is a sad commentary on our society today,
Page count: 224p/4,646p ytd/315,551p lifetime
I read this with my 7th grader and we both really enjoyed it. There are some scary parts in it and the end section talking about how things like the church bombing were too common are hard for kids to read but I felt it was hard enough to try and open eyes to the racism that exists in our country without being too graphic for more sensitive readers. Of course, with too many of children having to live through active shooter drills at schools, I think they are all too aware of at least what hate can do and that is a sad commentary on our society today,
Page count: 224p/4,646p ytd/315,551p lifetime
Thursday, February 28, 2019
13:100 The Ancient Chinese World by Terry Kleeman & Tracy Barrett
From 2014:
Middle school history. Covering China since earliest records and mythology through 589CE and the defeat of the Chen dynasty which led to the reunification of China. Fabulous stories and such a rich culture and heritage. I enjoyed reading this as much this time as I did the last. I still contend that it's a shame that this is so much richer than what we give our high school students.
Page count: 174p/3,298p ytd/314,203p lifetime
Middle school history. Covering China since earliest records and mythology through 589CE and the defeat of the Chen dynasty which led to the reunification of China. Fabulous stories and such a rich culture and heritage. I enjoyed reading this as much this time as I did the last. I still contend that it's a shame that this is so much richer than what we give our high school students.
Page count: 174p/3,298p ytd/314,203p lifetime
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
8:100 Maniac McGee by Jerry Spinelli
Jeffery 'Maniac' McGee probably would have had a nice normal life if an accident hadn't killed both his parents and left him an orphan. He was then raised for several years by an aunt and uncle who hated each other and divided everything in the house, even him, as much as they were able. One day it all became too much for him and he ran and ran and ran away. When he finally stopped running, he was in a town which was very racially divided and he's white boy butt was on the wrong side. But Maniac didn't care. He found a family that was happy to take him in and for the first time in a long time, he had adults who cared about him and even siblings to play with. But then trouble started and he ran again. And again. And again. Every time trouble would start, he would run but he kept running to different parts of the same town. Something there made him want to stay and eventually, he even found a way to have a home with the family he wanted to be with and who wanted him to be with them.
A sweet tale about someone who found a unique way of dealing with racism and the lemons that life gave him but I'm not sure that teaching kids to just keep running is the greatest thing.
Page count: 192p/2,117p ytd/313,022p lifetime
A sweet tale about someone who found a unique way of dealing with racism and the lemons that life gave him but I'm not sure that teaching kids to just keep running is the greatest thing.
Page count: 192p/2,117p ytd/313,022p lifetime
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
5:100 Ancient South Asian History by
My review from 5 years ago:
Middle School History. It's my second time reading this and here is my review from 4yrs ago:
The book covered from 400,000 years ago to about the time of the Huns invading South Asia. Yes, it's coverage in brief but it was a good introduction to the material. I knew a little about the Indus Valley people but hadn't heard of the Harrapan civilization before. So much of the history of that time period is lost which is a shame. I enjoyed reading more about their religion and how some things have developed, many things stayed the same for many, many centuries even while incorporating bits and pieces from so many other cultures through trade and conquest.
A vibrant and rich culture warmly explained for the middle schooler.
Page count: 172p/1,607p ytd/312,512p lifetime
Middle School History. It's my second time reading this and here is my review from 4yrs ago:
The book covered from 400,000 years ago to about the time of the Huns invading South Asia. Yes, it's coverage in brief but it was a good introduction to the material. I knew a little about the Indus Valley people but hadn't heard of the Harrapan civilization before. So much of the history of that time period is lost which is a shame. I enjoyed reading more about their religion and how some things have developed, many things stayed the same for many, many centuries even while incorporating bits and pieces from so many other cultures through trade and conquest.
A vibrant and rich culture warmly explained for the middle schooler.
Page count: 172p/1,607p ytd/312,512p lifetime
Sunday, December 16, 2018
97:100 Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
Melody may not be able to walk or talk but she has an amazing photographic memory and she can see music in her head. She loves it so and she loves to watch tv programs about science and history and even better is to be read to where she can imagine the story. She would love to be like the other kids but she has cerebal palsy and keeps ending up in the special ed room where she is rarely afforded the opportunity to interact with the rest of the school. However, things have changed as she has gotten an aide who can come with her to the regular classrooms and the biggest thing of all was getting her new computer that they can program and it can talk for her. She can't wait.
I really enjoyed this book and even more so doing the novel study with the 12yr old. Both he and his next older brother have spent years in therapy for speech issues and know other kids that are very bright but couldn't communicate so he related to that but the way Melody's brain worked, seeing colors, remembering things so easily, was new to him. We also did research on how businesses are supposed to be accommodating to those in wheelchairs or with other disabilities and started looking around to see which ones are and which ones aren't. How easy would it be for someone to actually patronize this business? What about our town? Or this playground? Lots of areas for discussion about how we as a society treat those that are different and how we can be better and more inclusive.
