What Did the Ancient Chinese Do for Me?: (Linking the Past and Present)

From the seismograph to ice cream to fireworks, the Ancient Chinese continue to influence all aspects of contemporary life. Read this book to find out more about how we encounter links to the ancient world every day.

About the Author :
Patrick Catel has worked in children's publishing for over a dozen years. He has been involved in the publication of hundreds of titles on a wide range of topics. If it's winter and he's not working on books, he's probably hitting the slopes!

Review :
Beginning in 221 BCE with the first Chinese dynasty, many of the country's remarkable inventions are highlighted. Topics are usually covered briefly in two double page spreads, and a section at the bottom of each spread has a "then" and "now" section to help understand the longevity and usefulness of the topic. Includes a glossary and suggestions for further learning, including websites. -Ann Watley, Butler School Arlington Independent School District 4/17/2011-- "Arlington Independent School District" Egotistic titles aside, these cultural studies are worth considering for the often-illuminating connections they make between ancient and modern science, technology, ideas, and even social practices. Though simplistic ("Chinese men usually wore hats. These hats were often made of fine silk"), the narratives supply overviews of each culture's history, geography, and general character with special reference to major inventions. Each spread also features sidebars that include a pair of "Then" and "Now" boxes in which comparisons are made-between ancient and modern cat ownership in Egyptians, for instance, or between the Parthenon and the Lincoln Memorial in Greeks. Furthermore, some of the inventions are not the usual suspects-Egyptians, for example, mentions that that civilization saw the first historical use of huge groups of workers for specific public projects, and Romans details that people's invention of milestones. Illustrations are mostly color photos, period images, and maps. -John Peters, formerly at New York Public Library School Library Journal November 2010-- "School Library Journal" Explains the contributions of ancient China in the areas of communication, farming, science and inventions. Contains "Then and Now" boxes which highlight part of the Chinese culture in our world today. - C. Capizz, Willoughby Elementary School Norfolk Public Schools 11/10/2010-- "Norfolk Public Schools" These books all begin with a brief section that introduces the featured civilization and includes a map outlining the area it inhabited. The remainder of each book discusses the lifestyle of the ancient people and includes "Then" and "Now" text boxes showing the reader how certain things discovered or used by the ancients are still used today. For example, the idea of a jury was first used by the Vikings to determine a person's guilt or innocence when being accused of a crime. The books are filled with fascinating tidbits that will whet the reader's appetite to learn more, as well as with colorful illustrations and photographs. Though none of the books give enough information to write a report, they do provide an exciting introduction to life in ancient times and the important contributions each civilization made to contemporary life. Bibliography. Glossary. Timeline. Websites. - Ann M.G. Gray, Library Media Specialist, Pittsburg (New Hampshire) School Library Media Connection January/February 2011-- "Library Media Connection" The ancient Chinese people invented many things that we use today such as umbrellas, kites, tea, ice cream and dominos. Quin Shihuangdi was a ruler who had two great sites built or improved during his time. One place was the mausoleum, and one was the Great Wall of China.So many interesting inventions came from the ancient Chinese. Block printing was one of them along with paper from tree barks with added things to it like fishnet or materials from plants. They also made the first seismograph to detect where earthquakes were developing and how to build buildings that would not have problems with earthquake shocks. So many inventions that were used by the Chinese long ago are now still used. An example of this is the wheelbarrow that has not changed much. Much information is included in this book with great examples. Special Features include: Contents, Bolded Words, Key Dates, Glossary, Find Out More, Websites, Index and little note cards on each page that include interesting information.Grade Level/Content Correlations: Sixth grade studies ancient cultures that may help with comparing/contrasting. This book is so informative it could help with discovering who invented different things for our culture when completing a Venn diagram. Other grades 3-6 could use this book as a way to compare cultures; talk about inventions and where they originated and how ancient people helped us today.-Kathie Shepoka, Pawnee Elementary School Omaha Public Schools 10/11/2011-- "Omaha Public Schools" This book is a solid introduction to both the past and present China. It contains clear basic knowledge presented in a fun way. The then and now features will be very helpful to upper elementary students wanting to learn more about China. The map of the Qin Dynasty should extend a bit into Korea and further down into China; otherwise this is a very worthwhile purchase for your collection. YA Top Forty - Sandra Krieg - The Haverford School Pennsylvania School Librarians Association June 2011-- "Pennsylvania School Librarians Association"