Catherine the Great (Judge for Yourself) [Library Binding]

Christine Hatt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2003 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Judge for Yourself

These wonderful new biographies of important historical figures tell more than just the story of the person's life. They inspire readers to think critically and objectively about the deeds of world leaders. Each book is divided into two sections--first, an in-depth account of the historical figure's life and works and, second, a series of pages that raise key questions for discussion and debate about the figure's accomplishments. Fast-moving text sets the stage for pro and con discussions of events. Focus boxes provide important cultural and historical background material, while sidebars incorporate many primary-text quotations. Readers are encouraged to use the facts and statistics provided to "judge for themselves" the success or failure of some of the deeds that have shaped our world.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9-Complex history, skillfully related. The first section, the biography of the empress, includes a peek into Russian society and information about those who influenced her. Sidebars, which include the Romanov family tree and a layout of local government and courts from 1775, help to clarify the complicated wording of the text. In the second section, readers are asked to judge for themselves as questions are posed for debate. They include "Enlightenment Empress or Old-Fashioned Autocrat?" and "The Serfs' Friend or the Serfs' Enemy?" Sources support both sides of each question, and students are encouraged to come to their own conclusions. Plentiful illustrations, photographs, and maps, mainly in color, balance each part of the book. Because of the intricate nature of the story, a little understanding of Russian history would be beneficial, but not obligatory. This title would be useful for reports as well as debates, and should be considered a first purchase.-Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Reviewed with Christine Hatt's Mao Zedong.

Gr. 8-11. Launching the new Judge for Yourself series of thought-provoking biographies are books about two figures whose deeds were particularly controversial: Catherine the Great and Mao Zedong. The subject's life story comprises the bulk of each title, followed by pairs of essays presenting opposite stances on several key issues: Was Catherine involved in the murders that helped guarantee her throne? Were Chinese women better off under Mao? Each argument is backed by quotes and statistics demonstrating how "facts . . . can be used to support completely different points of view." That's all to the good, but it seems ironic that a series striving to simulate how historians use sources neglects to include its own documentation, apart from the material used to bolster the for-and-against arguments. Despite that, these books are still slick, and smartly conceived, and they will prove useful for triggering debates in high-school social studies classrooms and for underscoring the elusiveness of historical "truth." Glossy pages, maps, and full-color illustrations (Mao has many black-and-white photos from the period) add visual appeal. REVWR
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Library Binding: 64 pages
• Publisher: World Almanac Library (December 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0836855353
• ISBN-13: 978-0836855357
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,587,314 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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