Page count: 295p/18,237p ytd/310,253p lifetime
I really enjoyed this book and even more so doing the novel study with the 12yr old. Both he and his next older brother have spent years in therapy for speech issues and know other kids that are very bright but couldn't communicate so he related to that but the way Melody's brain worked, seeing colors, remembering things so easily, was new to him. We also did research on how businesses are supposed to be accommodating to those in wheelchairs or with other disabilities and started looking around to see which ones are and which ones aren't. How easy would it be for someone to actually patronize this business? What about our town? Or this playground? Lots of areas for discussion about how we as a society treat those that are different and how we can be better and more inclusive.
Page count: 295p/18,237p ytd/310,253p lifetime
Saturday, December 8, 2018
92:100 The Ancient Egyptian World by Eric H. Cline & Jill Rubalcaba
From 2014:
Middle-school ancient history covering from the earliest records of ancient Egypt through the 3rd Intermediate Age with a brief synopsis covering the Ptolemys through Cleopatra and Rome. This looks at not just the lives of the Pharaohs and the gods of Egypt but also how the common man lived, the advancements they made throughout the ages, their art and literature, and the discoveries that have led to our current understanding of their culture.
I love this series so much and it really makes the high school world history I'm having to read just look awful in comparison as we learn so much about each culture, not just what they did but what we believe are the reasons behind what they did and how we came to those conclusions. It's not just boring and dry names and dates with little else behind it but works hard to bring it more alive.
Page count: 190p/16,818p ytd/308,834p lifetime
Middle-school ancient history covering from the earliest records of ancient Egypt through the 3rd Intermediate Age with a brief synopsis covering the Ptolemys through Cleopatra and Rome. This looks at not just the lives of the Pharaohs and the gods of Egypt but also how the common man lived, the advancements they made throughout the ages, their art and literature, and the discoveries that have led to our current understanding of their culture.
I love this series so much and it really makes the high school world history I'm having to read just look awful in comparison as we learn so much about each culture, not just what they did but what we believe are the reasons behind what they did and how we came to those conclusions. It's not just boring and dry names and dates with little else behind it but works hard to bring it more alive.
Page count: 190p/16,818p ytd/308,834p lifetime
Saturday, November 3, 2018
85:100 The Ancient Near Eastern World by Amanda H. Podany & Marni McGee
Review from 2013:
Middle-school The World in Ancient Times series by Oxford Press. Looking at the kingdoms of the Middle East including Mesopotamia and Babylon as well Hammarabi, Gilgamesh, the founding of the Jewish religion and Israel, the five great kingdoms and their relationships, the last Mesopotamian king, and the rise of the Persian Empire.
I really love how the book always takes time to explain how we know the things that we do, what we have found, and why we believe what we do about those findings. It brings it alive for me much better than just a dry recitation. There are also stories of people who lived during that time, not just the kings but the regular people as well. Truly one of the most fun history series for kids I've come across.
Page count: 174p/15,152p ytd/307,168p lifetime
Middle-school The World in Ancient Times series by Oxford Press. Looking at the kingdoms of the Middle East including Mesopotamia and Babylon as well Hammarabi, Gilgamesh, the founding of the Jewish religion and Israel, the five great kingdoms and their relationships, the last Mesopotamian king, and the rise of the Persian Empire.
I really love how the book always takes time to explain how we know the things that we do, what we have found, and why we believe what we do about those findings. It brings it alive for me much better than just a dry recitation. There are also stories of people who lived during that time, not just the kings but the regular people as well. Truly one of the most fun history series for kids I've come across.
Page count: 174p/15,152p ytd/307,168p lifetime
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
82:100 Holes by Louis Sachar
Review from 2013:
Stanley Yelnats's family has always been unlucky because of a curse placed on them by Madame Zeroni generations back. Now the curse has struck him as he was arrested after some shoes fell out of the sky and landed on his head as he was walking home from school and it just so happens that they were the shoes of a famous baseball player who had donated them to a charity auction. Now Stanley is sentenced to Camp Green Lake where all the kids are forced to dig huge holes every day since "it's good for their character". Obviously the warden is looking for something but no one has any idea what. While at the camp, Stanley meets Zero and they start to become friends but Zero may just hold the key to removing the curse from Stanley's family.
A cute book and I love the weaving of all the different parts of the tale and then how it all comes together neatly at the end.
