Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011

Happy New Year to you all. 

It’s resolution time! In 2011, I resolve to:
1. Blog more
2. Redesign my blog
3. Discover more great history for children.

As we say goodbye to last year,  I thought I'd look back on what history titles the publishing world offered children in 2010.  This assortment includes one written by the President. It’s a clever introduction to thirteen famous Americans. As a whole, the group is not concentrated on any one era or theme. Titles range from the age of dinosaurs to the invention of the Apple computer.  

It will be interesting to see what 2011 offers. What are your resolutions?

Bad News for Outlaws

Everything about Bass Reeves was big: his shoulders, his hands, his hat, his horse, his mustache and his reputation for being a sure shot. But the biggest thing about him was his character. Vaunda Micheaux Nelson does an exemplary job of introducing this Texas born slave turned free man who fought for justice. In Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshal, she chronicles how Reeves went about outwitting outlaws from 1875 to 1907. In that time he brought in over 3,000 bad guys, sometimes as many as 17 at once! Sadly, his own son was one of those 3,000. The tone of the telling puts you in an old west frame of mind and the illustrations are as right as rain. It was fun to find this forgotten hero. 

Ages: 9-12

◊◊◊◊

Activity: You may be wondering, what do U.S. Marshals do? They apprehend more than half of all federal fugitives, protect the federal judiciary, operate the Witness Security Program, transport federal prisoners, conduct body searches, enforce court orders and Attorney General orders involving civil disturbances and acts of terrorism, execute civil and criminal processes, and seize property acquired by criminals through illegal activities. 

Are you interested in becoming a U. S Marshal like Bass Reeves? Today you would have to meet these qualifications: be a U.S. citizen between the ages of 21 and 36, have a bachelor’s degree or three years of qualifying experience, have a good driving record and valid driver's license, complete a structured interview, meet medical qualifications, undergo a rigorous 17 1/2 week basic training program and be in excellent physical condition. Here are links to the fitness standards for men and the fitness standards for women. Can you do 33 push-ups, 40 sit-ups and run a mile and a half in 12:18? If so, you may well be on your way to being a U. S. Marshall. You can look here for more information.

UNCHARTED TERRITORY WEEK: Lewis and Clark

TITLE: The Great Expedition of Lewis and Clark: by Private Reubin Field, Member of the Corps of Discovery

AUTHOR: Judith Edwards

WHAT TERRITORY WAS EXPLORED AND WHEN? In 1803 President Thomas Jefferson paid 15 million dollars to France for a vast tract of land between the Mississippi River and the Continental Divide. Little was known about the contents of this Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson commissioned the Corps of Discovery to explore from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, following the Missouri River. This journey took place from 1804 to 1806.

WHO DID THE EXPLORING? A party of 33 individuals headed by Meriwether Lewis, a U.S. Army Captain and personal friend of the president’s, and William Clark, who also served in the U. S. Army. This book is written from the perspective of Reubin Field, who was a young Kentucky farmer. When word got out that able woodsmen and hunters were needed to make the trip and would be compensated with land, men like Reubin applied for the expedition. A French trader, Toussaint Charonneau, and his young wife, Sacagawea, joined the expedition as interpreters, along with their brand new baby son that came to be called little Pomp.

HOW WAS THE TRIP? They traveled as much as they could by their keelboat and then canoes. When they couldn’t float they walked, wearing out scores of moccasins. The group encountered many native tribes, most of which were friendly, but some were not. They dealt with hoards of mosquitoes, a stampeding buffalo in their camp, an aggressive grizzly bear and considerable difficulty crossing the mountains.

WHAT WAS GAINED? Data was collected on previously unknown species of mammals, birds and plants and about available resources, especially in regard to the all important fur trade. Knowledge was gained about the tribes living in this area. This expedition ruled out the hope that there was a water route to the Pacific and provided other geographic details. This undertaking also opened the door for westward expansion.

A few years ago the 200th anniversary of this historical event was celebrated, and a slew of great books on this subject were published. I haven’t had a chance to read them all, but am amazed at the variety offered from different points of view, including:

Sacagawea: They Call Me Sacagawea and I Am Sacajawea, I Am York: Our Journey West with Lewis and Clark

York, Clark’s slave: York's Adventures with Lewis and Clark: An African-American's Part in the Great Expedition and I Am Sacajawea, I Am York: Our Journey West with Lewis and Clark

Seaman, Lewis’s dog: Seaman's Journal: On the Trail With Lewis and Clark, The Captain's Dog: My Journey with the Lewis and Clark Tribe, Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dog's Tale and Seaman: The Dog Who Explored the West With Lewis and Clark

Lewis and Clark: How We Crossed The West: The Adventures Of Lewis And Clark, Lewis and Clark (In Their Own Words) and Off the Map: The Journals of Lewis and Clark

Natural History: Animals on the Trail with Lewis and Clark and  Plants on the Trail with Lewis and Clark

Native Americans: Bad River Boys: A Meeting of the Lakota Sioux with Lewis and Clark

Ages 6-9
◊◊◊◊

Activity: Here's a Lewis and Clark National Geographic Interactive Game.

