Martin Sandler
Martin Sandler and the Library of Congress open the doors of history, inviting children into a whole new way of viewing America. Their exciting new series had a spectacular premier last year with Pioneers and Cowboys (HarperCollins, Ages 6 up, $19.95). "My whole goal," says Sandler, "has always been to make history come alive. History should be the most exciting subject in the world because there are stories and adventures far greater and more exciting than anything fiction has to offer."
With more than nineteen books and many television productions, Sandler has spent years researching in the Library of Congress. His new books apply wisdom he learned in the television industry and incorporate materials from the Library. "Anyone who writes material for kids today has to understand we're dealing with the most visually literate group of youngsters the world has ever known. To attract them, you have to present a book that is visually attractive and then you've got to challenge them, make them reach."
Sandler writes in the present tense, something else he garnered in his television career. His creative genius, however, reaches far beyond the pairing of text and photo. In the series, he helps children find the themes, stories, motivations, and conflicts of American life. Sandler hopes children will see "there's no challenge out there greater than what people have already faced."
When he looked at the pioneering story, he saw two real stories. "One story is that in the west there were cowboys, lumberjacks, good guys and bad guys, trappers and traders; figures bigger than life and we sure want to show them and excite kids about them." In Cowboys Sandler lets kids know that cowboys were heroes in their own right because they were people who were in love with independence, adventure, and the out-of-doors. But he also tells them that those aren't the real heroes. The real heroes are ordinary, everyday mothers, fathers, and children who risked everything not only to build a new life but a new nation. This theme of determination runs strongly through Pioneers.
Reviews
Civil War
Martin Sandler
Sandler writes about history in themes that speak to today's children. His books are written simply, with a sense of immediacy and peppered with stories, photos, and drawings from the Library of Congress that make history even more alive. One of his recent releases is Civil War, which documents the conflict of a "nation at war with itself." It is all done through more than 100 photographs and prints that detail the battles and other poignant moments during this civil struggle. Also in the series are Inventors, Pioneers, Cowboys, Immigrants, and Presidents. 1996, HarperCollins, Ages 8 up, $21.95 and $21.89. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
ISBN: 0-06-026024-6
ISBN: 0-06-026027-0
Pioneers
Martin W. Sandler
The non-fiction that pleases kids most is as inviting as cool pool water on a hot humid day. Martin Sandler, using photos from the Library of Congress, opens the doors of history and entices children into a whole new way of viewing America. In Pioneers he shows the determination of families who risked everything to build a new life. 1994, HarperCollins, Ages 8 up, $19.95 and $20.89. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
ISBN: 0-06-023023-1
ISBN: 0-06-023024-X
Presidents
Martin Sandler
Sandler's creative genius reaches beyond the pairing of text and photographs. He invents a fascinating new model to inspire kids. In writing history to reveal the themes, stories, motivations, and conflicts of American life, he uncovers principles that kids can apply to the challenges they face in their daily lives. Sandler was given free reign to collect photos, art and stories from the Library of Congress, and he packs his volume with meaningful pictures, accessible writing, and poignant stories. Presidents emphasizes the human side of American leaders. 1995, HarperCollins, Ages 8 up, $19.95 and 20.89. Reviewer: Susie Wilde
ISBN: 0-06-024534-4
ISBN: 0-06-024535-2
Added 1999
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