Mali: Land of Gold and Glory

Introduce elementary and middle school students to the ancient African empire of Mali, and teach them about an amazing history--and about themselves. Mali, one of the most glorious but least known civilizations of the world, comes to life through vivid color photographs, timelines, maps...and the legends of the griots, or storytellers, who’ve preserved the past of Mali for millennia, handing down stories of brave kings from generation to generation.

The book is an introduction to an astonishing, little-known history, and it’s a vital, refreshing educational tool, packed with suggestions for games and activities that reinforce the history lessons. For instance, readers will learn how to play the "Trading Game," a life-or-death activity for the people who once practiced it. MALI: LAND OF GOLD AND GLORY is an invaluable entrée into a place and a time that deserve more attention, especially among young people. "African-Americans were not dropped out of the sky with slavery as their beginning," said Andrew Prophett, the esteemed educator responsible for the development of Virginia’s new innovative elementary-level Mali curriculum. "That is not history."

Mali IS history, a civilization worthy of being studied along with those of Rome, Greece, Egypt, China, and India. MALI: Land of Gold and Glory makes that possible, bringing to life "a land of grand palaces and gold." As the narrator-griot sings in the book. "It was called the Bright Country and that was the way it was—a bright and shining place."