Series: World History Series.
Subject Areas: History.
Ages: 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16.
Type: Combined volumes (C/V), Internet-Linked

This history volume is a fabulous addition to any school or home library, and can save you and your students many hours of time with its consecutive coverage of civilizations and events, accompanied by gorgeous photos and illustrations. We have used this book over and over again for school at home AND for school classes and reports. It's also just plain fun to read.

There are four detailed sections, each approximately 100 pages in length -- Prehistoric World, Ancient World, Medieval World, and The Last 500 Years. Each section begins with an overview of that time period, and an explanation of the Internet Links which can be utilized for even more information. At the top of each 2-page spread you'll see the subject and the dates being covered, and lots of maps are sprinkled throughout. The sections on Ancient World (10,000 B.C. to 500 A.D.) and Medieval World (500 A.D. to 1500 A.D.) are available as separate volumes too, if you wish to have them that way; both received the Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products Award. Shortly after this book came out, Usborne/EDC was named History Publisher Company of the Year by Lifeworks Magazine.

There's a presentation of the theory of evolution and Darwin on one of the pages of the Prehistoric section; you'll also see a small section on the big bang theory, and the usual references are made to millions of years ago - you may or may not agree with these items. I found this section to be the most helpful in learning facts about fossil life, the different categories of dinosaurs, the vast variety of life on earth, and the ideas about how very early civilizations survived.

One internet-link we really enjoyed is from the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago -- you get to meet "Sue" -- the largest, and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex fossil, and a permanent feature at The Field Museum. This one's not a composite of several animals, it's the fossilized bones of the single largest, most complete, and best preserved T. rex fossil yet discovered. The whole story of the discovery, preservation and assembly of this dinosaur is very well done.

Once you get to the Ancient World section of the book, much more is based on actual historical records, and this is where photos begin to abound. Tomorrow I'll go into more detail about the Ancient World section.

Purchase

Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products Award, Lifeworks Magazine Real Life Award
Of Interest To: Teachers, Parents, Librarians and Media Specialists