How to Survive Middle School: World History

March 15, 2022
A broad-brush history of civilization from the agricultural revolution to the end of the Cold War, with a historian's tool kit for evaluating the reliability of source materials. "Mussolini came into power by promising to keep the communists out and 'make Italy great again.' " Making only glancing references to U.S. history, which has a series volume of its own, educator Fee archly flits through the usual succession of city-states and empires, widening the scope of her breezy "wild ride" by adding introductions to less frequently covered domains such as Nubia and the Kingdom of Aksum in Africa and the Mesoamerican Olmecs. She also spotlights powerful women, from the empresses Theodora and Wu Zetian to Mary Wollstonecraft, and highlights the role of women and enslaved people in various cultures. A final wrap-up chapter looks at current issues such as climate change, refugees, and racism before closing with a refresher on guidelines for distinguishing primary from secondary sources and detecting bias. With the massive amount of material covered, there are a few overgeneralizations and inaccuracies that can be excused as minor bobbles. Unfortunately, the use of blocky graphic versions of period portraits and artifacts rather than images of actual items reduces the illustrations from primary sources to decorative filler. The page design leaves ruled lines for readers to jot down notes or responses to brief historical quotes. Each chapter features its own separate glossary; an index would have enhanced the book's usefulness. Lively prose and an unusually broad scope partly compensate for weak visuals and ankle-deep content. (additional reading, text credits) (Nonfiction. 11-14)

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April 1, 2022
Grades 5-8 This selection from the How to Survive Middle School series (5 titles) tackles world history, following humans from their first appearance through the digital age. The readable text takes a breezy tone and incorporates user-friendly features: big-picture overviews, embedded vocabulary definitions, graphics, charts, graphs, maps, and time lines. Two important clarifications come right at the beginning: first, there are always multiple versions of historical stories, including several that never get recorded; and second, the people who have the power control the stories. The following chapters are expansively inclusive and represent the viewpoints of those not always heard (for example, Indigenous populations, women, and regular people), not just the elite. While it's doubtful that middle-schoolers would pick up this 400-plus-page book on their own, parents and teachers will appreciate the help.

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