The Nortorious Benedict Arnold

I had a really difficult time getting into this biography – maybe because Benedict Arold is not a very likable character for me. Once I worked through my issues, I really learned lots about this man whose name is synonymous with the word traitor.

Reading this biography will tell you more about the man who might have been one of the heroes of the American Revolution rather than one of America’s most famous villains. The war might have ended differently had it not been for a few mishaps.

I was also fascinated by the British soldier Major John Andre and the life led by this officer and others during the American Revolution.

I came away from this book with a better understanding of the political games that were being played by the military and members of the Continental Congress. Some of it seems familiar to some of the current political games.

Cleopatra Rules: The Amazing Life of the Original Teen Queen

This is a biography about Cleopatra and I think every 6^th grader and every 6^th grade teacher at OMS needs to read it. It will add so much to your understanding when you study Ancient Egypt.

Good. Evil. Dangerous. Glamorous. Will the real Cleopatra please stand up? Almost everything we know about the last queen of Egypt came from her enemies—the Romans. Now it’s time to meet the “real” Cleopatra, a ruler more complex, brilliant, and powerful than we ever knew. Cleopatra didn’t just rock the boat when she became queen at seventeen. She rocked the world with brilliant alliances that kept her in power and in control.

It is written in a style that mixes contemporary language with some amazing historical facts and theories. I read this book in one sitting because it was a fun read that made the history come alive.

At the end of the book, there is a timeline, a glossary, a bibliography (listing primary & secondary sources), a list of picture resources and an index.

There is an article in the August 2011 National Geographic Magazine about Cleopatra.  Be sure to check out the interactive map of Alexandria.