HISTORIC COMMUNITIES SERIES
This series of books by Bobbie Kalman provides a close-up
look at life in several of our America's historic communities. Children will learn about
such things as early kitchens, the gristmill, what people wore, their crafts, and how the
settlers made their living. The beautiful photographs that illustrate the books in this
series, many taken by the author in such places as Williamsburg, bring our early settlers
to life. I have visited many of these restored communities, and believe me, these books
are the next best thing to being there, observing , and talking to the docents. Books are
available in paper for $7.16-D or with reinforced library binding for 17.95. Reading level
is grade 3. Interest level is grade K-9. Each book is 32 pages long. These books are a
must for any study of early American life.
Catalog numbers given are for paper editions. If you want
library binding,
please write HC after the catalog number. I need to special order most hardcover
editions.
Please include title as well as catalog number
when you order or inquire.
Classroom
Games: Even back in early
classrooms, teachers used games to help their students learn spelling and
creative writing, arithmetic and science, geography, art, history, drama and
reciting, good behavior, and music. They even had scavenger hunts back then.
Besides games still played in classrooms today, such as spelling bees, students
played word games, alphabet games, arithmetic games, and more. In outdoor
classrooms, students made gardens and nature crafts. The games in this book are
easily transferable to today's classrooms, where they can still make learning
fun. BTH-1730
Pioneer
Recipes: This beautifully illustrated
cookbook introduces children to the pioneer kitchen and features recipes from
the many immigrant groups who built America. The text explains how the meals
were prepared, giving step-by-step instructions, safety rules, and useful tips
on preparing such recipes as homemade butter, Irish soda bread, flapjacks,
Johnny cake, Native pudding, German baked apples, frybread, blueberry jam, fruit
and nut porridge, easy Swedish rice cream, dandelion and spinach salad, fried
green tomatoes, rainbow coleslaw, sweet potato pie, fish cakes, fish soup,
English beef stew, shepherd's pie, hot apple cider punch, and more. And of
course, the pictures show the implements the pioneers used to make these dishes.
BTH-1728
Schoolyard
Games: Since pioneer children were expected to help with chores at
home, they had little time to play. Their playtime was mostly during the recess
periods at school. In this book the great illustrations and easy explanations
will show you how early versions of jumping rope, hopscotch, clapping games,
string and hoop games, group games, hiding games, ball games, and games played
with toys such as marbles and tops were played. You will see that some of these
games are played almost the same way today. Students back then played tag, kick
the can, dodge ball, much as children do today. But their toys were different.
BTH-1731
 The General Store:
The general store was the hub of a town's life. It's where people went to buy
their supplies, sniff the marvelous aromas, and see the colors of bright, new
fabrics. It was a place for people to dream, make deals, gossip, and socialize.
The photographs and illustrations will make you feel you are there. BTH-1736
 19th Century Girls and Women:
Discover both the advantages and disadvantages of being a woman in 19th
Century America. Watch the women at their chores, observe how their clothing
limited them, and be aware of their health hazards. Special sections introduce
the birth of the women's movement and the importance of several brave women.
BTH-1737
Life on a Plantation:
Watch the daily activities of plantation owners and their slaves. Compare
their lifestyles. Readers will see life in the "big house," in the slave
quarters, and in the cotton, rice, and tobacco fields. The customs and
festivals of the estate are also explained. BTH-1746
Spanish Missions:
Portrays life in the Spanish missions scattered throughout the South.
Sensitive issues and activities of Spanish colonial life are presented in a
straightforward and fascinating manner. Children will be made aware of ways in
which the Spanish colonists exploited Native Americans. BTH-1755
In the Barn:
See all the activity that went on in the barns of busy settler farms. Watch as
cows are milked, hogs get their slop, and the stalls get cleaned. Share in the
work and fun of a barn-raising. See how the chores changed with the seasons.
