Genealogy for Children

I've decided to try a new concept here. On each Friday (at least for awhile), I'm going to review a book that can be used with children to get them interested in genealogy or which may teach them methods or other things useful in their genealogical research. I'm actually working on a new lecture on this topic and thought it would be fun to include a few of these on my blog. If I don't like something, I will make comments about the problems I see. If I think something is well-done, I'll try to include that also. I will also make some comments about how I would use the book with children.

The very first book to be included in this feature is:

O’Connor, Jane. My Family History. (Fancy Nancy, I Can Read; Beginning Reading 1). Ill. by Robin Preiss Glasser. New York: Harper, 2010. (ages 4-8)

Fancy Nancy's class has been given an assignment to write about an ancestor and report on it in class. Fancy Nancy learns the value of sticking to the facts instead of embellishing her story with things which she might think are more interesting. I guess the moral of the story is the old proverb: Honestry is the best policy. This simple children's book introduces children to the concept of genealogy and ancestors while introducing and explaining a few vocabulary words. The illustrations are pretty typical of the Fancy Nancy series of books. I like their whimsical nature, but some people might think they are a little frilly. If I were using this book with children who want to learn more about their ancestors, I would make sure that part of the discussion focused on sticking to the facts in genealogical research.