Page count: 233p/14,801p ytd/306,584p lifetime
Stanley Yelnats's family has always been unlucky because of a curse placed on them by Madame Zeroni generations back. Now the curse has struck him as he was arrested after some shoes fell out of the sky and landed on his head as he was walking home from school and it just so happens that they were the shoes of a famous baseball player who had donated them to a charity auction. Now Stanley is sentenced to Camp Green Lake where all the kids are forced to dig huge holes every day since "it's good for their character". Obviously the warden is looking for something but no one has any idea what. While at the camp, Stanley meets Zero and they start to become friends but Zero may just hold the key to removing the curse from Stanley's family.
A cute book and I love the weaving of all the different parts of the tale and then how it all comes together neatly at the end.
Page count: 233p/14,801p ytd/306,584p lifetime
Saturday, September 22, 2018
68:100 The Early Human World by Peter Robertshaw & Jill Rubalcaba
Middle-School Ancient History by Oxford Press, part of "The World In Ancient Times" series. This is my third time reading it. This was my previous review from 2009:
This is the first in the series of The World in Ancient Times that we are using for Matthew's Ancient History class this year and was recommended by one of his friends who is 2yrs older. I really like the format of the books. They are told in a definite story form rather than a dry "here are the facts" that so many history books do. They keep it light, interesting, and entertaining while getting the information across. They pack lots of fun little facts in which help to keep it interesting as well. I definitely learned a lot and enjoyed it and even better, so did Matthew. I think that right there is the best compliment is when the 6th grader is happy to do history when it's not normally one of his favorite subjects.
Page count: 176p/11,766p ytd/303,784p lifetime
This is the first in the series of The World in Ancient Times that we are using for Matthew's Ancient History class this year and was recommended by one of his friends who is 2yrs older. I really like the format of the books. They are told in a definite story form rather than a dry "here are the facts" that so many history books do. They keep it light, interesting, and entertaining while getting the information across. They pack lots of fun little facts in which help to keep it interesting as well. I definitely learned a lot and enjoyed it and even better, so did Matthew. I think that right there is the best compliment is when the 6th grader is happy to do history when it's not normally one of his favorite subjects.
And from 2013:
Well, now I'm using it for Jonathan who is in 7th grade (we did US History for 5th & 6th since that was better for him rather than breaking it up). He's enjoying it as much as he can any history which is about as far from his favorite subject as you can get. I'm enjoying reading it again as there is a lot that I have forgotten since so much of it is just not something that I have to deal with in my day-to-day life. Maybe by the time the last one reads it in a few years, I'll actually be able to retain more of it. In the meantime, forgetting large chunks means it's a fun read when it's that time again. *big grin*
Page count: 176p/11,766p ytd/303,784p lifetime
Monday, September 17, 2018
64:100 Dragonwings by Laurence Yep
Moon Shadow has heard fabulous tales of his father, and especially the kites that he makes, but has never met him. His father left for America before he was born and for 8 years all Moon Shadow has known of him has been his letters that he sends with money for them and the stories his mother tells him.
Now his father has sent for him to come to America, the land of the white devils. Of course Moon Shadow will go but he has no idea what to expect. He and his father get to know each other and it is revealed that his father has had an important dream, to build an airplane and fly. Windrider is willing endure much to make this dream come true even if no one else believe in it, but Moon Shadow believes and will be there to help him see it through.
We read this for my 7th grader's literature and enjoyed it. It definitely put more emphasis on how Chinese and white people perceived each other in the early 1900s but also showed how people can move past prejudices when they are open to getting to know someone. It showed the power of family and belief which is not limited to any one culture.
Page count: 317p/11,362p ytd/303,380p lifetime
Now his father has sent for him to come to America, the land of the white devils. Of course Moon Shadow will go but he has no idea what to expect. He and his father get to know each other and it is revealed that his father has had an important dream, to build an airplane and fly. Windrider is willing endure much to make this dream come true even if no one else believe in it, but Moon Shadow believes and will be there to help him see it through.
We read this for my 7th grader's literature and enjoyed it. It definitely put more emphasis on how Chinese and white people perceived each other in the early 1900s but also showed how people can move past prejudices when they are open to getting to know someone. It showed the power of family and belief which is not limited to any one culture.
Page count: 317p/11,362p ytd/303,380p lifetime
Friday, May 25, 2018
22:100 History of US Vol 10: All the People by Joy Hakim
Review from 2013:
Middle School US History covering 1945-2009. I learned a lot from this one. I've heard about the Vietnam War and Korean War but never had any inkling as to what they were really about. It's nice to at least have a basic understanding of them now and to have a better grasp on who the presidents were between Roosevelt and Kennedy and then Carter who is the first president I remember. It was even more interesting reading her take on the times of my childhood and now my adulthood. I thought that while fairly simplistic, she did a decent job of trying to present a rounded perspective. It's definitely been opening some dialog in my house and that is never a bad thing.
Yeah, it was a good refresher on those subjects. Made even more interesting because I was also reading high school American History this year and of course, this is really where they finally intercept and this one is much more in depth in a lot of ways.
