The publishers must be hoping to make millions on millennium children's books for there are a slew of them to mark its passing and they're also cashing in on the turn of the century. The offerings vary from the ridiculous to the marvelous.
The drive to sell makes for strange bedfellows in Larry Brimner's The Official M&M's Book of the Millennium (Charlesbridge, $6.95; ages 7-9). Missing the connection? When two confectionery characters, M&M, stand side by side, they equals 2000. This is odd justification for plain and peanut guides who shepherd children through a short study of time, linguistics, Roman numerals, and calendars. While the lead characters are distracting, the information is clearly presented, well-researched, and there are a number of useful web and book resources offered.
Last year, Ellen Jackson published Turn of the Century (Charlesbridge, $17.95) providing a view of the last hundred years with the help of fictional characters from various eras. Now Eleana Wright and Alyssa Pusey have written a companion in Meeting the Millennium: 30 Activities for the Turn of the Century (Charlesbridge, $9.95; ages 8 and up). Parents, children, and teachers who want hands-on millennium activities will find easy activities to help children get a handle on scientific, historical, geologic, linguistic, nutritional, and cultural changes throughout time. The publisher who has cranked out the most millennium manuscripts is Dorling Kindersley. In all the quantity,I found three books of quality. Stephen Biesty, David Hawcock and Richard Platt's Amazing Pop-up 3-D Time Scape ($19.95; ages 5 and up) help younger children picture the millennium with a five foot pop-up that walks them through time from the Big Bang to modern eras. Highlights of the various centuries are captured with photographs, or detailed drawings by Biesty. The passage of time, always a difficult concept for children, makes sense when delivered in their favorite book format...the pop-up!
The glories of the 20th Century become irrefutable when you behold the splendors of DK Millennium: Children's History of the 20th Century (DK Publishing, $29.95; ages 8 and up). The publishers don't skimp on color, photos, or facts so that the book constitutes a marvelous visual overview of the last hundred years and a spectacular reference for children. The book is formatted to show off the century year by year, each year occupying a double page spread which covers global politics, culture, invention, sports, and science. The complete coverage is equaled by excellent graphic organization. The top of each page is taken up with pictures and short write-ups of major events, while the bottom provides a month by month accounting of happenings. In 1903, for example we see pogroms in Russia, the publication of Call of the Wild, a cycling race, and Marie Curie's Nobel Prize award. The book ends with predictions for the new century and sums up the past with listings of superstars, scientists and inventors, sports figures, world leaders, music makers, and lawbreakers.
Another DK reference is 1000 Makers of the Millennium: Men and women who have shaped the last 1000 years (DK Publishing, $19.95; ages 8 and up). In our current list-mad culture, this must be one of the most comprehensive. From Brian Boru, a leader from the 11th century who united Ireland, to 20th Century's Louise Brown, the first „test tube¾ baby, there are dates, traits, and pictures galore . Scientists, artists, spiritual and social leaders, no one seems missing...but if you have an addition, you can add it at their website: http://www.dk.com/millennium
Ann McGovern does a superb job of relating a sense of the past to children in If You Lived 100 Years Ago (Scholastic, $5.99; ages 8 and up). While the presentation might not be glamourous, the information and style are captivating. McGovern, a fine historical writer and researcher, focuses on 1890's New York and uses the details children adore to let them know exactly what it felt like to live in all classes of society at the turn of the century. Written as a series of questions and answers, the book give a sense of every day life... bathrooms, the latest clothing styles, costs, fast food of the 1890's, slang, and the games and amusements people pursued.
Peter Jennings and Todd Brewster's The Century for Young People (Doubleday,$29.95; ages 10 and up) is an astounding compendium. My only argument is its title, for it will definitely be appreciated by all ages. In a fascinating design, these two news meisters deliver bits of history thoughtfully and concisely . Their „sound bites¾ serve as segways and connectors for remembrances written by the many people who became authorities by living these times. All their accounts are lively, dramatic, revealing, and somehow representative. The book creates an incredible sense of how history is really composed of the combined experiences of many people and their perspectives. A multitude of powerful black and white photos further dimensionalize history until it becomes a compelling story of the last century.
Sticklers for details will be quick to tell you that the millennium doesn't really arrive until next year. I wonder if the publishers will use this as an opportunity to bring us another million new books on this theme.