History of salt gives a new perspective on evolution and the world order.
Brilliant book.

I've seen great reviews for this book and thought it would be worth checking out. The book details how salt has been used through the ages by people all over the world. Lots of interesting facts.

This book provides a timeline of salt and how it's been used in history for different purposes and from different groups of people. Salt is used all around the world and this picture book makes learning about it more exciting. There still are important scientific facts about salt, but it's done in a way that isn't too boring. I would read this book to my students and incorporate their culture. I would ask my students how they use salt in their life and I could even incorporate realia by bringing in dishes (or having them bring dishes) of different foods that use salt.

My 11 year old son really enjoyed this book. I will say it is good for upper elementary as it is quite wordy but there is a ton of interesting information and I loved how it related a lot of things that we have learned about in the past (Like Ghandi and the discovery of oil in Texas) with salt. It was kind of a trip through history and science as it relates to the world of Salt.

An interesting read. Though I had an idea of salt's importance in human history, I'm certain most kids don't, and this would be a valuable lesson for them. I learned things I didn't know, including that the Hanseatic League was initially created as a way of controlling the distribution of, and wealth associated with, salt.

Based on Mark Kurlansky's critically acclaimed bestseller Salt: A World History which is for adults, this picture book will interest many 4th graders. I learned so much from this book, I didn't realize there was so much to know about salt. Try it, not just on your food, make it part of your reading diet!

Mark Kurlansky shares a detailed history of salt through time and geography. The Story of Salt would make a great addition to the nonfiction shelf of any school or classroom library as it touches on science, social studies, geography, and economics.

The Story of Salt was illustrated by S.D. Schindler using painterly media. The illustrations complement the text especially in the depictions of human interactions with salt.

Kurlansky, M. & Schindler, S.D. (2006). The Story of Salt. New York, NY: The Penguin Group.

Got this for my cousin and he loved it.

“The Story of Salt”, written by Mark Kurlansky accurately exposes the role of the industry of salt in world history through a variety of contexts mainly including the scientific and cultural role of salt today, the emergence of its use, and the cause and effects of trading the mineral in world history. Firstly, the emergences of salt lead its application to majorly affecting the customs and daily lives of certain societies around the world as it was used for culinary purpose and preservation of objects. More specially, the manufacturing of soy sauce in China led to a higher consuming rate as it was used in every meal and is still used today in modern cuisine, but most importantly, the use of salt in Catholic Europe due to the restrictions regarding meat consummation incredibly rose as Cod fishes’ popularity increased and salt was used for preservation. Secondly, the role of Salt in world’s history led to the economic rise of several societies and control of several trade routs also resulting in rebellions. Indeed, the ancient emperors controlling the Chinese dynasty used the power of salt that “paid the Great Wall of China, which is fifteen hundred miles long (…) It also paid for the Chinese arm,” which served as a safe trade route and effective barrier (Kurlansky 19). Due to the rarity and expensiveness of the salt, taxes were placed in France and India as main goal to enrich the country and feed the French and British armies, which angered the civilizations sparking the French Revolution and Movement of Gandhi resulting India’s independence. Lastly, the scientific enquiries today have forged new concepts on the production of salt making it an essential mineral in today’s lifestyle. That is to say scientist developed methods such as canning to decrease the use of salt in preservation, but most importantly salt mines, drooling, and synthesizing, were the major factors that made salt more abundant, less expensive, and common in modern life. The fact that the author, Mark Kurlansky exposed the mineral of salt as a symbol of the world’s evolution and a historical and scientific manner strongly interested the reader also making this book recommended for readers intrigued by scientific inquiry and the development of the world to modern days. All in all, the “Story of Salt,” has accurately defined the historical and scientific role of an important mineral in world history.

Categories/Genres for this class fulfilled by this book: Nonfiction

Estimate of age level of interest: Grades 3-8

Estimate of reading level: Grade 7

Brief description:

A nonfiction book about the history of salt, including the chemical structure of the compound, the impact of salt on ancient cultures and how it brought power, to more modern examples, such as the Salt March with Ghandi.

Identify at least 2 characteristics of this genre and subgenre and discuss how they appear in your book:

Nonfiction books should give accurate information about a topic. Mark Kurlansky wrote an entire adult novel on the topic of salt; he has researched extensively and is knowledgeable on the subject. The breadth of the book is extensive and he gives brief examples of each significant event to the readers, explaining the significance. He has brought the novel’s contents to a medium that is much more accessible to younger readers.

The second characteristic to speak about in juvenile nonfiction is the use of pictures to support the factual text. Each page of The Story of Salt is accompanied by visuals. Some of them are visually accurate, for example a drawing of Ghandi at the end of the Salt March, while others provide comedy, such as the caricatures of a pickle and ham fending off bacteria. The colors and style of the drawings are appropriate for each time period they depict, using black, white, and grey in the Polish salt mines and more lush greens when speaking of the salt collection in America in the Erie Canal.

In what ways and how well does the book as a whole serve its intended audience?:

This book will appeal to elementary school students, and perhaps even middle school students. It is an easy-to-read history of salt. Kids researching this topic will find the text each to read and the pictures engaging. That said, it does not shy away from using appropriate historic and scientific words, exposing our young readers to proper terminology and vocabulary.

Awards if any:

ALA Notable Children's Books 2007
Horn Book Magazine starred 04/01/07
Kirkus Reviews starred 08/01/06
School Library Journal starred 10/01/06

Links to published reviews from professional sources:

Booklist July 2006 (Vol. 102, No. 21)
Horn Book Magazine September/October, 2006
Publishers Weekly September 18, 2006
School Library Journal October 1, 2006

Never thought this would be this good! SUCH a good informational book about salt. So many things that I never would have thought about. Would be a great book to have in my classroom.

This narrative nonfiction picture book tells the history of a common household item, salt. The book explains how several different ancient civilizations used salt in their everyday lives. The story is accompanied by realistic drawings that illustrate the diverse cultures and techniques associated with the history of salt.