Page count: 297p/4,046p ytd/296,067p lifetime
Middle School US History covering 1945-2009. I learned a lot from this one. I've heard about the Vietnam War and Korean War but never had any inkling as to what they were really about. It's nice to at least have a basic understanding of them now and to have a better grasp on who the presidents were between Roosevelt and Kennedy and then Carter who is the first president I remember. It was even more interesting reading her take on the times of my childhood and now my adulthood. I thought that while fairly simplistic, she did a decent job of trying to present a rounded perspective. It's definitely been opening some dialog in my house and that is never a bad thing.
Yeah, it was a good refresher on those subjects. Made even more interesting because I was also reading high school American History this year and of course, this is really where they finally intercept and this one is much more in depth in a lot of ways.
Page count: 297p/4,046p ytd/296,067p lifetime
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
20:100 The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
My second (maybe third time) reading this. This is what I had to say last time:
An interesting end to the series. Not totally unexpected and certainly in line with most tales of that sort tho still not quite what I had thought was going to happen. It's hard to put my finger on but this one didn't feel quite right to me. I think perhaps it was the total lack of depth in some of the "main" characters this time around. Even the ones we knew from previous books weren't as "alive" as they were previously. Still, all in all, a very good series, very enjoyable with wonderful descriptive writing.
And you know, I'm going to stick with that. It just really wasn't very fleshed out in the manner of the other stories and was a bit of a letdown at the end. When asked, my 12yr old stated that The Silver Chair or The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe were his favorites (with The Magician's Nephew very close to making that list) and it's easy to see why. It's not a lack of action but more a lack of adventure of the self that this book is lacking.
And this time I think I was finally able to really put my finger on what bothered me so much about this book and that is just how racist and anti-anything other white European Christian this book is. Growing up I didn't read the whole series and hadn't put together the religious aspects of it but now, it's not only impossible to miss for me but in this book the way it's handled is absolutely abhorrent.
Page count: 211p/3,530p ytd/295,551p lifetime
An interesting end to the series. Not totally unexpected and certainly in line with most tales of that sort tho still not quite what I had thought was going to happen. It's hard to put my finger on but this one didn't feel quite right to me. I think perhaps it was the total lack of depth in some of the "main" characters this time around. Even the ones we knew from previous books weren't as "alive" as they were previously. Still, all in all, a very good series, very enjoyable with wonderful descriptive writing.
And you know, I'm going to stick with that. It just really wasn't very fleshed out in the manner of the other stories and was a bit of a letdown at the end. When asked, my 12yr old stated that The Silver Chair or The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe were his favorites (with The Magician's Nephew very close to making that list) and it's easy to see why. It's not a lack of action but more a lack of adventure of the self that this book is lacking.
And this time I think I was finally able to really put my finger on what bothered me so much about this book and that is just how racist and anti-anything other white European Christian this book is. Growing up I didn't read the whole series and hadn't put together the religious aspects of it but now, it's not only impossible to miss for me but in this book the way it's handled is absolutely abhorrent.
Page count: 211p/3,530p ytd/295,551p lifetime
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
6:100 History of US vol. 9: War, Peace, and All That Jazz by Joy Hakim
Review from 2013:
Middle-School History covering 1918-1945. Model T's, wood-frame airplanes, radios, Prohibition, jazz, the Roaring Twenties, Babe Ruth, flappers, the Depression, and two World Wars...all in a thirty-year span. That pretty much gives a good summary of what you find in this book. I've noticed that now that things are getting closer to modern times, the jumping around is much less and the author makes it a point to detail a lot more than what I remember learning about from my history classes, middle and high school. I knew there had been a WWI but had no idea who it concerned or how it ended much less that it had paved the way for WWII. I had a basic knowledge of Jazz and it's roots but not the bigger picture that was shown in this book. I knew about the Depression and Black Friday but not the events that had led up to it. That to me is what is truly important about history, not just knowing about the big events but how those came about and what they caused.
Page count: 220p/1,053p ytd/293,074p lifetime
Middle-School History covering 1918-1945. Model T's, wood-frame airplanes, radios, Prohibition, jazz, the Roaring Twenties, Babe Ruth, flappers, the Depression, and two World Wars...all in a thirty-year span. That pretty much gives a good summary of what you find in this book. I've noticed that now that things are getting closer to modern times, the jumping around is much less and the author makes it a point to detail a lot more than what I remember learning about from my history classes, middle and high school. I knew there had been a WWI but had no idea who it concerned or how it ended much less that it had paved the way for WWII. I had a basic knowledge of Jazz and it's roots but not the bigger picture that was shown in this book. I knew about the Depression and Black Friday but not the events that had led up to it. That to me is what is truly important about history, not just knowing about the big events but how those came about and what they caused.
Page count: 220p/1,053p ytd/293,074p lifetime
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