Customer Reviews

Flat Earth? Round Earth?

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

 

 

How can a child (or anyone else for that matter) tell that the earth is really round? The main character in this book, in a rather charming story, sets out to do just that. He comes up with a number of ways that he (and any other observant person) can prove to himself the roundness of the earth.

My children were fascinated. It prompted them to seriously consider questioning other "common knowledge" and seeing if they could prove things for themself. The book did an excellent job teaching about hypotheses.

It's perhaps best for children in upper elementary school and junior high.

My almost 7 year old grandson loved this story!

I took off a star for being a bit over-lengthy in its explanation and for the teacher being pretty mean instead of patient with the little boy who just wanted to believe the earth was flat. She was, frankly, mean. It was she, not the story's hero, who should have explained all the ways we can know the earth is round, not flat and I suspect the writer's prejudices were shining through a little bit which I countered by telling my grandson, man, that teacher's mean -- to which he nodded. He's in 2nd grade so he already has some idea of mean teachers vs. nice teachers. (Due to a move during Kindergarten, he's had one of each and one in between; hopefully, his new teacher's on the nice side...)

That said the explanations make sense and are easily understandable even to an elematary school aged child. I learned from it because I did not know all the things brought up to show the Earth is round so it was interesting to me too. My grandson, who is somewhat hyperactive, did grow a bit impatient with the lengthiness of the explanations but was drawn back to hear the next one. If you have a child who doesn't like to sit still, might want to parse it down a bit when reading it to them.