Climbing Your Family Tree: Online and Off-Line Genealogy for Kids [Paperback]

Ira Wolfman (Author)

Book Description

In the ten years since the publication of Do People Grow on Family

Trees? (121,000 copies in print), the Internet has completely transformed genealogy, making family history the second most popular hobby in the U.S. after gardening and genealogy the second most searched for subject on the Web.

Now completely revised, updated, retitled, and filled with detailed guidance on utilizing the Internet, Climbing Your Family Tree is the comprehensive, kid-friendly genealogical primer for the 21st century, and a dramatic story of how and why our ancestors undertook the arduous voyages of immigration to this nation. It teaches kids to track down important family documents, including ships' manifests, naturalization papers, and birth, marriage, and death certificates; create oral histories; make scrapbooks of photos, sayings, and legends; and compile a family tree. A full chapter is devoted to the online search, and relevant Internet information has been incorporated into all the other chapters. Also new are more kids' genealogical stories and a reworked, easier-to-use design, and supporting the book will be a Web site that will include record-keeping pages, links to sites in the book, and more.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9-In this revised, updated edition of Do People Grow on Family Trees? (Workman, 1991), Wolfman enthusiastically and thoroughly covers all aspects of genealogy, from forms, heirlooms, interviews, and names to immigration, documents, adoption, and Internet resources. Numerous examples; helpful, amusing sidebars and illustrations; and clear instructions are found throughout the volume. Each of the 11 chapters begins with a summary and ends with a handy "To-Do List." The book even has a companion Web site that includes links to useful URLs, downloadable charts and checklists, tips, quizzes, and games. Unfortunately, the list for further reading relies heavily on old, out-of-print titles, and more up-to-date books are available. Still, Family Tree is the best children's book available on the subject, and will be profitable and inspiring to adults as well.
Ann W. Moore, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Ira Wolfman, the former editor-in-chief of Sesame Street Magazine, is a writer whose articles have appeared in Travel + Leisure, Redbook, Ms., and other publications. He is also the author of Climbing Your Family Tree.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761125396
• ISBN-13: 978-0761125396
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 8.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #459,581 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #54 in Books > Education & Reference > Genealogy > Online Research

More About the Author

I have been a writer/editor and genealogist for about 20 years. When I first discovered genealogy, I was amazed. Was it really possible that people had found documents and photographs and artifacts of their long-dead ancestors? Was it possible that I could find my own ancestors? I doubted it. My family members were all relative newcomers to the U.S. -- all four of my grandparents had arrived after 1900 from Eastern Europe. Weren't all the records destroyed during World War II? How could I possibly find anything older than my parents' birth certificates?

But I did. Over the next few years, I found that many records did indeed exist -- and I found lots of them! I was thrilled to go back over 200 years and uncover the names of my great-great-great-great grandparents! I learned an enormous amount about my grandparents' lives, for example. Even though I had known all four of them, I didn't know anything about when they married, where they had come from, when they arrived in this country. But tracing my family's history, I was able to learn and better understand them, even though they were no longer alive.

I found the process and the experience very rewarding. So I was thrilled when Workman gave me the opportunity to take all my knowledge and experiences and put them into a how-to books for kids -- and anyone else looking for a friendly introduction to the fun of finding out about your family history.

Genealogy grew out of my interest in learning about the world. Happily, I've been able to make that my career. I have been a journalist for over 20 years, writing and editing material for children and adults. I have worked primarily in educational publishing, for wonderful companies such as Weekly Reader and Sesame Street. I have also written for many notable publications, including Reader's Digest, Travel and Leisure, Ms., Spy, and Metropolis.

I've now written four books about genealogy, geography, and history. My most recent book is "Jewish New York: Notable Neighborhoods, Memorable Moments," which was published by Rizzoli/Universe in 2003. It is full of wonderful photos and memorabilia of the world that Jews made in New York City over the 350 years since the first Jewish immigrants arrived in New Amsterdam.

I welcome contact with any of my readers. You can reach me at [e-mail].

Happy Reading!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Packed with tips on how to become an ancestor detective, November 14, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Climbing Your Family Tree: Online and Off-Line Genealogy for Kids (Paperback)

Kids are invited to become sleuths into family history with Climbing Your Family Tree: Online And Off-Line Genealogy For Kids, a lively title, packed with tips on how to become an ancestor detective. From conducting interviews with family members to tracking down naturalization records, birth certificates, and regional history, Climbing Your Family Tree will appeal to all young readers who become fascinated with the fine art of genealogy.

5.0 out of 5 stars Genealogy for Kids, October 14, 2010

By 

Debbie History "history buff" (ME, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Climbing Your Family Tree: Online and Off-Line Genealogy for Kids (Paperback)

This book is a great introduction when starting your children to the subject of genealogy. Easy to understand, simple to follow.