Tuesday, July 20, 2010

If Stones Could Speak by Marc Aronson

National Geographic
March 2010
64 pgs.

Summary
What are the secrets of the ancient stone circle? Were the carefully placed stones a burial site, an ancient calendar, a place of Druid worship...or even a site of sacrifice? World-renowned archaeologist Mike Parker-Pearson has spent the last seven years on a quest to answer these and many other questions. In If Stones Could Speak, award-winning author Marc Aronson joins the research crew and records their efforts to crack Stonehenge’s secrets. National Geographic helped sponsor the Riverside archeological team’s mission, and now young readers can journey behind the scenes to experience this groundbreaking story first-hand, through the eyes of the experts.

Mike and his team have revolutionized our understanding of Stonehenge by exploring the surrounding landscape for clues about the stones -- an idea first suggested by a visitor from Madagascar. The results have been breathtaking: The team recently unearthed the largest Neolithic village ever found in England. Marc Aronson had total access to the site, the team, and their work over two seasons of digging and brings the inspirational story of the discoveries taking place at this World Historical Site to young readers. The informative and drama-driven text includes tales of dead bodies, cremations, feasting, and ancient rituals, as well as insights into the science of uncovering the ancient past.

The expert text, stunning photography, and explanatory maps and illustrations will all help young readers see this ancient monument in totally new ways, and inspire future generations of archaeological explorers.

2 comments:

  1. This is a really fascinating look at Stonehenge. It focuses on the idea of challenging old theories. The archeologist featured in the book made recent new discoveries about Stonehenge and changed a long-held view about the site. The author gives readers a glimpse of how research is done, along with informing them about the site itself. The book is just long enough, with great pictures. However, it could have been clearer in some places, and I was hoping to see more detailed pictures of how archeologists imagine Stonehenge and the sites that surrounded it might have looked originally.

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  2. And soon we'll have another title by Aronson on the list--How Sugar Changed the World--it's already getting Newbery buzz on other blogs!

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