World War I for Kids

March 15, 2014
A comprehensive study of the Great War, emphasizing the changes the war brought and how it shaped our modern world. World War I destroyed empires, gave Hitler grievances to exploit in his rise to power and made the United States a world power. Rasmussen offers a challenging volume that doesn't ignore the complexities of history, beginning with a look at Europe in 1914, what triggered the conflict and the complicated alliances that pulled nations into the war. The study is full of archival photographs, extensive sidebars on related topics such as the Christmas truce and Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, and reproductions of posters, newspaper ads and charts. Curiously absent are maps that could help readers follow the ebb and flow of battles. As in other volumes in the For Kids series, the combination of a serious historical text with kid-friendly activities creates a disconnect: The text works for older middle school readers, but they are likely to find the activities childish or even condescending. The challenging text is engaging by itself without the enticement to make gas masks, parachutes, stew and war bread. A solid exploration of a horrific war that unfortunately didn't turn out to be "the war to end all wars." (timeline, resources, source notes, glossary, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

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May 1, 2014

Gr 4-8-In the introduction, the author explains that when studying wars, looking at winners and losers is less crucial than examining the overall effects. This book does so in an organized, thorough, and accessible fashion. It also covers causes, public reaction, war tactics, animals on the battlefield, the role of women and African Americans, the daily life of soldiers, and more. Occasional sidebars highlight tangential information, such as an excerpt from a soldier's letter, a mini-bio of nurse Edith Cavell, and so on. Though there are a variety of related activities described (training a dog to carry messages, making a model gas mask out of cardboard and bubble wrap, reading a World War I-era adventure novel), they are questionable in their educational usefulness, feasibility, or desirability. Throughout, readers will find a plethora of black-and-white archival photographs reflecting the diverse aspects of World War I: battles at sea, in the air, and on the ground; soldiers in trenches; key military men and politicians; and so on. The gruesome nature of a few of the images might be tough viewing for some young readers, such as a photo depicting a dead soldier tangled up in a barbed wire trap. An engaging start for students learning about World War I.-Jennifer Prince, Buncombe County Public Libraries, NC

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2014
Grades 6-9 From the History with 21 Activities series, this wide-format book presents WWI. Rasmussen offers a good overview of the war, a vivid picture of daily life in the trenches, and many examples of how technology changed warfare between 1914 and 1918. Even students who are unenthusiastic about warfare will find themselves intrigued by chapters such as Animals Go to War, which spotlights the roles of horses, dogs, and carrier pigeons. In addition to columns of text, the pages also carry sidebars, captioned black-and-white photos, and activities such as Train a Dog to Carry a Message and Make a Model Gas Mask. While the reading level will be challenging for many middle-school students, those in high school may be put off by the word kids in the title. Still, this 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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)