Henry Ford for Kids: His Life and Ideas, with 21 Activities

Gr 5–8—This straightforward, evenhanded biography of Henry Ford balances a description of his extraordinary success as an automobile maker with the darker aspects of his personal and professional life. Starting with Ford's reluctance to follow in his father's footsteps and become a farmer, Reis tracks the determined young engineer, demonstrating how the industrialist went from fixing watches and building race cars to establishing the astoundingly successful Ford Motor Company. Ford created the Model T and implemented the use of an assembly line to increase production of the cars, an enormously effective technique that also negatively impacted workers' experience. Reis also explores the man's troubled relationship with his son, Edsel; his anti-Semitism; and his increasingly tough treatment of his employees, including the Ford Motor Company's violent opposition to unions. Readers will appreciate the gravity of the events discussed and may be encouraged to investigate further. The accessible text includes many relevant photographs as well as frequent fact boxes that provide more in-depth information on related subjects. Twenty-one different activities are offered, some of which are more relevant than others, such as "Build a Bird Feeder" (Ford enjoyed bird-watching), "Demonstrate Gear Action," "Learn the Language of Industrial Drawing," "Dance the Waltz" (Ford revered traditional dances), and "Repair a Tire."