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Welcome to Hands-on History, where the field trip comes to you. Hands-on History is available for historic presentations to students, Scouts, Historical Societies, or any group with an interest in Colonial era history.

News

Another Review: King George–What was his Problem?

Writer Steve Sheinkin used to write textbooks until he got fed up with the way his bosses took what he thought was a lot of fascinating stories about interesting people and turned them into the bland stuff that most people think of as “history.”

His book, King George: What was his Problem? is meant to be something of an apology for the insomnia-curing textbooks as well as a clever way to get kids interested in early American history. I think it’ll work. The book takes a very informal, conversational tone, as if Sheinkin is speaking directly to a fifth-grader. This is not to say that the subject matter is in any way “dumbed-down” or sanitized for young audiences. Quite the opposite; his own words are straightforward and simple, but he pulls no punches. He explicitly describes the fate of royal tax collector John Malcolm:

What was the worst part about getting tarred and feathered? Malcolm said the most painful part was trying to rip the tar off his burned body. He mailed a box of his tar and feathers, with bits of his skin still attached, to the British government in London. They sympathized. They sent him money.

The strength of this book comes not only from Sheinkin’s straight-talking style, but also from his extensive use of quotes from primary sources. The best way to understand an era is to read the writings of the people who lived in it. Sheinkin shows us their words, puts them in context, and turns the people of the founding era into folks modern students can relate to. They made mistakes. They argued amongst themselves. They worried about lunch. They nursed grudges. And they founded (or lost) a nation.

The extensive annotated bibliography will be useful for students of any age who want to follow up on anything touched on in this book. There is also a list of quotation notes showing where all of the “daring, clever, foolish, amazing, surprising, funny, and gross” quotes can be found.

If this book has any faults, they are that no mention is made of the fate of American loyalists, Native Americans are only mentioned once, and the paradox of slave-owning freedom-fighters is given less space than one might like (one page). On the other hand, if you’re going to cover the whole Revolution in just 177 pages (not including notes and index), you have to make some tough choices.

King George–What was his Problem? (ISBN-13:978-1-59643-319-9) retails for $19.95 in hardcover (somewhat less on Amazon), or try your local library.

Reviews

I keep meaning to post these reviews and I keep not doing it. This is unfortunate, because these webcomics are well-written, well-drawn, and definitely worth a look for anyone who’s even remotely interested in the American Revolution.

The Dreamer tells the story of Bea Whaley, a modern student who visits the Revolutionary era in her dreams. She dreams of actual events and real historical figures in spite of never having seriously studied the Revolution. Her limited real-world knowledge of history causes problems for her in the 1770s dream-world, while her experiences in the dream make her second-guess her modern life.

The story so far has Dream-Bea in the middle of an important battle. Students of history will know the general outcome of the battle, but what happens to the individuals involved is not predictable.

This comic might be useful to get students interested in RevWar history, and will appeal (I imagine) to middle-school students, girls especially, though I’m enjoying the story and I’m an adult man, so take that for what it’s worth.

My brief review doesn’t do justice to The Dreamer. Click the link, and read the comic from the beginning.

Loyalty and Liberty is an interesting look at the Revolution. It’s historical fiction with fewer real-world historical figures as speaking characters, but all of them have been drawn as anthropomorphic cats. The story so far has brought us to just before the confrontation on Lexington Green.

Initially, you might think that upper elementary students will be drawn to this comic while middle-schoolers and high-schoolers won’t enjoy it, but don’t be misled by the cats-in-coats. The art, writing, and so far, historical accuracy are all excellent and will appeal to older students as well. There are, however, a few issues with punctuation and word choice. If one forgives the style and mechanics issues, though, it’s a well-told story and worth a look.

There are a few other works (web comics, podcasts, books) I’ll be calling your attention to. Watch this space.



Archives: April 2009 February 2009 April 2008 December 2007 November 2007 September 2007 June 2007 May 2007 Search:	Welcome! Welcome to Hands-on History, where the field trip comes to you. Hands-on History is available for historic presentations to students, Scouts, Historical Societies, or any group with an interest in Colonial era history. News Another Review: King George–What was his Problem? Writer Steve Sheinkin used to write textbooks until he got fed up with the way his bosses took what he thought was a lot of fascinating stories about interesting people and turned them into the bland stuff that most people think of as “history.” His book, King George: What was his Problem? is meant to be something of an apology for the insomnia-curing textbooks as well as a clever way to get kids interested in early American history. I think it’ll work. The book takes a very informal, conversational tone, as if Sheinkin is speaking directly to a fifth-grader. This is not to say that the subject matter is in any way “dumbed-down” or sanitized for young audiences. Quite the opposite; his own words are straightforward and simple, but he pulls no punches. He explicitly describes the fate of royal tax collector John Malcolm: What was the worst part about getting tarred and feathered? Malcolm said the most painful part was trying to rip the tar off his burned body. He mailed a box of his tar and feathers, with bits of his skin still attached, to the British government in London. They sympathized. They sent him money. The strength of this book comes not only from Sheinkin’s straight-talking style, but also from his extensive use of quotes from primary sources. The best way to understand an era is to read the writings of the people who lived in it. Sheinkin shows us their words, puts them in context, and turns the people of the founding era into folks modern students can relate to. They made mistakes. They argued amongst themselves. They worried about lunch. They nursed grudges. And they founded (or lost) a nation. The extensive annotated bibliography will be useful for students of any age who want to follow up on anything touched on in this book. There is also a list of quotation notes showing where all of the “daring, clever, foolish, amazing, surprising, funny, and gross” quotes can be found. If this book has any faults, they are that no mention is made of the fate of American loyalists, Native Americans are only mentioned once, and the paradox of slave-owning freedom-fighters is given less space than one might like (one page). On the other hand, if you’re going to cover the whole Revolution in just 177 pages (not including notes and index), you have to make some tough choices. King George–What was his Problem? (ISBN-13:978-1-59643-319-9) retails for $19.95 in hardcover (somewhat less on Amazon), or try your local library. Reviews I keep meaning to post these reviews and I keep not doing it. This is unfortunate, because these webcomics are well-written, well-drawn, and definitely worth a look for anyone who’s even remotely interested in the American Revolution. The Dreamer tells the story of Bea Whaley, a modern student who visits the Revolutionary era in her dreams. She dreams of actual events and real historical figures in spite of never having seriously studied the Revolution. Her limited real-world knowledge of history causes problems for her in the 1770s dream-world, while her experiences in the dream make her second-guess her modern life. The story so far has Dream-Bea in the middle of an important battle. Students of history will know the general outcome of the battle, but what happens to the individuals involved is not predictable. This comic might be useful to get students interested in RevWar history, and will appeal (I imagine) to middle-school students, girls especially, though I’m enjoying the story and I’m an adult man, so take that for what it’s worth. My brief review doesn’t do justice to The Dreamer. Click the link, and read the comic from the beginning. Loyalty and Liberty is an interesting look at the Revolution. It’s historical fiction with fewer real-world historical figures as speaking characters, but all of them have been drawn as anthropomorphic cats. The story so far has brought us to just before the confrontation on Lexington Green. Initially, you might think that upper elementary students will be drawn to this comic while middle-schoolers and high-schoolers won’t enjoy it, but don’t be misled by the cats-in-coats. The art, writing, and so far, historical accuracy are all excellent and will appeal to older students as well. There are, however, a few issues with punctuation and word choice. If one forgives the style and mechanics issues, though, it’s a well-told story and worth a look. There are a few other works (web comics, podcasts, books) I’ll be calling your attention to. Watch this space.