In And the Winner Is…: A Guide to Newbery Medal Winners from a Christian Perspective, Barb Brandes and Deb Ekstrand note that “The first three chapters present evolution as the start of mankind and this ‘beginning’ is referred to throughout the book.” The chapter on “The Age of Science,” is very pro-Darwin. Also, there are a few historical errors, mostly things which were once almost universally thought to be true but which have been shown to be false by later research. Perhaps a better title would have been The Story of Western Civilization, but this should be no big problem. This book was written for Americans, and our background as a society is NOT based on Asian, African, or even Meso-American culture but on Western Culture. The first is that it is almost unforgiveably “Euro-centric,” with Asia, Africa, and South America mentioned only as they have contact with European interests. Two major criticisms have been leveled at the book.
And what is meant to be humorous may occasionally seem to poke fun at things which many people feel are quite serious. The fact that it is designed for children means that some degree of oversimplification occurs at times with coverage so shallow as to be misleading. However, even plusses can have their minuses. From a positive standpoint, it is written in an interesting and engaging fashion that is intended to be understood by and appeal to children through the use of humor with short chapters for easy reading.
This book, winner of the first John Newbery Medal awarded in 1922, purports to be a history of the world. updated edition published in 1984 by Liveright Publishing Corporation, 500 Fifth Ave., New York City, NY 10110). The Story of Mankind (originally published in 1921 by Boni and Liveright Inc. No other compensation has been received for the reviews posted on Home School Book Review. Any books donated to Home School Book Review for review purposes are in turn donated to a library. Recommended reading level: Ages 12 and upĭisclosure: Many publishers and/or authors provide free copies of their books in exchange for an honest review without requiring a positive opinion. (1=nothing objectionable 2=common euphemisms and/or childish slang terms 3=some cursing and/or profanity 4=a lot of cursing and/or profanity 5=obscenity and/or vulgarity) Publisher: Liveright, latest edition 1999 Authorand Illustrator: Hendrik Willem van Loon
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