The Silk Road

Gr 4—6—This overview of the history, geography, and importance of the Silk Road, while initially promising, falls short. Well-organized chapters are nicely balanced by sidebars and insets offering "Words to Know," "Fascinating Facts," or further discussions of special topics, and by illustrations. However, the sheer number of names and facts might overwhelm readers, and illustrations sometimes appear crudely drawn or blatantly digital. The crafts and related activities provide both the greatest draw of the book and the greatest disappointment. Kids will be excited and proud to complete relevant projects, recipes, and experiments, such as using salt to keep water from freezing or making their own paper. However, the activities are deceptively complex. Only a few of them suggest adult assistance, and most kids will struggle to complete the tasks on their own. A parent, or better yet, a teacher, will have to provide materials, supervise potentially dangerous steps, and clarify complicated instructions. While some activities are simply harder than they look, some are completely unreasonable for a child to do alone, such as bargaining with a vendor. Give this book to teachers planning lessons on the Silk Road, or to parents who will work with their children. Young people left on their own are likely to give up before getting anything of value from the book.—Heather Talty, Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City