Talking Trash

Reviews

Children’s Literature Review Database
“In this volume of the "Inquire and Investigate" series, readers can learn about human migration through text, cartoons (including African American students), illustrations, and activities. Cummings makes clear that all members of species Homo sapiens have the same DNA and originated in Africa about 200,000 years ago. Many scientists believe they migrated out of Africa through Egypt and its River Nile to the Middle East and India. Humans have been moving ever since. Paleoanthropologists, archaeologists, and geneticists trace migration through stones, bones (yielding DNA information), and artifacts. People might have been able to walk most of the way to Australia from a drier Asia and could have made boats or rafts for the rest of the way. Cummings explores the elusive story of the Neanderthals, our closest relatives (we retain a bit of their DNA), then turns to the mystery of how humans got to North and South America. Geneticists believe they paddled boats along west-coast islands much earlier than previously thought (about 16,500 years ago) and moved inland from there. Especially fascinating are studies of the extensive Bantu migrations in Africa and of the Vikings, whose explorations and migrations in their sleek ships (793-1150) eventually connected Europe from Iceland to Russia and Constantinople. (See Rosemary Sutcliff's Blood Feud as vibrant historical fiction set in this period.) The Jewish diaspora and the horrendous Atlantic slave trade are examined as examples of forced migration; Cummings predicts a great tide of world migration in our future, caused by climate change and alarming overpopulation in cities. Included are informative "Travel Tips," an extensive glossary, a timeline, and a selection of appropriate classroom projects. A special feature offers QR codes and prompt words for finding primary sources on the Internet.”

Publishers Weekly
"The story of human migration is an old tale, far older than the written world," explains Cummings in this exploration of the global movements of people throughout history, part of the Inquire and Investigate series. Alongside playful comic strip entries from Casteel, Cummings looks at migratory patterns that include early Homo sapiens leaving Africa, scientific debate over how humans traveled from Asia to Australia, and the colonization of the New World. Throughout, Cummings notes how archaeological finds shed light on people's patterns of movement and highlights the motivations behind migration, whether forced or voluntary. Sidebars, reader-directed questions, and activity ideas offer additional ways for readers to consider how recent instances of migration from countries like Syria compare to those from centuries past. A timely and useful resource." Read the entire review online.

School Library Connection
"At first glance, the contents of the book present themselves on an elementary level; however, the topics covered and some of the features offered might make more sense to older students. Three of the special features of the book are primary source extensions that encourage students to use their smartphones or tablets to explore resources further, vocabulary labs that help the students learn new words related to the topic, and Inquire & Investigate labs that are hands-on activities students may do to really dig deeper. All of the words in the vocabulary labs are defined in a glossary in the back of the book. The book starts with a timeline, and ensuing chapters follow in chronological order. Index. Recommended"

National Science Teachers Association Recommends
"Human Migration: Investigate the Global Journey of Humankind by Judy Dodge Cummings is a fascinating book to read for the reader of any age! Geared towards readers of ages 12-15, the book retraces the steps taken by our ancient ancestors starting in Africa... I highly recommend this well-written book. It covers topics in all of the sciences, from anthropology, to environmental science to biology as well as history and geography. This would be an excellent resource book for the middle school teacher." Read the entire review online.

Booklist Online
"How did our ancestors migrate from one place to another and what motivated them to do so thousands of years ago? Why do people continue to migrate across the globe today? This entry in the Inquiry and Investigation series attempts to answer these complex questions. Cummings explores the reasons for human migration, including political conflict, racial and ethnic discrimination, and environmental disasters, while touching on today's immigration issues and the future of human migration. Readers will discover that emerging evidence continually disproves previously accepted theories of how mankind migrated. Each chapter includes activities and key questions for readers to solve, and a "Vocab Lab" of words encourages them to refer to the extensive glossary. The time table at the beginning of text is helpful, as is the book's most fun feature, QR codes that link videos to the text. This is a good overview of the topic for middle-grade social studies classrooms."

Dr. Miguel G. Vilar, Science Manager, The Genographic Project, National Geographic Society
". . . a thoroughly researched and well-written book. It covers numerous exciting and up-to-date topics in anthropology, biology, geography, environmental science, and history in an entertaining and educational framework. The subject of human migration works well in bringing these disciplines together."

James E. Lassiter, Ph.D., Director and Ethnographer, Migration Anthropology Consultants
"This book is a valuable introduction to the study of humankind and human migration. It is an excellent primer for preparing high school students for life in society and for those who anticipate enrolling in introductory university courses in history, the natural and social sciences, and all other disciplines, for that matter."