Here are Tyler, Ethan, and Sharlene’s answers and entries to last month’s “Book Bonanza: Going Exploring.” Well done!
*
By Sharlene Moss (9). Book read: National Geography on India
*
Book review by Ethan
Book read: The Story of the World (chapters on Alexander the Great), by Susan Wise Bauer
When you read about Alexander the Great you read a lot about war and conquering others. Alexander, from when he was a young boy, was brave and not afraid of anything. This is a good characteristic, but he used it for bad purposes. While wanting to be great and powerful is okay when you're close to God and you're trying to do good things for Him; it is not good when you are just trying to be great for yourself. Pride comes before a fall.
In those days people thought war was good, and they even had a god of war. Fortunately, Greeks are now more peaceful since Jesus and His disciples have come.
*
Book review by Tyler Lynch (11)
Book read: The Worst Journey in the World, by Apsley Cherry-Garrard.
Cherry-Garrard was the assistant zoologist on Robert Falcon Scott's (Captain Scott of the Antarctic) Terra Nova expedition of 1911–1912. The “Worst Journey” refers to a five-week journey in almost pitch blackness through blizzards and whiteouts in -40 degrees Celsius to collect penguin eggs for research.
Cherry-Garrard, Edward Wilson, and Henry "Birdie" Bowers travelled through horrifying storms, giant crevasses, and encountered failing equipment, loss of their tent, and frigid temperatures. When they made it back to base hut, Cherry-Garrard was almost more dead than alive. Later on Cherry helped to lay the depots crucial for the return dash for the South Pole scheduled to happen later that year. When R. Scott led the final party (which included Wilson and Bowers) for the push for the Pole, Cherry-Garrard was among the last to see them alive. The entire party died on the return journey.
Cherry-Garrard lived next to George Bernard Shaw when he wrote the book, and it is beautifully written. You can find the book online on various sites, because it is a classic. Scott and his men were some of the last of the dying breed of heroic Victorians.
*
By Tyler Lynch (11)
Book read: The Travels of Marco Polo, by Marco Polo.
This is an intriguing classic that I just couldn’t put down! I found that when the Polos were travelling they were dazzled at the brilliance and ingenuity of the civilizations they encountered. Note that Europe had just come out of the Dark Ages, and intrepid adventurers, such as the Polos, were bringing back new technology and knowledge back from their expeditions.
Another thing I discovered about a not-so-advanced people in the South China Sea around Indonesia was a country consisting of two islands—the "Man Island" and the "Woman Island." The islanders would stay in their [gender] corresponding island. In one season during the year, the two groups of islanders would mix, marry, and visit any relatives of the other gender. Any male babies born on the Woman Island would be brought over to the Men’s Island! Except during that one season, no islander could even converse with the other [gender]!
So, to retrace the Polos steps you would:
- Travel 33,000 miles...
- Pass through 17 countries...
- 8 war zones...
- Get 20 visas!