Monuments Help Us Remember

Children's Literature

Monuments stand solid and strong for ages, holding memories for people and communities worldwide. Like personal photos or mementos of a special trip, monuments remind us of important people or events that shaped history. For thousands of years, people built monuments. A statue of George Washington on a horse reminds us of the great man who led Americans to freedom. A monument to basketball great Michael Jordan makes everyone in Chicago feel great. Some monuments, like The Cenotaph in Hiroshima, Japan, make us pause solemnly to remember those killed by an atomic bomb during World War II. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. contains the names of American soldiers killed in the Vietnam War. And a waterfall honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the fight for civil rights. On a lighthearted note, a statue of a dog watches over Edinburgh, Scotland, reminding people of their beloved pets. It takes years to create and build a monument, and the work of maintaining monuments continues even after they are built. This book is bound to inspire thoughts about the monuments described, and about those that we may encounter. 2001, Carolrhoda Books/Lerner, $21.27. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer: Julie Steinberg