Young History Buffs Will Love the New Book, "Alexander Graham Bell for Kids" - A Hands-On Introduction to Inventor and His Work (Review)

Disclosure:  I was sent a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

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My youngest daughter loves history.  Her dream is to one day be a middle or high school history teacher, so she can share all about the amazing people she has been learning about, along with their work.  It is weird having a child so into history like she is, as history was one of my least favorite subjects in school. :-)  But, I am finding that through her love of history and learning all about events, people and places, that I am learning all over again.  And, now that I am older, I guess I am appreciating what I am learning, and find it fascinating, and can see how people like Alexander Graham Bell have been crucial in shaping our country with their inventions.

Recently, we were sent "Alexander Graham Bell for Kids: His Life and Inventions, with 21 Activities" by Mary Kay Carson.  This book was released back in June, and has 144 pages, filled with fun facts, photographs, and more all about this famous inventor. What I loved about this book, like the two previous IPG Books I just shared a review on (the NYC and Boston History for Kids books) is that this one also comes with 21 hands-on activities that make learning about Alexander Graham Bell that much more fun.  Both of my girls are hands-on learners, and have really taken to these types of books.  

This book not only includes the 21 hands-on activities, but has a nice timeline of Bell's life, as well as list of online resources to continue the learning beyond this book.  We are really enjoying this book, which will have kids (and adults) better appreciating Bell's remarkable accomplishments and his work that go beyond just his telephone invention.  Did you know he worked alongside Helen Keller and aviators Glenn Curtiss and Samuel P. Langley?...and that he competed alongside the Wright Brothers and Thomas Edison with inventions he was working on?  These are some of the fascinating things you were learn about when you pick up this book, and share with your child(ren).  Who knew history could be so much fun?! :-)

More about this book:

"A hands-on introduction to this inventor and his most important works

Alexander Graham Bell invented not only the telephone, but also early versions of the phonograph, the metal detector, airplanes, and hydrofoil boats. This Scottish immigrant was also a pioneering speech teacher and a champion of educating those with hearing impairments, work he felt was his most important contribution to society.      

This unique biography includes a time line, a list of online resources, and 21 engaging hands-on activities to better appreciate Bell's remarkable accomplishments. "

Kids will: 

     

• Construct a Pie Tin Telegraph and a Pizza Box Phonograph           
• "See" and "feel" sound by building simple devices           
• Communicate using American Sign Language           
• Send secret messages using Morse code           
• Investigate the properties of ailerons on a paper airplane          
• Build and fly a tetrahedral kite           
• And more!"

Disclosure:  I was sent a review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

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New York City History for Kids + Boston History for Kids Make for Great Travel/History Companions for Kids During Upcoming Trips to these Wonderful Cities - Includes 21 Hands-On Activities for Kids, Too!

Disclosure:  I was sent review copies from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

Planning a trip to the East Coast soon, particular to visit Boston or New York City?  If you are, and are looking to turn it into a fun, educational trip, then you will want to pick up "New York City History for Kids: From New Amsterdam to the Big Apple" or "Boston History for Kids: From Red Coats to Red Sox".  These two books by Richard Panchyk and published by Chicago Review Press (distributed by IPG), are filled with both history of each location, as well as 21 hands-on activities kids can do to better understand each city's culture, politics and geography.

In the New York City book, kids will be able to build a replica of Fort Amsterdam, paint a Dutch fireplace tile, play a game of stickball, make a genuine NY Bagel, and take a walking tour of City Hall Park and Fifth Avenue through the activities included in the book.  And, when they are not doing these fun, educational activities, they can read through the pages of this book, which includes a time-line, list of historical sites to visit or explore both in person and online, as well as sharing additional web resources for further study.

The Boston History for Kids book is set up just like the New York City one.  In this book, kids will have fun designing a museum display of historical items, drawing a facade of a Federal style mansion, writing a poem in the style of Ralph Waldo Emerson, baking a Boston cream pie, taking a tour along the Freedom Trail, and creating a nautical chart like those of Boston Harbor.  

The author, Richard Panchyk, does a great job in covering major events that occurred in each city, while also chronicling the lives of famous and infamous people that left a mark on Boston or NYC.  We are lucky enough to live in between both of these cities - with Boston being an hour away and NYC being 2 1/5 hours away.  Even though we don't have any planned tripped to visited for an extended period, we still like to do day trips to each, especially around the holidays when the decorations are up.  These books really are great learning tools to teach kids of all ages about these famous cities and landmarks and people that make them important places that have popped up in history books.  From the Boston Marathon attack and Tea Party in Boston to the Tweed Ring and Statue of Liberty, these books will not only educate kids (and adults), but get them ready for fun-filled adventures when they visit Boston or NYC.  My girls can't wait to see some of the landmarks featured in each book up close, and are already talking about doing a weekend getaway to each next summer, so that they can explore each more, based on things they have marked in the book to wanting to see or learn more about.

Who knew that learning about places like Boston and NYC could be so much?  These books are perfect for young historian buffs, homeschool families, or families looking for a kid-friendly educational trip to Boston and/or NYC in the future, that most travel books don't offer content on, in terms that young kids can understand and follow along with.

You can learn more about these two books, which are available online through Amazon, as well as in many bookstores, by heading over to https://www.ipgbook.com/.


Disclosure:  I was sent review copies from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All views shared are mine and mine alone.

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