Do People Grow on Family Trees?: Genealogy for Kids and Other Beginners, The Official Ellis Island Handbook [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Ira Wolfman (Author), Michael Klein (Illustrator), Alex Haley (Foreword)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

An exciting genealogical primer, do people grow on family trees? combines activities, history, photographs, illustrations, and reminiscences. Suitable for ages 8-12. 121,000 copies in print.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up-- Readable and interesting, full of intriguing stories, this guide is also visually attractive, with large print and many photographs and sidebars. Wolfman begins with the purposes of genealogy and then provides the how-tos, discussing heirlooms, photographs, oral histories, vital records and other documents, and more. There is a great deal of material on immigration, but it is unfortunately scattered throughout the book rather than grouped together as a unit. In addition, Wolfman has nothing on timelines, and the chapter on names is placed toward the end rather than at the beginning. Sample pedigree charts, family groups sheets and correspondence logs (which can be photocopied), addresses for birth and death records, and applications for federal records are included in the appendix. Cooper's Where Did You Get Those Eyes? (Walker, 1988), for slightly younger children, takes a very simple, project-oriented approach, and has no information on immigration. Perl's The Great Ancestor Hunt (Clarion, 1989), much better organized than Wolfman's book, has a more thorough discussion of heredity vs. environment, and includes a history of genealogy and record-keeping; she only supplies the basics, though, while Wolfman is far more detailed and specific on the hows, wheres, and whens of genealogical research. --Ann W. Moore, formerly at Lane Road Library, Columbus, OH
Copyright 1992 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

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; illustrated edition edition (January 6, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0894803484
• ISBN-13: 978-0894803482
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #171,609 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Genealogy Starting Point for Kids and Others, October 26, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Do People Grow on Family Trees?: Genealogy for Kids and Other Beginners, The Official Ellis Island Handbook (Paperback)

This book brings the study of genealogy alive by intertwining the author's own family search with the common experience of many of us to find our own roots and beginnings. It sensitively handles cultural differences and origins and attempts to highlight specific events that affected particular immigrant groups.

The frequent use of biographical resources (photographs, documents, sidenotes) allows the reader to relate the discussion of genealogy to actual people and events in history. Since this is also called the "Official Ellis Island Handbook" this book additionally gives a very personal and thorough look at what it meant to be an immigrant and the experience that awaited many of our ancestors when they arrived in America.

I highly recommend this book not only for children but for anyone that desires a concise definition of the field of genealogy and family history. Its highly visual format and organization also make it a great classroom tool.