Boston History for Kids: From Red Coats to Red Sox, with 21 Activities

by Richard Panchyk, Michael Dukakis (Foreword by)

Overview

Few American cities are as steeped in history as Boston. Starting with its Native American and Puritan roots, through its pivotal role in the Revolutionary War and its many contributions to art and literature, Boston has earned its reputation as a modern, cultural metropolis. This mix of old and new makes Boston a fascinating place to learn about and explore.

Boston History for Kids spans 400 years of history, covering many of the major events that have occurred, from witch hunts to an unexpected earthquake, from the Tea Party to the Great Fire, from the Civil War to the Boston Marathon attack. Author Richard Panchyk chronicles the lives of Bostonians both famous and infamous—and many colorful characters that readers may not yet know.

This lively history also includes a time line, a list of online resources, and 21 engaging hands-on activities to better appreciate this Massachusetts city. Kids will:

• Take a tour along the Freedom Trail
• Write a poem in the style of Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Create a nautical chart like those of Boston Harbor
• Bake a Boston cream pie
• Design a museum display of historic items
• Draw the facade of a Federal style mansion
• And more!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781613737125
Publisher:	Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	04/01/2018
Series:	Chicago Review Press For Kids Series , #67
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	304,718
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Richard Panchyk is the author of New York City History for Kids, Baseball History for Kids, and World War II for Kids. Michael Dukakis served three terms as governor of Massachusetts and was the 1988 Democratic nominee for president.
 

Editorial Reviews

"A very special, historical experience for students, absorbing them with imaginative, hands on activities as they learn about the realities of boisterous Boston and its large slice of American history. You don't have to be a Red Sox fan to love this gripping and illustrative narrative of real life. Better than any tourist booklet, Boston History for Kids, by Richard Panchyk, will entice you to visit Bean Town and its memorable allures" - Ralph Nader
 

From the Publisher

04/01/2018
Gr 4–8—This resource covers 400 years of Boston history, with an emphasis on time periods before the 20th century. One thread throughout the overview concerns xenophobia: in the 1700s, Bostonians looked upon Irish immigrants with disdain and suspicion. The wealth of information connects a wide range of historical people, places, and events and is complemented with historic photographs. The author includes 21 intriguing activities, from making a time capsule or a Boston cream pie to becoming a headline writer or an archeologist. The projects serve to personalize the covered information by giving readers hands-on projects to help them understand topics. The back matter and index will assist readers in targeting their interests for research and browsing. VERDICT School libraries with an interest in Boston may want to consider.—Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego

School Library Journal

2018-02-03
Panchyk offers a 400-year history of Boston, covering the arrival of European settlers through the Boston Marathon bombing.The book's timeline begins in 1614 with Capt. John Smith exploring the Massachusetts coast. Chapter 1, "Roots," describes the first European settlers and their arrival in Massachusetts, Boston's geology, and the origins of the city's name. Native Americans are mentioned only once in passing, until the last page of the chapter, which offers an activity that discusses the origins of the name Massachusetts and encourages readers to search for Native names of places near them and to see "which tribes lived in your area in centuries past." Chapter 2, "Early Roots," describes early Colonial government and laws, the 1638 earthquake, the smallpox outbreak, and the witch trials. A small column tells of the banning of Native Americans from Boston in 1675 after King Philip's War, a ban that was not repealed until 2005, and the mass jailing of Native people on the harbor's islands. Chapters on the Revolution, the post-Revolution period of development and immigration, and modern Boston detail major events, development of the city, and cultural notes, with almost all of the highlights placing the contributions of white Americans at the center. Suggested activities range in nature from creative writing (write a poem inspired by Emerson, write newspaper headlines) to science (an archaeological dig), architecture, and math (home-run percentage). Some of the activities offer a deeper level of critical thinking suitable for older children, while others are simplistic.With its generous sampling of primary sources and detailed accounts of historical events, this volume offers much for the young history enthusiast, but it misses an opportunity to incorporate Indigenous people and non-Europeans in a meaningful way. (timeline, resources, index) (Nonfiction. 9-14)

Kirkus Reviews