A Kid's Guide to African American History: More than 70 Activities (A Kid's Guide series)

Chicago Review Press has a whole series of hands-on science and history books for kids, and all of them are chock full of useful and fun ideas. This book is no exception. Crafts, costumes, recipes, songs, stories, games, and more give a rich impression of both daily life and important historic events. This book is fun for homeschool families and very handy in the classroom. The book is divided up into chronological sections, with additional information on African civilizations and Kwanzaa. Each unit has background information and activities. I like the fact that, while the historical events are not romanticized, daily life is as often the focus as the important historical events and individuals. The section on plantation life, for example, includes directions for making musical instruments such as a washtub bass and a tambourine, plus songs to sing and games to play. This approach means that various activities can be pulled out for history lessons and for fun at home all year long.

In reading "A Kid's Guide to African American History," I have learned so much about African American history that brought back memories of my grandmother teaching us. I remember my grandmother, Dorothy Coleman, telling us about our family history, about the struggles and triumphs, and how our great-great-great grandfather was Thomas Jefferson. The story brought amazement to our ears and a complete history to our family. I would give this book 10 stars, and I recommend it to everyone!