Author/Illustrator: Vicky Alvear Shecter/Terry Naughton
Plot Summary: The life of Alexander the Great presented with wit, photographs, diagrams and drawings.
Comments: Very clever book and a unique, but ingenious, way to present ancient history. The author lives in Atlanta and has been known to help out with Camp Half Blood, a weekly, themed, summer camp, at Little Shop of Stories in Decatur. The book was also a Junior Library Guild Selection. It would be a good choice for reluctant students with regard to the GPS 25 book reading requirement which includes non-fiction.
Extensions:
1. Teacher's Guide from the author's website. Developed in conjunction with a number of national standards and recommended for grades four through eight.
2. Lesson plan about Alexander the Great from the Discovery Education website.
Themes/keywords: Alexander, the Great, 356-323 B.C.; Kings, queens, rulers, etc.; Generals; Greece History Macedonian Expansion, 359-323 B.C.
Age/Reading Level: 5 - 8; ATOS - 6.4; Folllett - 6.9; Lexile - 900
Standards:
Students through 8th grade in Georgia do not specifically study the time period of Alexander the Great, however, the book could be used in the context of a middle school Latin course. It could possibly appeal to high school students studying World History.
(Includes relevant standards for 6, 7, and 8th grades)
ELA6R1 The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a warranted and responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational texts.
ELA6R2 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing.
ELA6RC1 The student reads a minimum of 25 grade-level appropriate books or
book equivalents (approximately 1,000,000 words) per year from a variety of
subject disciplines. The student reads both informational and fictional texts in a
variety of genres and modes of discourse, including technical texts related to various
subject areas.
Publisher's Info: Darby Creek Publishing, Plain City, Ohio. 2006.
ISBN-13: 978-1-58196-045-7
ISBN-10: 1-58196-045-X
Awards/Review Sources:
School Library Journal 12/01/06 | Booklist 01/01/07 |
| Horn Book 04/01/07 | Voice of Youth Advocates (V.O.Y.A.) 12/01/06 |
| Library Media Connection 04/01/07 |
|
Genre/Dewey: 938
Websites:
Author's website
Additional relevant articles by the author can be found here.
Five YouTube videos about Alexander the Great can be found here. Recommended on the Discovery Education website in the multimedia section.
Notes for Booktalk: This could be a Literature Circle book or the subject of a unit in a gifted program for upper elementary students. In this regard, it could serve as the basis for additional lessons in research. It could also be the basis for an Exploration or similar type of themed-club.
Vocabulary:
Comments