How to Make a Better World

How to Make a Better World by Keily Swift (DK Penguin, Random House) PB RRP $19.99 ISBN9780241412206

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

This is a book for all future activists who wish to create a better world for everyone. It’s packed with tips on how a young person can change the world, one step at a time. The book starts with focusing on ‘You’, letting readers know that it’s important to feel good, believe in oneself and taking care of one’s mind and body. It invites the reader to imagine how they could do to save the planet if they could – think clean oceans, freedom of speech, equality for all, world peace, saving animals, a kindness revolution. Then it shows how the reader can take care of himself (get active, get good sleep, practice mindfulness and so on). Learning to recognise one’s emotions is valuable as is knowing the power of positive thinking.

Moving on, the author Swift, who is Managing Editor of First News, an award-winning weekly newspaper for children, shows how, among other things, to celebrate heritage, volunteer (join a beach clean-up, for instance), put a stop to bullying. Swift highlights inspiring young people who are influential, such as Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, educational reformist Malala Yousafzai and UNICEF goodwill ambassador Millie Bobby Brown.

Young individuals can make a difference in many ways, perhaps by establishing little community libraries, getting their voice heard, becoming an activist. ‘You don’t need to launch a formal campaign,’ says Swift, ‘start getting your message heard. Voice an opinion and try to make an impact.” Making posters and flyers, taking part in demonstrations, not discriminating, raising money and spotting fake news are ways in which young people can participate in making change in the world.

In the back of this colourful book for readers aged 8 years and over, is a list of organisations, websites and campaigns to give more information and ideas. There is also a glossary and a comprehensive index and acknowledgements.

There ought to be no excuse for anyone reading this easy to read, comprehensive book not to become involved if they are moved in any way to make a change to one’s world, even if it’s only on a small scale.

DK Find Out! Ancient Egypt

DK Find Out! Ancient Egypt by Dr Angela McDonald (Penguin Random House) PB RRP $14.99   ISBN 9780241282779

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

As a child I would have loved to receive this book – and as an adult I’m delighted to read and review it. All Dorling Kinsley books are beautifully designed, researched by experts and full of amazing and fascinating facts – and this book is no exception. 

Fully coloured, this is a small book filled with full colour page spreads (mostly photographs) on all aspects of Ancient Egypt such as boats and trade, gods, artwork, tombs, Pharaohs, soldiers and war, even how to make a tomb -- and much, much more. Take the pages on Food and Drink: the diet for poor people mainly consisted of bread and beer as well as spring onions and nabk (which tasted like apples) but cucumber was a ‘fancy’ food. Rich people on the other hand ate dates, lotus root, figs, honey, yogurt, pomegranates and melons as well as meats, principally beef. We read on these pages that a rich Egyptian called Mereruka had hyenas fattened for a feast!

In the section on Children in Egypt, there’s a board game which highlights the dangers these ancient children faced such as falling into the river Nile and being chased by a hungry crocodile, and being stung by a scorpion. If you land on spot 12, you get another go because ‘you’re a natural red-head’ and ‘red hair is rare in Egypt and a symbol of the god Seth.

There are so many unusual and fascinating facts in this entrancing book, all set out in easy to read style with lots of break-out boxes, diagrams, and photographic captions. Learn about mummified dung, secret messages, the importance of the number 10, facts about missing parts, explorers, servants, pyramid building and so much more. Any child reading this book is sure to drive the family mad because they will constantly making discoveries and relating them.

This book is highly recommended for schools and for children, especially those aged 8 to12 years.

100 Women who Made History

100 Women who Made History by Stella Cladwell et al (DK/Penguin Random House) HB RRP $29.99 ISBN 9780241257241

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

Subtitled ‘Remarkable Women who shaped our world’, this is a handsome, thoroughly researched non-fiction book crammed with so many facts and figures presented in a beautifully designed book with hundreds of colour photographs and graphics and with many break-outs. It’s a book which doesn’t need to be read through from page one to the end, but one which can be dipped into again and again. It’s the sort of book a feminist would love and would love giving to children aged from 10 years and up.

I thought I knew my history of amazing women – and yet, reading this book, I have only a small knowledge. Opening at random, I find a double-page spread about two impressive females – one a child, the other a woman. Sophie Scholl was ‘an ordinary student who stood up to the might of Hitler and the Nazis’: she joined the Hitler Youth Movement but soon came to despise the hate-filled beliefs of the Nazis and helped to form the White Rose, a small non-violent movement that carried out a pamphlet and graffiti campaign against them. Sadly, she was sentenced to death for her ‘crime’ and executed. Pole Rosa Luxemburn was a radical, who tried to start a socialism revolution in post-war Germany, but she too was executed (without a trial) for her troubles.

There are dozens of women highlighted here. Some are well known, such as Rosa Parks, Aung San Suu Kyi, Malala Yousafzai, Angela Merkel, Joan of Arc and Catherine the Great. But there are others not so well known – Wu Zetian, Sacagawea, Maria Quiteria de Jesus, Shirin Ebadi, Ellen Johnson Sierleaf and Graca Machel to name but a few.

The book is divided into sections: Clued-Up Creatives, Super Scientists, Inspiring Campaigners, Leading Ladies, Intrepid Entrepreneurs and Amazing Achievers. If you cannot name at least five women in each of these categories, then you are strongly advised to buy a copy and learn about them before passing on the book (though you might very well want to keep it). Highly recommended!