Review of “The Ice Journey†by Dr. Julie Smith for the Home Education Advisory Service
My daughter is 9 and has been home educated from the age of 4. Throughout this time, I have tried to make learning fun. I not only think that this is best way to learn but also makes learning memorable. We all remember the things we enjoyed doing. Consequently I have always looked out for educational material, which follows this philosophy, but never found anything outstanding enough to move me to write a review about.
I met Valerie Wood-Gaiger MBE at the Global Women Inventor & Innovators Network (GWIIN), where we both received ‘Special Recognition’ awards. Valerie writes amazing educational books. It speaks volumes that her very first book. ‘The Ice Journey’ should have received an international award.
The book (with audio CD) offers a new educational experience. ‘The Ice Journey’ describes the incredible journeys made during the end of the last great Ice Age and asks if la, Taith and their friends really did cross the Atlantic Ocean from Europe to America. Archaeology and DNA evidence suggests that they did and at the end of the book children are encouraged to become detectives and find out more for themselves. As a scientist I was impressed that she had incorporated two simple scientific experiments in her comprehensive Learn with Grandma educational activities programme.
‘The Ice Journey’ is the first in a planned series of books that will move through time from the Ice Age to the Roman Empire. The stories are set in places where history happened, have been thoroughly researched and vetted by experts. I found the way this book deals with the subject of our ancestors very interesting and informative. The books are written for a wide age range, 7 to 70. My daughter thoroughly enjoyed it and so did I.
