The Silk Road

Children's Literature

The Silk Road's history is also a history of commerce in Asia. The desire for trade linked the East and West through trade routes traveled by camel caravans. The Chinese traded with the Romans because silk and other luxury goods were popular with the Romans, but they were always under attack from the nomadic tribes. To deal with this they strengthened and built more of the Great Wall of China. Today, the Silk Road is a series of paved roads and train tracks that follow the paths of the old routes. The text includes biographies of Marco Polo and Genghis Khan and a feature titled "The Merchant's Handbook" is quite interesting. There is a Silk Road timeline, an activity—making a simple compass, a quiz, further research suggestions, a glossary and an index. One may need to use a more in-depth book for further information and detail. 2005, Weigl Publishers Inc, $26 and Ages 8 to 12.
—Naomi Butler