Review: Awesome History-Oriented Fantasy Book For Tweens and Teens
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 9, 2014
After reading the short synopsis of this book I knew I had to give it a try. My kiddos ages fourteen and sixteen are currently doing a lot of hystery-oriented projects in school. In my home education is a huge focus, but I don't believe in many stereotypical practices. I like learning to be fun. With this novel my intent was to intertwine social studies and literature by reading a fiction novel that is based on artifacts.I'm a foster mom and my kids usually aren't the same race as me. I like finding books with cultural and racial diversity, as too many are based solely on white characters. This books three main characters are all of different backgrounds and ethnicities. Like I mentioned, this is something I find vitally important in a book, as it makes it more relatable to my kiddos. All three of the kids also come from different backgrounds, which I think allows each individual kid to relate to at least one of the three main characters. I find that in children's literature the ability for a kid to be able to relate with a main character can largely determine whether or not they enjoy the book. I'm happy to say both of my kids who read this book with me talked openly about being able to relate to at least one of the characters for most of the story- and sometimes all of them.I supplement public schooling with a lot of homeschooling and one thing I teach my older kids is how to make money online- I feel like it opens up possibilities for them. The main characters in this book end up selling the artifacts they find on eBay; which I found to be a very modern theme that the kids could relate to (having also learned to sell things on eBay). But- what I also loved about the story is that there is a tinge of underlying 'anti-greed' to the book. Teaching my kids to be resourceful but not obsessed with money is extremely important to me. And I loved that this book preached a lesson of appreciating things not for their monetary cost but for the sentimental value they hold. Essentially what happens in the story is that three kids find artifacts on a school trip. As with most humans one of the first thoughts is to exchange the artifacts for dollars. But, alas, fate has bigger plans for them- and they end up on a journey that takes them into a fantasy of events involving a deeper insight to the artifacts they found. The book has a lot of unique themes that I really enjoyed including the importance of working with your friends (rather than constantly competing with them) and the universally cultural ties of superstitions (we all have them, don't we?).A few things that I used this book to teach were:-The importance of historical items not for their financial worth, but for the knowledge they can tell us.-Be weary of trusting people who's main focus is money- as greed is often more powerful than a man's word.-All people of different backgrounds, cultures, and races may differ in traditions and beliefs- but all have many similar traits that make us the wonderful thing we are; human.My kids and I had a lot of fun reading this book together. The story was well-written and age appropriate for kids ages 12 to 18, although people of all ages could enjoy it. A bit of the vocabulary may be a bit challenging for twelve year olds, but well-endowed readers will be able to get through it just fine. Highly recommend!