When I decided to adopt from Korea, I knew next to nothing about the culture. In what little mention of them there is in books, Korea, Vietnam, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia are often presented as victim nations, poor and often governed by puppet regimes of other countries. This is not great for self-esteem.
(Regarding self-esteem: I’ve always thought some women were too sensitive to non-inclusive language. I’ve always been fine assuming that “all men” included me. But as I get older I see subtle discrimination more than I ever thought I would, and I realize the power of hearing language that includes me and seeing role models like myself.)
I have enjoyed Susan Wise Bauer’s series, The Story of the World. It’s a pretty intimidating title for a very accessible series, written to be read aloud to first and second graders and aloud or independently by third and fourth graders. Bauer is well-known in the homeschooling world as a proponent of classical education. The four volumes (ancient, medieval, renaissance and modern history) include the old culture of Korea and its contributions, powerful queens of Africa and Korea, and other people of importance that I’d never heard of before. Ancient and medieval India is covered as well.
The Usborne Encyclopedia of World History, which I mentioned in my last blog, does have does have a good paragraph on Ethiopia, noting that it was founded as a Christian kingdom in 1000 A.D. and that in about the year 1200, King Lalibela believed that God told him to carve churches out of rock. He built 11 famous churches which appear to have been made by carving away at large rock formations, rather by bringing stones to another site to build with.
Fortunately, historical fiction for children is now being written about many cultures. For Korea, A Part of the Ribbon is a time-travel adventure is which two American kids, Jeffrey and Charlotte, travel through centuries of Korean history, learning about the development of Tae Kwan Do as well as about daily life in past times. Linda Sue Park’s books are for children ages 9-12 and are set in thirteenth, fifteenth, seventeenth and twentieth century Korea.
Our library published a brochure titled “World Historical Fiction for Children”. Your library may have a similar list—ask for it! Other sources may include the Asia for Kids and Culture for Kids.
Please see this related blog:
Ethnic Culture Class, Part One