Secrets of American History World War I

I keep coming back to the Secrets of American History titles to review because I find myself drawn to a history series that tries to write independent readers for children to read about history on their own and dives into areas often not found in other children's books on the topic.

Fearless Flyers, Dazzle Painters, and Code Talkers!: World War I (Secrets of American History)has probably the best introduction to the time period I've read in the series to date. World War I is a tough topic to cover with children. Clearly within a leveled reader format much has to be condensed and left out, but I thought this book did a good job of picking and choosing what to write about in the introduction to World War I.

From the introduction the author moves on to a discussion of camouflage. The author discusses the difference in needs between army camouflage which was already being employed and the needs of the Navy who were struggling to avoid German U-boat attacks. The writing was quite engaging and while reading I texted a family member with information on the book as her sons have been fascinated by this topic and would enjoy reading the book. The author describes various experiments that failed and then describes how zebras and Picasso led to a break through. I'm not going to give it all away. You need an incentive to check out this book. While I'm well past the target age, I rather enjoyed it.

From Dazzle Camouflage we move on to Choctaw Code Talkers. This is one of the many things I love about reading and reviewing history books, there are always new things to learn. I've always associated Native American Code Talkers with World War II. However, it turns out the original Code Talkers solved a communication problem the American command was having with intercepted messages. The first recruits were from the Choctaw tribe. By utilizing their own language and creating a code for words that didn't exist in their language they were able to communicate in a code the Germans couldn't understand. I was so interested in this story I went online to read more.

The last story reflect the diversity the series has been known for and it tells the story of Eugene Bullard, an African American pilot who flew for the French since he was not allowed to fly for the Americans. His story is an amazing one, but again what I love about this series, one not often found in a children's series on World War I.

I believe this is the strongest book in the series I've read to date. The introduction was tighter and the individual stories remain strong and engaging.

Where Poppies Grow A World War I Companion

Where Poppies Grow: A World War I Companionis a picture book about World War I suitable for all ages. I know more people are using picture books with older children, but this book lends itself very well as it uses pictures, drawings, and pictures of historical artifacts from the period to help illustrate what life was like for those who lived during World War I.

This book takes an interesting approach to the topic. It presents a brief vague discussion about the origins of World War I, but then it dives into what life was like for those who lived it with a heavy emphasis on the lives of Canadians. The book is divided into 2 page sections with the text primarily used to discuss the pictures. The sections are titled Kits and Kilts, To England's Green Fields, Across the Channel to Flanders and the Trenches, The Routine of Daily Life, Over the Top, On Flanders Fields, Warfare on the Seas, And in the Air, You Have Suffered Terribly, Propaganda and Patriotism, Keep the Home Fires Burning, A Child's World, Mum's the Word, The Poppy Poem, Angels, Statues, and Songs in the Night, Spies, Traitors, Or Not?, Man's Best Friend, Dear Cora A Soldier Doesn't Return, Dear Amy A Soldier Does Return, The Budding of Remembrance, and In Solemn Tribute

While many people do use children's books with older children what I thought made this book unique is the topics and the pictures chosen do make it a more useful book for a wider range of ages. The material is suitable for younger children as it doesn't dwell long on the harsher realities of war. It is unique for older students in the materials it uses to discuss the topics. The book begins with an 8th grade graduation photograph and the caption makes it clear that this may be the final education some of these students will ever have because they will not return from the war. For students closer in age to these children pictured it is a connection younger students may not make.

The pictures are the outline of the story and the text supports the pictures. The pictures aren't generic photographs of the trenches, but they are chosen to provide the reader with a feel for confinement both armies lived under and the challenges and dangers that created.

I was quite pleased to see how much attention the role of the female nurses got in this book. Field Hospital nursing in war conditions was a dangerous, physically, and mentally challenging role for women who were pushing their way out of traditional Victorian roles and looking for new roles in society. It was a pleasant surprise to see a prominent role in a World War I picture books for the women who served.

For those of you looking for a history of World War I with the battles fought, causes for the War, ending with the Treaty of Versailles, this is not that book. It is a history of the people who fought and those who supported them on the home front. It tries to explain what life was like if you were living at the time of the war. In an age where we have come to expect instant communication this book reminds us about a time when soldiers where burying phone lines to communicate battle plans on the front. The only way to communicate with loved ones fighting was by censored mail and while we likely can't imagine living like that, it was actually pretty advanced technology for the time period. It is good to remember sometimes what life was like for others.

What I enjoyed most about the book was the blend of personal stories from letters, postcards, and artifacts people kept from the war. It makes the book an interesting and engaging read, not just for children. I thought these stories were the strongest in the book.

Barbarians

As several homeschool curriculum have Ancient and European history starting at primary and elementary grades I've been searching for resources that meet those needs. A family member will be covering the Fall of Rome moving into the Middle Ages as part of a grade 2 curriculum and I've been looking for some books that address that time period accurately, but keeping the age level of the child in mind when writing about the topic.

In my search I came across Barbarians part of the X fighters series. I am not often a fan of the extreme styled books as they tend to lose sight of the education in order to provide the shock and awe factors to get parents and children to buy the book. I was suitably impressed with this book.

There are thousands of books that focus on the Middle Ages for children, some clearly more accurate and authentic than others, but a selection for parents, homeschoolers, and teachers who want materials to use with primary and elementary children. I've found the periods between Rome and the more established Middle Ages to be a bit more challenging as the material can be more complicated and it hasn't always been traditionally material for this age group.

The book begins with an introduction to who the Barbarians were and the main groups of Barbarians, the Celt, Saxons, Franks, Goths, Huns, and Vandals. A handy map is provided to demonstrate where these groups eventually ended up living, although the book explains they didn't all begin in these areas. I thought the author did a good job of giving an age appropriate explanation of the relationship between the tribes and Rome.

The theme Xtreme Fighters is built around mini biographies of 5 Barbarian Chiefs. The biographies are brief, but certainly could lead to further research if so desired. The books counts the leaders down from 5 to 1.

1.Attila the Hun
2.Alaric I Visgoth
3.Queen Boudicca Celtic
4.Gaiseric Vandal
5. Clovis Frankish Chief

The author provides information about weapons, writing, and battle tactics. War is never pleasant in any time period and any discussion of it often has certain unpleasant facts. I didn't find the author to be be inappropriately detailed, but as with all books you may want to preview before reading with or giving it to a child to read if you are concerned that some information might not be appropriate. I find people have different levels of tolerance. I plan on having this book available next year, others may feel differently.