American Girl

American Girl has a knack for publishing great books for girls and these Welcome to _______’s World titles are no exception. Plus what a selection:

• Welcome to Felicity's World, 1774: Growing Up in Colonial America
• Welcome to Kirsten's World, 1854: Growing Up in Pioneer America
• Welcome to Addy's World, 1864: Growing Up During America's Civil War
• Welcome to Josefina's World 1824: Growing Up on America's Southwest Frontier
• Welcome to Samantha's World-1904: Growing Up in America's New Century
• Welcome to Kit's World, 1934 : Growing Up During America's Great Depression

I am impressed by the amount of information in these generously sized books. In Welcome to Molly's World,1944: Growing Up in World War Two America the pages are brimming with collage style layouts. You learn not only about the causes and logistics of the war but about how it effected the work force, fashions and lifestyles on the home front. Interspersed among all the interesting details are stories of Roosevelt’s fireside chats, British orphans and a leukemia afflicted Japanese girl, Sadako.

Unfortunately it appears that these are out of print. But luckily they are still available through out-of-print sources.

Ages 9-12
◊◊◊◊

Activity: Help Molly lend a hand on the home front. Here is a fun online game from American Girl!

ORPHAN WEEK - On the Oregon Trail

TITLE: The Stout-Hearted Seven: Orphaned on the Oregon Trail

AUTHOR: Neta Lohnes Frazier

WHO ARE THE ORPHANS? This is the true story of the Sager family traveling on the Oregon Trail in 1844. The oldest sibling is John who is thirteen. Then there's Frank, Catherine, Elizabeth, Matilda, Louise and lastly Rosanna, who was born on the journey.

HOW WERE THEY ORPHANED? Both parents succumbed to "camp fever" in route and were buried along the trail. Arrangements were made for the children to stay with the Whitman’s at their mission. These missionaries became their new parents until they were orphaned again, this time in an Indian massacre.

WHAT WAS ORPHAN LIFE LIKE FOR THEM? Wagon train traveling was difficult for everybody. When their parents died, the Sager children had to rely on help from the wagon train’s doctor and captain. The infant, Rosanna, was rarely seen by the other children, as nursing mothers in the train took turns trying to keep her alive. The children were fortunate to find a second life with the Whitman's where they felt as loved as they had by their own parents. Then in 1847, a wagon train came through carrying many children sick with measles. The mission Indians, the Cayuse, lost great numbers of their own children to the disease. This fueled already growing animosity and the Cayuse attacked the missionaries, killing both Mr. and Mrs. Whitman as well as John and Frank. Louise died from the measles. Catherine, Elizabeth, Matilda, and Henrietta (formally called Rosanna) were among the women and children held for a ransom that was paid by the Hudson’s Bay Company.

HOW DOES THEIR LIFE TURN-OUT? The four remaining siblings never lived together again. They were brought up in separate homes in Oregon. All the sisters married young. Henrietta was mistakenly shot and killed by a desperado at the age of twenty-six. Catherine and Matilda each had eight children and Elizabeth had nine. Catherine wrote an account of her life hoping to get it published and to use the proceeds to fund an orphanage in Mrs. Whitman’s name. Her dream was not realized but her information is often used by historians.

The site where the massacre occurred is now the Whitman Mission National Park.

Ages 9-12
◊◊◊◊◊

Activity: Make a covered wagon. This one is easy. For a more involved one try this and then add the contents. You could also try the Oregon Trail Crossword Puzzle and Help Pack a Covered Wagon from my previous posts.

Chinese New Year

When I read the autobiography of a Chinese peasant in Mao’s Last Dancer, it certainly sunk in how important the New Year is in that culture. With the four thousand year old holiday approaching on February 14, I turned to Chinese New Year to learn more. Explained in a straight-forward way is how it began as a way to mark the end of winter and the beginning of spring planting. The time of planting new crops was thought of as the beginning of a new year. Why dragons and firecrackers are so significant also became clear as did the ways it is believed to bring good luck into your home and life. Custom dictates that your year start fresh by thoroughly cleaning house, paying off debts and asking forgiveness. That's inspiring!

