Customer Reviews

The Century for Young People

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

To relate a century's history and ideas cogently into 241 pages at a level that will involve kids is a tough task. To pull that off with photos and archival images AND first-person accounts is, to me, pretty astonishing. It would be easy to carp about what's left out, but I think this book is a square-on portrayal of the U. S. as it was. We read about the immigrant experience, the emerging technologies, the wars and injustices and what they taught us, the ascendance of movies and sports in our culture, style trends, space exploration, the dismantling of Communism. The authors take pains to show that along with the tragedies and triumphs came valuable lessons that have impact on our lives today. Events are intelligently organized and analyzed without sugar-coating. The photos and illustrations are extremely well-chosen (not the ones always trotted out in history books), and in some cases, breath-taking -- due no doubt to the authors' access to a wealth of news images. In this sense, I think the book benefits greatly from the joining of a major media figure with a respected journalist. My two boys, 9 and 12, find this endlessly fascinating, and we've had some spirited and sophisticated dinnertime conversations. This is valuable stuff and, I think, a brave book.

That said, I've read some of the previous reviews and find them baffling. Kids enjoy reading about the conflicts and drama that have led to present-day life. My own awareness of the complicated horrors and triumphs of WWII as a child, through my father's stories and literature, opened my eyes to what society is capable at its best and worst, in a way my bland textbooks never did. I agree that some of the images and text might be strong for a 9-year-old. But as a parent, I've learned several lessons: (1) common sense must be exercised; it is always a good idea to pick up the book and look through it BEFORE buying it to determine appropriateness; (2) that the term "9-to-12" is a marketing category for booksellers -- to distinguish books from, say, picture books or YA material. To hold the book accountable for being appropriate for every child in this range is plain silly; and (3) if it ain't right, wait. A 9-year-old becomes 10, 11, 12 very fast.

This book is excellent. The hundreds of pictures in this book alone could vividly describe what the twentieth century was like in America. I especially enjoyed how the book contained descriptions of the events by the people that were affected by them. Jennings and Brewster also did a great job in describing the first and second World Wars.

I own three timelines, and this is probably my favorite of the three. Unlike other reviewers, I don't find this book to be a chronicle of "gloom and doom" exclusively-anyone can see that events such as the invention of the car, the era of movie theaters, the 1969 Apollo flight, and the prosperity of the Fifties are covered as well in this book. The thing that I really appreciate about this book is the testimonies of people who really had a part in the events. I found it interesting to read an Indiana man's explanation of the appeal and seeming harmlessness of the Ku Klux Klan, and thought it enlightening to read a German girl's description how Hitler was allowed to "go as far" as he did in Germany. In between the numerous personal accounts of events are generous portions of factual writing. I think the authors did a great job of thoroughly describing important happenings without moving into too much overwhelming detail. This book really transcends its "ages 9-12" label-my whole family has enjoyed it and there is something new in it for everyone.

This book was recommended by a Charlotte Mason Homeschool I belong to. However, the emphasis on certain issues in the 80s and 90s may be troubling for some Christian parents. The narratives in the book are excellent and the book is not boring. There are some tough issues you need to review and be able to talk at length with your children (i.e., AIDS). I don't agree with some of the things emphasized (the OJ Simpson trial) and not mentioned (Pope John Paul's role in Poland's shaking off the yoke of communism and bringing down the iron curtain).

This book explains everything, from Martin Luther King to Bill Gates (well maybe not everything). It contains about a page to four in one chapter about true people telling their lives during that event. This book even has stories from things about world war one. This book does not go into great detail but it does tell the story so this makes it a good history book for 3-5 graders. If you like history then i recomend this book to you.

Although my review of this book involved browsing through it rather quickly, I found some of the subject matter to be inappropriate for the age level specified (9-12). It speaks of the Holocaust (which is to be expected) and troubles in the Ukraine under Stalin (where there is specific mention of cannibalism/fishing a woman's head out of a lake). I am returning all three copies as I feel the content is too graphic for the three nine year olds I purchased this for.

I must say that as a future history teacher, I am pleased with the choice of events in the timeline for this book. Jennings and Brewster do a decent job outlining the basic facts of the most important events of the 20th century.

I would also like to point out that this would be an excellent source for young readers who may want to get a small taste of American history. The first-hand accounts given by people who lived during this time are riveting and they truly give readers a taste of what it was like to experience history as it was happening.

However, there were some omissions in this book that bothered me as I was reading. For example, the section about the Vietnam War was very bothersome. It seemed to me that the only thing that was focused on was the negative losses Americans suffered. And conversely, battles like the Tet Offensive were left out of the book and not even mentioned (for those that may not know, the Tet Offensive was the most successful attack American forces participated in while in Vietnam). To me, it's obvious that the authors want to leave a bad taste in the reader's mouth about Vietnam. Sure, we were unsuccessful, but there is no mention of any success we had.

One other error that is somewhat hidden is the section dealing with the Watergate Scandal. After giving a brief synopsis of what happened to President Nixon, the book states that Nixon's vice president (Gerald Ford) was sworn in after Nixon's departure. However, the book fails to mention that Spiro Agnew (Nixon's original VP) was forced to resign from office due to charges of tax evasion and money laundering (when he was the governor of Maryland).

If I were to recommend this book to young readers, I would defintely tell them to focus on the first-hand accounts that were given. But to the adult, be wary of what you read and cross-reference this book with other sources. I'm not saying that this book is awful in its reporting. The facts that they do give are true. However, there seems to be some bias in the selection of facts that were reported. Overall, this book was an average synopsis of the 20th century, but definitely not the best out there.

THE CENTURY for young people is a brillant book. With well taken pictures and interesting pages. I advise it for anyone.
It told me many things I did not know about. Going form Panama Canal to the Prohibition. It shows the sad experiences of the Jewish people to the Great Depression.
It is not all doom and gloom it shows landing on the moon to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Though it does show the Wars we had in the 20th century.
In it there is paragraghs of people who ACTUALLY experienced it. Not many people were there when the Wright Brother made the first the airplane.

It shows how diffrent our world is from the Great Depression to the death of Princess Diana.
It is a very educational book. I advise it to adults too. Top notch. Hope you like it too.

I may be mistaken, but I believe the book is marketed to kids in GRADES 9-12, not ages 9-12. That could clear up some of the issues regarding content and images being too graphic for young kids. I know that the homeschool sites I use have all recommended it for high school students, not any younger than that.

Just as in the adult version of The Century there are many informative pictures that help students understand our history. We use the video series to introduce various decades in the 20th century. This book helps to reinforce the information presented. Students enjoy looking at the pictues and reading about them.