Kids Make History: A New Look at America's Story [Hardcover]

Susan Buckley (Author), Elspeth Leacock (Author), Randy Jones (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 30, 2006 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Feel what it is like to participate in history as you follow in the footsteps of the young men and women who lived it. You will survive a harsh James Towne winter and battle the Redcoats in a Long Island cornfield; you will carry letters on the Pony Express and plant crops with Laura Ingalls; you will stow away on a whaling ship and help in the defense after the attack on Pearl Harbor. With hundreds of visual and verbal facts, each story in Kids Make History has been thoroughly researched and meticulously illustrated.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4–8—This book introduces 20 children in extraordinary times, starting in 1607 with Pocahontas and ending in 2001 with 9/11 as experienced by high school senior Jukay Hsu. Laura Ingalls Wilder; John Rankin, Jr.; and Susie Baker, a young slave celebrating her independence in 1863, are among those included. The text and the highly detailed watercolor illustrations are married with numbers in small red boxes keyed to both elements for clarification. The authors use quotations and fictionalized dialogue, distinguishing between the two with quotes and single quotes. (Oddly, this coding is explained on the last spread, so kids won't know the difference as they read the book.) Often, readers will be left wanting to know more and will need to be directed to more in-depth accounts. A good browsing choice for children interested in American history.—Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY
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Review

"Perfect for daily reading aloud in history class, this useful resource will be a hit with teachers and student alike." Kirkus Reviews

A good browsing choice for children interested in American history.
School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; None edition (October 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618223290
• ISBN-13: 978-0618223299
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 11.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,021,772 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, October 11, 2006

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kids Make History: A New Look at America's Story (Hardcover)

At first glance, you might mistake KIDS MAKE HISTORY as a children's book. After further inspection, though, you'll realize that this great title in the A NEW LOOK AT AMERICA'S STORY series is a wonderful fact-based reference book for anyone, regardless of age.

There are twenty true stories included in this book, all featuring kids who helped make history. Spanning the years from 1607 to 2001, each story includes a young adult who made a difference in one or another--and, in some cases, even managed to have an impact on historical events.

Powhatan's Favorite Daughter (1607)--The real story of Pocohantas.

James Towne Boy (1608)--The story of Sam Collier, a boy from James Towne.

Evil in the Air (1692)--Ann Putnam, a girl from Salem Village.

Kidnapped (1743)--Peter Williamson, an indentured servant.

Yankee Doodle Soldier (1776)--The story of Joseph Plumb Martin, a soldier in the Continental Army.

The House on the Hill (1838)--John Rankin, Jr., a young hero of the Underground Railroad.

"Never Take No Cutoffs" (1846)--Virginia Reed, a young member of the Donner Party.

Pony Rider (1854)--The story of Nick Wilson, a Pony Express rider.

Pull-Up Boy (1860)--Marty Myers, who at age six began working at the Sligo Iron Works.

Working for Freedom (1863)--Susie Baker, a member of the First South Carolina Volunteers.

Pioneer Girl (1868)--The true story of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

"There Blows!" (1875)--George Fred Tilton, a young boy on a whaling ship.

"A Most Wonderful Sight" (1893)--Jane Sever, a visitor at the Chicago World's Fair.

High Jinks in the White House (1902)--The six children of Theodore and Edith Roosevelt.

Low Bridge! (1909)--Richard Garrity and his family's life aboard a canal boat.

Riding the Orphan Train (1926)--Al Clement, a young orphan picked from among others on a train.

Sunday Morning at Pearl Harbor (1941)--A young girl, Joan Zuber, lives through the attack on Pearl Harbor.

On the Circuit (1955)--Francisco Jimenez, a sixth-grader working in the cotton fields.

"It's About Freedom" (1963)--Malcolm Hooks, marching for equal rights.

9/11: The Day the Towers Fell (2001)--Two high school students, Jukay Hsu and Amit Friedlander, experience 9/11.

This is a great book for anyone interested in history, and especially the roles that young adults have played in making our country what it is today. A wonderful read!

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The lively presentation of real facts will encourage kids to learn., December 9, 2006

By 

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

This review is from: Kids Make History: A New Look at America's Story (Hardcover)

Two fine 'A New Look At America's Story' titles by Susan Buckley & Elspeth Leacock pack in hundreds of visual and verbal facts to appeal to readers in grades 4-6. JOURNEYS FOR FREEDOM tells of real people pursing freedom in this country, from those who journeyed across the country to George Washington's road to New York to be sworn in as President. In expanding the concept of different kinds of roads to freedom, this book teaches how freedom receives different interpretations and efforts. KIDS MAKE HISTORY surveys real kids, from the real Pocahontas and one Susie, a volunteer with the first regiment of black soldiers in the Civil War to Peter Williamson's kidnapping to a life at sea. History comes alive with young heroes and heroines at the helm of change. The lively presentation of real facts will encourage kids to learn.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Time Tales, December 7, 2006

By 

silverlightlee (Houston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kids Make History: A New Look at America's Story (Hardcover)

Looking for the perfect gift for a youngster that you will enjoy as much as the recipient does? Try one of Buckley & Leacock's fabulous renderings of events in American history. The four books they have written (Kids Make History, Journeys for Freedom, Places in Time and Journeys in Time) weave a richly embroidered and at the same time historically accurate tapestry of the story of our nation's founding and continuing development. The authors have fastidiously researched and presented narratives that explain why we are proud to be Americans, with detailed maps and illustrations that are informative and entertaining accompaniments. These are books to be read again and again, cherished and kept forever.