Sunday, February 11, 2007
Adventures of Marco Polo by Russell Freedman
This is a superior piece of bookmaking and a story well worth reading. Freedman's account of Marco Polo's daring adventures should hold the attention of even the most reluctant readers of non fiction. He writes simply but never condescendingly. The book's pages look like parchment paper and every double page spread contains at least one illustration. There are lush paintings by the illustrator and many colorful images from historical illuminated manuscripts. Perhaps the most valuable chapter is the last, titled "Did Maro Polo Go to China?" In it the author discusses current scholarly theories about the Polos and whether they ever actually made it all the way to China. This could engender a lively discussion about how we decide what to believe about the past. The topic fits well into both 6th and 7th grade social studies curricula. Starred reviews in Booklist and SLJ.
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2 comments:
I agree with Brucie that this is a wonderful account of Marco Polo's travels to China and the last chapter is the most important and will awe readers. The illustrations on the parchment type paper add to the "flavor" of the book.
The dust jacket was beautiful, as were the maps. I personally enjoyed the book and so am glad it has a home in middle school. I want it for our collection, too, even as I can't imagine lots of my fifth graders reading it.
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