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Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts: A History of Burial, by Penny Colman Summary | Reviews | In the Classroom | Related Readings | Bulletin Board
Henry Holt & Company, Inc., ages 9-12 Drawing on extensive historical and anthropological research, personal accounts, and interviews with people who work in the funeral industry, Penny Colman examines the compelling subjects of death and burial across cultures and societies. Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts includes photographs, images of death and burial in the arts, intriguing epitaphs and gravestone carvings, and a list of burial sites of famous people.
From the Author, Penny Colman: Why did you write Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts: A History of Burial? I wrote it because I believe that death, a hard, sad, unavoidable fact of life, is easier to accept when we are able to talk about it and get answers to our questions. When we hear other people’s stories. When we learn about the variety of attitudes and rituals that have existed concerning death and burials. Nobody is immune to death. People die. I will and so will you. But if we are prepared, we can deal with death, however and whenever it happens. Reprinted with permission from Penny Colman, author of Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts, Henry Holt & Company, Inc., 1997.
Excerpts from ReviewsFrom Publishers Weekly "Few readers will be able to put down Colman’s impeccably researched history of how cultures from ancient times to modern times honor (or dishonor) their dead…a daring and satisfying approach to a difficult subject." From Booklist, November 1, 1997 "…Colman’s approach to her subject is worlds away from dry textbook tradition…For her, death is a fascinating and important subject, worthy of serious social commentary, and she’s filled her sensitive, solid book with answers to questions people often need and want to know but are too reluctant to ask." From School Library Journal, December 1997, starred review "Colman takes on the task with just the right mix of unblinking realism and sensitivity to varieties of beliefs and practices….She also balances grim facts about embalming and mourning with accounts of curious and witty gravestones and eccentric burial requests, turning the otherwise dark material into entertaining reading…This is a book that answers many questions and introduces fascinating facts. It should find many readers."
In the Classroom
With Halloween and Day of the Dead just around the corner, create a book center that takes a cross-cultural look at rituals revolving around death. Suggestions for titles include: Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts, Day of the Dead: A Mexican-American Celebration, How to Make a Mummy Talk, I Am the Mummy Heb-Nefert, and for something lighter, The Ghost of Nicholas Greebe. Add related artifacts to the center, incorporate parts of the books into your lesson plans, and encourage your students to explore and read them.
Readings for the Book Center:Day of the Dead: A Mexican-American Celebration By Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith, photographs by Lawrence Migdale Holiday House, 32 pp., ages 8-12 Through the experience of 10-year-old twins Ximena and Azucena, discover the Day of the Dead’s ancient religious origins and how Aztec beliefs and All Saints’ Day influence the holiday. How to Make a Mummy Talk By James M. Deem, Illustrated by True Kelley Houghton Mifflin, 184 pp., ages 9-12 This funny, fact-filled book takes readers on a mummy expedition that spans centuries and continents. Unravel the mysteries of mummies and how scientists study them to tell us about people who lived long ago. I Am the Mummy Heb-Nefert By Eve Bunting, Illustrated by David Christiana Harcourt Brace, 32 pp., ages 9-12 Heb-Nefert, an ancient Egyptian queen, whose mummy is displayed in a museum, recalls the days of long ago and her royal life of leisure. The Ghost of Nicholas Greebe By Tony Johnston, illustrated by S.D. Schindler Dial Books for Young Readers, 32 pp., ages 6-10 In this quirky tale of humor and suspense, a colonial farm becomes a haunted homestead when a dog unearths a bone belonging to Nicholas Greebe. His ghost appears and haunts the home—until one hundred years later, the bone finds it way back and Nicholas is put to rest.
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