BTH-1733
Pioneer Projects:
In this book you will find step-by-step instructions for children and parents
who want to make pioneer crafts. There are also instructions for making a
model of a settler town. BTH-1032
Games from Long Ago:
Watch the early settler children at play. BTH-1745
Old Time Toys:
Until the mid-1800's, most children's toys were homemade. Later, North
American toymakers began to create a wide variety of toys. This book contains
photos of many of these old toys, taken in leading toy museums. BTH-1742
 Children's Clothing of the 1800's:
An in-depth look at how children dressed in the 19th century. BTH-1741
 A
One-Room School: The first priority of any early settler community was
building a school. This book explains what these one-room schools were like,
what they taught, how students studied when books were scarce, how students
were disciplined, and what went on during recess. BTH-1743
 Settler Sayings:
Ever wondered why we say such things as "flash in the pan" or getting down to
brass tacks"? This book explains how some of these old saying have their roots
in the day-to-day lives of the early settlers.
BTH-1744
Fort
Life: Forts played a vital role in the New World because they offered
protection. Learn about the different types of forts, the parts of the fort
and how they functioned, and what went in in the lives of the families who
lived in the forts. BTH-1740
 18th Century Clothing, Cat.
BTH-1726
 19th Century Clothing,
Cat. BTH-1727
 A Child's Day:
Ever wondered what chores the early settler children did, or what they did in
their spare time if they had any? How were their schools, foods, and clothing
different from those of children today? Color photographs and original artwork
bring these children from earlier times to life. BTH-1738
 Customs and Traditions:
Explains how the early settlers preserved history, predicted the weather,
cooked and ate, welcomed a new baby, and celebrated courtships, weddings,
holidays, and the harvest. BTH-1739
 Tools and Gadgets:
Learn about the tools used by farmers, millers, woodworkers, metalworkers,
printers and the gadgets found in the home, the general store, the doctor's
office and the farm. BTH-1751
 Visiting a Village:
An ideal introduction to the concept of community. Learn how the settlers
worked together, making and trading their goods and services. This is a great
book to read before visiting a living history museum, because it will serve as
an introduction to things they might see. BTH-1750
 The Gristmill: When you've
read this book you will have learned how wheat becomes bread, why the
gristmill was so important to the early communities, what powered the
gristmill, what jobs the miller did, and what his role was in the community.
BTH-1749
 The Kitchen:
When you've read this book you will feel you've visited a colonial home, and
entered the kitchen where the family spent a good deal of its time. You will
see the fireplace, the tools and utensils surrounding it, and the chores that
were done there (baking bread, churning butter, etc.) BTH-1747
 Home Crafts: In this book you
will see, step by step, how the early settlers made candles and soap, carded
and spun wool, dyed cloth, and sewed samples. The color photographs really
make you feel as though you were watching. BTH-1748
 Colonial Home:
Look inside a colonial home of the 1600's and 1700's. You'll get a good look
at different kinds of homes in the wilderness and in towns and the people who
built them. You'll see the kitchen, the garden, the bedrooms, the fireplaces,
the slave quarters on the plantations, and even where the animals were housed
-- and more. BTH-1729
 Colonial Life:
Meet the hard-working members of a colonial community, learn about the
importance of family relationships, discover the importance of religion and
education to these people. Watch plantation life and see the plight of the
slaves. Observe how people traveled and spent their leisure time. BTH-1754
Colonial Crafts:
Watch the artisans and craftsmen at work in colonial times. Visit the
workshops of the wheelwright, the cooper, the founder, the shoemaker, the
milliner, the gunsmith, and many more. Discover how these people were trained
through the apprenticeship program. BTH-1753
A Colonial Town:
Williamsburg. This book is the next best thing to an actual visit. BTH-1752
Travel in the Early Days.
Discover the many ways people got around in early America on the water, on the
roads, over the snow, and on the rails. Meet the travel trades people.
Discover the hazards of winter travel. Look inside the wagons that traveled
west. And see the early steam-powered boats and trains. BTH-1732
Victorian Christmas: Ever wonder
how we got all those Christmas traditions that we celebrate today? Most of
them were introduced during Victorian times and this book will give you the
stories behind them. You will also see how the prosperous Victorians
celebrated those lavish traditions. BTH-1734
The Victorian Home: Take a tour
through some of the grand Victorian homes built long ago. Learn how Victorian
tastes and values influenced their design. BTH-1735
Pilgrims
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