Knitting Spool

Reviews

School Library Journal
“This title covers 200 years of discovery and innovation with projects to extend learning and generate further interest. Each well-written chapter covers a different aspect of the time period in clear, lively text; small line drawings; intriguing sidebars; and "words to know" defined on the page. Topics include textiles, labor unions, transportation, communication, electricity, and big business. The information is presented in digestible chunks with just enough background to keep readers moving forward. Mooney offers a well-rounded look at the era by presenting the costs (social, economic, personal, environmental) of progress. The 25 projects will indeed bring history alive and provide hands-on opportunities to explore the subjects. Students interested in science or technology might accidentally learn to like history after reading this book.”

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
“A wonderful book to use as a jumping off point for this time period in history. The information is interesting and the projects add a bit of hands on learning without being overwhelming. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in the Industrial Revolution.”

Calliope Magazine
“The 25 hands-on projects—accompanied by informative sidebars, illustrations, and wordhelps, are easy to do and include designing a steam ship, making a knitting spool and an electronic telegraph, and weaving on a hand look. You'll enjoy!”

Children's Literature Review
“There is such diversity here that most tweens will find something of interest—including hand looms and oatmeal-honey soap from the early 18th century to recording a radio program or making a pinhole camera from the early 20th century.”

Booklist
“This new entry into the extensive Build It Yourself series gives an overview of the era known as the Industrial Revolution as well as the consequences, good and bad, of each new development upon the average citizen . . . crisp, clear format featuring ample black-and-white sketches and diagrams and a pleasingly arranged text in a large font are in sync with the straightforward text. A helpful timeline is placed front and center while the back matter consists of an extensive glossary (words are also defined unobtrusively throughout the body), an index, and a short list of websites.”

BookLoons
“ Well illustrated with drawings and maps plus simple, understandable instructions for each of the projects, this is a resource book that will pay double dividends down the road. Any way you can engage a child in the study of history and make the subject come alive has to be a major plus. This book shows some of the ways this can be done.”