Children of the Past: Archaeology and the Lives of Kids

Gr 5–8—In this original take on archaeology, Huey visits five sites, from prehistory to Colonial America, that show extensive evidence about the children who lived there. Huey explains that kids have always played and learned to become members of their societies, just as they do today. The sites reveal how children painted caves in prehistoric Europe, sat in toolmaking "classes" in Stone Age Europe, made and decorated pottery in pre-Columbian North America, and played and worked in Colonial Jamestown and Fort Mose, FL, which was a unique community of formerly enslaved people who escaped from the British colonies. Each chapter opens with a child in a hypothetical situation based upon the site history and then discusses the featured society and its history, describing what recent archaeological scholarship has illuminated about the society and its children. Huey also examines current archaeological tools and techniques. Attractive color photos of the \ locations and artifacts enhance the text. With the exception of the frequently overlooked Fort Mose, most of the sites have been covered in general surveys, such as Richard Panchyk's widely held Archaeology for Kids: Uncovering the Mysteries of Our Past, 25 Activities, or in history texts. However, this book is certain to capture and hold readers' attention and help them understand that kids' history is human history.