Books to Read
If you enjoy reading about people the world over, look for these and
other books in your school and public libraries.
Ages 5 to 8
Archaeology by Jean Cooke (Bookwright, 1987)
You will learn what archaeology is and how archaeologists find out about
the past.
Children Around the World by Lynda
Snowdon (Dillon, 1986)
Do you wonder about children in other countries? This book shows and
tells how children the world over live—how they work and play.
Festivals Around the World by Philip
Steele (Dillon, 1986)
Festivals are happy times of celebration.
This book with color photographs describes how people all over the world
celebrate religious, historical, seasonal, and holiday festivals.
Houses and Homes Around the World
by Josephine Karavasil (Dillon, 1986) This book describes the many types
of homes people around the world live in and tells how each is suited to
its particular area.
How My Parents Learned to Eat by Ina R. Friedman (Houghton Mifflin,
1984)
A little girl explains how her Japanese mother and American father each
learned to eat foods that were new to them.
Let’s Discover People and Customs (Raintree, 1981)
This book will help you learn about the customs of people all over the
world. It tells about their homes, food, clothing, religion, and
schools.
People by Peter Spier (Doubleday, 1980) With billions of people on
earth, no two are the same. Explore the importance of their different
ways.
People At Work by Molly Perham
(Dillon, 1986)
People all over the world work at many different jobs every day. Read
about how people make their livings.
Town & Country by Alice and Martin Provensen (Crown, 1984)
Find out more about what it is like to live in a place that is different
from where you live.
Vegetable Soup by Jeanne Modesitt (Macmillan, 1988)
In this story, Elsie and Theodore Rabbit try to borrow carrots from
their new neighbors. The neighbors don’t eat carrots, but they offer to
share some of their favorite foods.
Where Time Stands Still by Sally
Foster (Dodd, Mead, 1987)
Learn about the daily life of an Amish family in Pennsylvania. You will
get a feeling for what it’s like to live a simple life without
electricity, cars, or telephones.
The Whole World Storybook by Marcus
Crouch (Oxford University Press, 1983) You will enjoy these stories from
all over the world. You’ll meet a Korean Cinderella and a Hungarian
Puss-in-Boots.
Ages 9 and Up
All in a Day’s Work: Twelve
Americans Talk About Their Jobs by
Neil Johnson (Little, Brown, 1989)
The author interviewed twelve people about their jobs. These people from
different backgrounds and ethnic groups talk about what they do and what
they hope for the future.
Digging to the Past: Excavations in Ancient Lands by W. John
Hackwell (Scribner, 1986)
The author describes the field work of archaeologists and their slow and
careful search for information about the past.
Favorite Folktales from Around the
World edited by Jane Yolen (Pantheon, 1986)
You will enjoy this collection of folk tales from over forty different
cultures.
From Hand to Mouth: Or, How We Invented Knives, Forks, Spoons, and
Chopsticks & the Table Manners To Go With Them by James Cross Giblin
(T. Y. Crowell, 1987)
We didn’t always have knives, forks, and spoons to eat with. This book
traces the history of eating utensils and table manners.
Holidays by Bernice Burnett (Franklin Watts, 1983)
This book describes a variety of religious, ethnic, and national
holidays that are celebrated in all parts of the world.
The Human Body: How We Evolved by
Joanna Cole (Wm. Morrow, 1987)
Here is an explanation of how the human body has changed over the last
five million years.
Mummies, Masks, and Mourners by
Margaret Berrill (Dutton, 1989) People have always conducted special
ceremonies to mark the death and burial of family members, friends, and
other significant people in their lives. The author discusses funeral
rites practiced in different parts of the world.
My Friends’ Beliefs: A Young Reader’s Guide to World Religions by
Hiley H. Ward (Walker, 1988)
People worship in many different ways. This book explores some of the
major religions of the world, discussing the history, beliefs, and
practices of each.
Shelters: From Tepee to Igloo by
Harvey Weiss (Crowell, 1988)
People the world over live in different kinds of dwellings. This book
explains and illustrates why and how people build the types of shelters
that they do.
Symbol Art: Thirteen Squares, Circles, Triangles from Around the
World by Leonard Everett Fisher (Macmillan, 1985)
The author explains how symbols are used by people the world over to
communicate without words.
Why Do They Dress That Way? by
Stephen Scott (Good Books, 1986) Many religious groups, such as Amish
and Mennonites, dress “plain.” This book explains the history and use of
plain clothing for religious reasons.
The World Today by Keith Lye (Facts on File, 1986)
The author tells about the origins, languages, and cultures of the
peoples of the earth. The book is part of a larger set, The World of
Science.*
