LlamaMama Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 I recently discovered the biographies by Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire. So far, I've read "Columbus" to my five year old and she's read "Abraham Lincoln" and "George Washington" on her own. I'm wondering how much to trust these books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 IMHO, not too much. I remember the Columbus books had the flat earth myth in it. Really, sailors and scholars knew the world was round. Columbus thought it was much smaller than it actually is and he would have been lost at sea if there wasn't a continent in the middle of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. That doesn't mean we won't read the D'Aulaire books. They're more the "mythology" of great people rather than the unvarnished truth, but there will be plenty of time to point out the blemishes of historical figures later when my kids are more mature and can understand the nuances. For K-2, D'Aulaire strikes the right chord for me, but YMMV. You can also google anything that sounds fishy or read an encyclopedia entry before the book just for your own information and correct what you want to correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 They're literature, not history books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyful Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 I'm so glad to read this thread! When I did a search of our library's catalogue, I saw those books, and was thinking of borrowing them for my kids to read thinking that they might be good biographies... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karenciavo Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 That doesn't mean we won't read the D'Aulaire books. For K-2, D'Aulaire strikes the right chord for me, but YMMV. You can also google anything that sounds fishy or read an encyclopedia entry before the book just for your own information and correct what you want to correct. I agree with Julianna. Yes, they are romanticized, but my ds6 reads them aloud to me and we discuss. We read Buffalo Bill this week and were able to discuss the myth of the wild west, cowboys, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna T. Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 They're literature, not history books. I agree. I have all of them and we enjoy them. But, I'm skeptical. I doubt some of the content but they are nice stories and the pictures are great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LlamaMama Posted March 28, 2009 Author Share Posted March 28, 2009 Thanks for the feedback. The books are engaging and colorful, but I wanted to check with the WTM history buffs regarding the content. You're right that we have many years get all the details correct. For now, I think we'll continue to read them to give an interesting introduction to those famous people. I think the Beautiful Feet company also has one on Pocahontas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nestof3 Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 I got rid of the George Washington one. I couldn't stand how it made the slaves seem so cheery and how the story made it seem so right. If my children are old enough to learn about George Washington, they're old enough to know about slavery. While they're fun to read, they are very euro-centric. We're just so big on history and thinking through it that my nine year old already balks at sugar-coated history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LlamaMama Posted March 28, 2009 Author Share Posted March 28, 2009 I haven't looked through that one yet (The George Washington one). I normally don't let my daughter read through things that I haven't scanned first, but I did this time. Thanks for the heads-up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 This topic has come up with the Genevieve Foster books for older kids, too. Her books are lit, not history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Jenn~ Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 100% historically accurate..maybe not so much. But I just can't resist those yummy illustrations!:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB in NJ Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 Thanks for the feedback. The books are engaging and colorful, but I wanted to check with the WTM history buffs regarding the content. You're right that we have many years get all the details correct. For now, I think we'll continue to read them to give an interesting introduction to those famous people. I think the Beautiful Feet company also has one on Pocahontas. Sounds like a good plan. btw, the illustration of Lincoln's house (the interior) is really spot on! We were standing in the man's hallway, looking into his living room, and had the book open to the page that illustrated the same scene. They did a good job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reya Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 It's very elementary school history, but I gave up about a year ago on not giving into history myths! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 You're right that we have many years get all the details correct. Ime, when kids are exposed to incorrect information, it tends to stick with them even if/when it is corrected at a later date, so I try to avoid the misinformation in the first place. Tara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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