Ages 4-8
◊◊◊◊

This novel ends, interestingly enough, with the inhabitants of a tiny, early 19th century town in Montana learning how to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Based on real events, Laurence Yep's main character in When the Circus Came to Town is Usurla. She is a self assured rebel rouser until she gets small pox, and along it, deep scars on her face. Ashamed and depressed, she's determined to lead a life of seclusion. Then her parents hire a Chinese cook, Ah Sam, to help in their stage coach station. Working in America in order to send money back to his wife and child in China, the cook takes a special interest in Ursula and is able to eventually coax her out of isolation. Her biggest wish is to see a circus and she admits the opportunity to see one could entice her beyond the confines of their home/stagecoach stop. So Ah Sam invites his cousins to perform for the town. When the acrobats are set to return to San Francisco in time for New Year's they are snowed in. That is when the town gets involved in helping them celebrate. A very creative story plot!

Ages 9-12
◊◊◊◊

Activity: It is customary for the Chinese to start their New Year fresh and clean. So clean your room and then decorate it with these lanterns you can make yourself.

Eye Witness to History

The Roman philosopher Seneca wrote of his day at the Coliseum watching the Gladiators. Pliny the Younger recalled in a letter how he barely survived the Pompeii disaster of 79AD. Sadie Frowne told of immigrating to America from Poland and Lady Bird Johnson recorded her memories of the day JFK was shot. All these juicy tidbits from history have been collected at an amazingly well organized site, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com.

Browse fascinating written eyewitness accounts from the making of a mummy to Nixon leaving the Whitehouse. But there are also recorded voices, fascinating photos and amazing videos available too.

Warning...addictive browsing. Very bookmark worthy.

Ages 9 and up
◊◊◊◊◊

My First Little House Books

What do James Herriot's Treasury for Children, Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild! and My First Little House Books have in common? These are the books about which Shannon and I are in complete agreement. When we occasionally purge her bookshelf, neither of us can bear to part with these. They are the hold-overs from her younger years that I can clearly see her, and myself, reading to her children someday.

The James Herriot book is a delightful collection of animal stories. Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild! is a hilarious look at a mother's resolve to maintain patience...until eventually she doesn't. And the My First Little House Books are snippets from Laura Ingalls Wilder's classics. Each book feels like a little jewel. The illustrations are so soft and cozy and inviting that we long to fall into each story...

I think every little one should have these on their bookshelf. There are over a dozen titles in the series, including:

• Christmas in the Big Woods
• County Fair
• Dance at Grandpa's
• The Deer in the Wood
• Going to Town
• Going West
• A Little House Birthday
• A Little Prairie House
• Prairie Day
• Sugar Snow
• Summertime in the Big Woods
• Winter Days in the Big Woods
• Winter on the Farm

Ages 4-8
◊◊◊◊◊

Activity: Can you help Laura pack the covered wagon with the correct belongings? Be careful, some of these items Laura has never even seen.

The Oregon Trail

From wagon trains to ebay. My we have come a long way! And if not for the later I might not have learned so much about the former. Here's how it happened. I was in ebay's history category under "children's books" when I stumbled upon an interesting "lot." It contained books from a couple of different series: Dear America and My Name is America. I was not familiar with either but my curiosity was piqued. I placed the winning bid, received the package and tore open the box.

The first thing I noticed is that the books are pleasant to hold. They are light and just the right size and weight for your hands. They have an old library look and the interior has two things I can't resist: pages with rough edges and some (not My Name is America) have satin ribbon book marks. Antique photos, maps, recipes, song sheets and such are included at the end of the books. Each is a fictitious journal of a young person during a past event and is infused with historical facts. When it came time to choose one to read, I personally was not up for the Battle of Fredericksburg, or Pearl Harbor, or, least of all, the Donner Party. So for our first selection we read Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie: The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell, 1847.

Shannon and I both really enjoyed this book. Hattie shared everything. Her apprehension of leaving her home, family tales, gathering supplies, new friendship stuff, wagon train gossip, the day to day grind, her fears, sites and sounds and simple joys. Also deaths, births and a marriage along the way. By the time Hattie arrived in Oregon, we felt we had made the journey right along with her.

Ages 12 to 15
◊◊◊◊◊

Not only have I now learned more about the Oregon Trail but also about these series' published by Scholastic. Dear America is a collection of 38 titles, each told in a young female voice. My Name is America has 19 titles told from a boy's perspective. Scholastic has also published My America books, which revolve around six different characters, and each character has a series of books. All of these books cover American events from the 1600's up to the Vietnam War. For those with an appetite for more of a world stage I would recommend looking into Scholastic's Royal Diaries series. These will introduce you to 18 ladies of royalty.

While I was investigating these titles I found a really unique game at Scholastic for the future interior decorator in your family. You pick a period and decorate the house accordingly. If you make the mistake of putting a kerosene lamp in a colonial home "A Room in Time" will prompt you.

Activity: Here is an Oregon Trail crossword puzzle, and also check out this Oregon Trail Web Site for more activities.