Stiefel. Ye Castle Stinketh

Stiefel, Chana    Ye Castle Stinketh      

 Enslow      2011  48p   23.93 978-0-7660-3786-1  

elm/ms      E-BN        

    The middle ages was a dark time in history but more than that it was a time where cleanliness was not important and often purposely neglected. Could you survive living in a castle? read on and find out!   A castle was more than a home. It was surround by a strong wall that surrounded not only the castles but the castle grounds. During war it became fortress for the villager and their animals. Sometime the castles were surrounded by a large moat ( a body of water) that went around around the castle and the only you could enter the castle was with a draw bridge that was lowered for entering and raised for protection. The moat was often filled with putrid water, dead animal and sewage. The whole purpose was to avoid anyone trying to cross the moat and climb the wall. The unfortunate part of the moat was that the smell also went into the castle grounds.
  The castle was built like a small town. Inside they built everything you could possibly need. It also meant that the kitchen was a furnace with unbearable heat for the servants who had to cook, and because the furnace was a fireplace the smoke wafted into the main room creating a smoky environment. There were no electrical anything so the fireplace also served as light for the room. They also used candles creating even more smoke in the room.
 People lived with fleas, mice, flies and other vermin. Bath time was truly  a luxury and if you got one at all you had better hope you can jump in first because one tub with warm water was often used by all family members. If you were the last one in the water was cold and filthy.
 Toilets! were still a thing of the future! If there was a room for your necessity it was probably made from wooden planks that went directly to a cesspit. The stink was always there!      Ye Yucky Middle Ages (Enslow) Other books: Don’t let the Barber pull your teeth., Sweaty suits of armor, There’s a rat in my soup. Books kids will enjoy and laugh out loud and this look back at the past to the middle ages and how people lived back then.      Middle Ages - Castles -Social customs - Civilization      Magna Diaz

 

Stiefel. Fingerprints

Stiefel, Chana    Fingerprints      

 Enslow      2011  104p  23.95 978-0-7660-3689-5  

ms/hs VG-BNS            

   Beginning with a discussion of early means of criminal investigations and how fingerprint physiology methods drastically changed the ways crimes were solved, Stiefel explains the by which fingerprints can be characterized and how law enforcement agencies make and use fingerprint records.  Forensic science and criminal investigations provide the basis for some of the hottest shows on the tube these days and this book will entice young readers into a deeper look at evidence gathering.  Beginning with a discussion of early means of criminal investigations and how fingerprint physiology methods drastically changed the ways crimes were solved, Stiefel explains the methodology by which fingerprints can be characterized and how law enforcement agencies make and use fingerprint records.  She describes the techniques by which experts locate, lift, and record fingerprints and use them to convict lawbreakers.   She chronicles cases in which fingerprint evidence led to just convictions and those in which poor evidence gathering led to unjust incarcerations.  She also details new methods of crime solving through DNA analysis and how fingerprint scanning is becoming part of everyday life.
   The book is clearly written with each chapter filled with colorful, eye-catching graphics, photographs, and fascinating facts.  The book also includes fact boxes on earlier methods of crime analysis, fingerprint technology, and possible career paths.  The book ends with chapter notes, a glossary, a brief bibliography of books and web sites, and an index.  It is sure to whet the interest of its readers for more information.
      True Forensic Crime Stories (Enslow)     This excellent series contains four titles about fingerprint analysis, bones, DNA and blood, and discovering trace evidence.  They are clearly written with each chapter filled with colorful, eye-catching graphics, photographs, and fascinating facts.      Forensics   Susan Ogintz

 

Stiefel, Carmen Sweaty Suits of Armor

Stiefel, Carmen   Sweaty Suits of Armor    

Enslow      2011  48p   23.93 978-0-7660-3784-7 

 elm/ms      E-BNes             

     This title gives readers a glimpse at some of the realities of the life of a knight in the Middle Ages.  It  particularly dwells on the yucky aspects like sweating in hot armor, diseases and sieges.  Elementary into early middle school. What was it like to be a knight in the Middle Ages?  You wore very heavy armor no matter what the temperature or weather outside.  Other knights were trying to injure or kill you.  Diseases ran epidemic.  All these yucky details are introduced with clear text and cute cartoon style illustrations.  These illustrations are colorful, humorous and well placed within the text.
The format is very reader friendly.  The text is a good size and easily readable.  Headings help direct the reader, and vocabulary words are highlighted in color.  Additional information is presented in text blocks are designed to look like parchment papers.  Each chapter is introduced with a different color stone wall block background.  This is all very inviting to younger readers.
    The vocabulary words which are introduced in the text are all defined in the Words to Know section.  For further information there are four books and two web sites given.  The index is simple but adequate for the text.
This title will find eager readers among grades 3-6.  Ye Yucky Middle Ages (Enslow) There are four titles in the Ye Yucky Middle Ages series.  Each deals with one element of life at the time with humor and imparts information in a conversational tone. Middle Ages Joan Theal