World War I for Kids: a History With 21 Activities

Description

One hundred years after the start of the "Great War," World War I for Kids provides an intriguing and comprehensive look at this defining conflict that involved all of the world's superpowers. Why and how did the war come about? What was daily life like for soldiers in the trenches? What roles did zeppelins, barbed wire, and the passenger ship Lusitania play in the war? Who were Kaiser Wilhelm, the Red Baron, and Edith Cavell? Young history buffs will learn the answers these questions and many others, including why the western front bogged down into a long stalemate; how the war ushered in an era of rapid military, technological, and societal advances; and how the United States' entry helped end the war. Far from a dry catalog of names, dates, and battles, this richly illustrated book goes in depth into such fascinating topics as turn-of-the-20th-century weaponry and the important roles animals played in the war, and explains connections among events and how the war changed the course of history. Hands-on activities illuminate both the war and the times. Kids can: * Make a periscope * Teach a dog to carry messages * Make a parachute * Learn a popular World War I song * Cook Maconochie Stew * And much more

R. Kent Rasmussen is the author of several bestselling books on Mark Twain, including Mark Twain A to Z, which won the ALA's award for adult reference work, Mark Twain's Book for Bad Boys and Girls, and The Quotable Mark Twain. He is also the author of Farewell to Jim Crow, a New York Public Library Best Book for Teens. He lives in Thousand Oaks, California.

"A comprehensive study of the Great War, emphasizing the changes the war brought and how it shaped our modern world." -- Kirkus Reviews "Makes a useful addition to many collections, and a particularly interesting feature in the back matter is a list of WWI films, from Charlie Chaplin's silent Shoulder Arms to the recent War Horse ." --Booklist "The inclusion of accompanying activities would make this a particularly useful volume for teachers looking to incorporate such activities into their lessons. This would be an essential purchase for most public libraries." --YA Books Central "Rasmussen offers a challenging volume that doesn't ignore the complexities of history ..." --Kirkus Reviews "[World War I for Kids] explains the war without talking down to kids." -- Austin American-Statesman "Every so often a really outstanding book comes along for younger readers. When a book like World War I for Kids comes along, it offers an opportunity that a parent should embrace." --Bookreviews by Alan Caruba "Organized, thorough, and accessible. An engaging start for students learning about World War I." -- School Library Journal "This is a great resource to have for your history library. It's engaging and not too text-bookish. As an unschooling family it was right up our alley, even as high schoolers. I wish I had all the books in this series." --Mama Kautz "Highly recommended, especially for middle grade school library and children's public library collections." --The Midwest Book Review "I imagine that this book, and its companion World War II for Kids: A History with 21 Activities (For Kids series) will be very popular in my 5th grade classroom." --A Year of Reading "Makes a useful addition to many collections...Even students who are unenthusiastic about warfare will find themselves intrigued by chapters such as "Animals Go to War ..." --Booklist "This is a great resource to have for your history library. It's engaging and not too text-bookish. As an unschooling family it was right up our alley, even as high schoolers. I wish I had all the books in this series." --Mama Kautz "[Rasmussen] explains what happened in clear, concise language, presenting the information in a way that encourages thought, reflection and perhaps additional reading." --KidsReads.com "From the first to last chapter, the reader takes a front row seat into a world at war. Rasmussen made this book interesting and relevant, whetting the student's appetite for more. The author had the foresight to provide a list of websites, allowing the student to further explore any aspect of the war he or she wishes." Naval Historical Foundation "An impressive yet manageable overview of the Great War. This is a well conceived book, and one with a trove of good artwork." -- American History magazine