Customer Reviews

Marco Polo for Kids: His Marvelous Journey to China, 21 Activities (For Kids series)

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This has to be one of the best activity / history combinations I have yet seen. I used this book as curriculum for my homeschool, 4th, 5th & 7th grades. My two highschool age kids have even joined in the fun.

There are fairly complex activities, such as weaving a wall hanging, and less complex ones as well, such as making yogurt. My children have thoroughly enjoyed this unit on Marco Polo.

Ms. Herbert truly makes Marco Polo's journey come alive with pertinent activities, stories, tidbits, and asides. I also love how she starts with the perpective of one individual, on a personal basis, then leans out further into history, drawing the interest of the child further & further along, to a much broader perspective, then back to one on one with Marco Polo again. Most importantly, she does NOT leave God out of the equation; rather she dances about with it, allowing parents to delve into the religious aspects as they please, to the extent they please. While religion is not an overwhelming factor, it IS taken into consideration, and I believe any religion would feel comfortable with how she has tastefully addressed it.

This series is great for kids--lots of great information and hands-on science and art activities that are easy to do around the house. The reading content is somewhat difficult--more for the 4th grade and up. Even my 8th grader likes to read them!

This book provides an open-minded perspective on cultures Marco Polo encountered, although it is superficial in some of its comparisons. Includes sidebars on hominid fossils and how to arrange your room according to Feng Shui principles.