DK Life Stories: Florence Nightingale

I am an avid reader. IDIDN'T REALIZE THIS BOOK WAS FOR younEr children but I did enjoy the book. WillDonate to schoolI

Easy to read and understand my daughter got a First Place in her presentation

Excellent book and lots of pictures. Great biography for kids!

She developed a form of pie chart called the Nightingale Rose to present her statistical data about the healthcare system. She was also homeschooled.

In this nicely-written and colorfully illustrated book for young adults, Kitson Jazynka discusses Florence Nightingale's early life and education and describes this amazing woman's many accomplishments. Florence was born in 1820, during the reign of Queen Victoria. Her affluent family lived in two beautiful homes; had enough servants to ensure that all their needs were met; took numerous trips abroad; and enjoyed social gatherings with their friends. Mr. and Mrs. Nightingale hoped that Florence and her sister, Parthenope, would marry well, but Florence had other ideas. From an early age, she was curious about the world around her, and was passionate about healing animals as well as people. Her superior education included the study of languages, science, history, and advanced mathematics.Although she had a suitor, Ms. Nightingale chose to pursue nursing and devoted her considerable gifts to this vital profession. Florence's talents were not limited to nursing, however. She was also a great communicator, administrator, organizer, and visionary. Florence wrote monographs, letters, pamphlets, and statistical reports that helped spread the word about the importance of sanitation, compassion, skill, and wholesome food in helping the sick and injured to recover. She is particularly well-known for her tireless efforts during the Crimean War, and her advocacy for much-needed hospital reform. She taught others who followed in her footsteps, and soon "Nightingale nurses were requested to start schools all over the world, including Africa, Australia, and America."This is an enlightening and readable work of non-fiction (which also contains an excellent index, timeline, and glossary) that is appropriate for youngsters in grades seven to nine. The allusions to soldiers suffering from grisly wounds may make it inappropriate for younger readers who might find some of the contents disturbing. One of this book's chief strengths is its depiction of a strong-willed female who was considerably ahead of her time. Instead of concerning herself with society's expectations, Nightingale pursued her calling and became a pioneer in her field. To this day, Florence Nightingale is an inspiration for women who serve as dedicated research scientists, physicians, physical and occupational therapists, and of course, nurses.

Though a grown adult, I still like children's books to learn more about people. I discovered that I don't care for adult biographies. They tend to feel like a gossip session more than anything else. I prefer more of the basics that I get in children's books. Plus, I'm still a child at heart, I suppose, because I simply adore having lots of photos and illustrations to look at while I'm reading. This is a bright and colorful book. It might even be a little too chaotic for some reading minds. It was a bit tough for my mind to focus on the main text at times, due to the many pictures, illustrations, side notes, and descriptions. It has a collage quality to it at times, as opposed to a more organized layout. Still, I really like it, and I'll gladly hand it over to my boys when it's time to learn about Florence Nightingale(or sooner if they desire). I'm now excited to read more in this line of books.

I have many DK books and always enjoy them. This is no exception. It begins with a nice visual timeline (ends with a different timeline) --a path--through FN's life. Then it describes conditions during the Crimean War. The hospital treating soldiers was filthy, rat-infested and likely to cause death rather than healing. Florence Nightingale changed that with her innovative nursing and her courage to pursue medicine where the field was inhospitable to women. She was a leader and a pioneer--a brilliant woman (a girl of scientific curiosity and an avid reader as a child) and a role model at a time when women had few rights and couldn't vote. These are good things for children to be aware of. History has much to teach us and often does it most effectively through biography. She was a kind girl, and from a wealthy family, but young women didn't have much opportunity in those days--she struggled for independence and to acquire knowledge, some from her father, who noticed her intellectual talents. She was beautiful, graceful and fashionable. The book has numerous illustrations of Florence at various stages of her life (the severe picture on the cover does not do her justice--she had a kindly look.)Readers will be interested in two aspects of her story: (1) how she went from a wealthy young woman living at home with her parents to a nurse in the frontlines of the Crimean War; and (2) what she accomplished that has made her name stand out as one of the great women of history for nearly two centuries. They will learn why here--and develop a greater appreciation for medicine and nursing (and the consequences of war).

Well written biography for upper elementary. I have struggled to find biographies written for children, so was very happy to see this.

DK books are always good. It is also applicable for this Life Stories series. This series is very much appreciable for kids. I highly recommend this and other books of this series for everyone.

Great references for kids school project's.

Quality of paper and printing and content of the book all quite good.

I really liked it so much