Imagine for a minute Cleopatra in a dueling game of ping pong with none other than Leonardo Da Vinci. Who do you think would win? And why? In a fascinating new book written by Clay Swartz, he reminds us that history doesn’t have to be boring! By taking the reader through 50 competitive categories with 100 historical figures from George Washington to Nelson Mandela you will decide who wins in each game. 

Each historical figure is given a ranking between 0-10 in six distinct categories: bravery, leadership, artistry, wealth, wisdom, and fitness. In head to head battle you will weigh all the facts after reading a short bio about each figure and then decide who wins. But the best part is, there is no one right answer! Through the art of debate, you get to prove and defend your side and convince the other readers of which historical figure would emerge as the victor.

This book was written for kids in grades 3-6 and retails for $14.95.  It is available for purchase directly from Workman Publishers and many other popular retailers. I appreciate that this is a rather compact book in size so it is easy to pack within a bag for on the go learning and fun. The book also lays flat and includes full color, detailed pictures of each of the figures.

We took this book with us on our family beach vacation and it was a huge hit with all of us, from the 1st grader on up. Because the book provides the background information on each historical figure it was easy to plead your case with who would win even if you didn’t know a whole bunch about the person. As a family we laughed and joked and pleaded our cases to one another trying to get other family members on our side. It was hilariously fun and the best part was that my children didn’t even know we were learning. The best part is that the book has ended up inside our vehicle in our book bin and my children still have head to head battles as we travel around town.

—Product review by Jacquelin Caffey, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, November, 2016