I got this book some months back on pre-order after I heard all of the buzz the British version got. I had the lofty goal of reviewing a section each week with my son, but who knew that 2 year olds weren’t so interested in the reasons behind the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
It’s a throwback to the days of youth, if you’re over 30 or so. Or a rebellion against the current politically correct child rearing attitude that says that your kids must be protected from all harm no matter the cost. Not that I’m saying that this movement is bad. I love that my kids watch Dora and Diego, because looking back at even the “gentle” cartoons of our youth — Casper wasn’t all that friendly, you know!
The book is packed with short sections on historical events, practical skills, games, activities, literature, you name it. Many things bring back good memories — these definitely are things that I want to pass on to my son’s generation.
Some sample sections: building a treehouse, ciphers, making crystals, famous battles, making a periscope, coin tricks, timers and tripwires, the rules of rugby (cricket was removed from this Americanized version), marbles, Seven Wonders of the World.
