The Adventures of Marco Polo

by Russell Freedman, Linas Alsenas, Bagram Ibatoulline (Illustrator)

Was Marco Polo the world's greatest explorer -- or the world's greatest liar? Newbery Medalist Russell Freedman turns his eagle eye on the enigmatic Marco Polo in his most exciting biography yet.

He claimed to have seen rocks burn, bandits command sandstorms, lions tamed with a look, and sorcerers charm sharks while divers gathered pearls on the ocean floor. Marco Polo shook Europe with descriptions of the world he'd seen on his epic journey to the court of Kublai Khan.

But was Marco Polo the world's most accomplished explorer? Had he really seen the "Roof of the World" in Central Asia, and the "City of Heaven" in far-off China? Or was he a charlatan who saw nothing more than the conjurings of his inventive mind? Join Russell Freedman as he tackles a centuries-old mystery.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Geography, Picture Books, Childrens, Travel

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Russell A. Freedman was an American biographer and the author of nearly 50 books for young people. He may be known best for winning the 1988 Newbery Medal with his work Lincoln: A Photobiography.

He grew up in San Francisco and attended the University of California, Berkeley, and then worked as a reporter and editor for the Associated Press and as a publicity writer. His nonfiction books ranged in subject from the lives and behaviors of animals to people in history. Freeedman's work has earned him several awards, including a Newbery Honor each for Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery in 1994 and The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane in 1992, and a Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal.

Freedman traveled extensively throughout the world to gather information and inspiration for his books. His book, Confucius: The Golden Rule was inspired by his extensive travels through Mainland China, where he visited Confucius' hometown in modern day QuFu, in the Shantung Province.

Reviews

[Steven Walle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Russell Freedman leads us on an expedition that is as much mystery as history, asking the ultimate question about Marco Polo's quarter-century journey to China in the 1200s: did it actually happen? When Marco departed Venice, Italy at age seventeen with his father (Niccolò) and uncle (Maffeo) on a trade voyage to the Far East, did they end up going beyond where any European ever had? Marco's claims of what he saw on the road to Asia and within the kingdom of Kublai Khan seem beyond belief: carnivorous monsters in the street, cities of dizzying architectural complexity and outrageous wealth, restless demons moaning in the desert. These descriptions were recorded by a writer known as Rustichello of Pisa while Marco Polo was imprisoned in Genoa after his adventure was over, and the fantastic stories spread throughout popular culture even before the advent of the printing press. Were Marco's tales pure fantasy, or were they mostly faithful to his experiences in Asia during the twenty-four prime years of his life? The Adventures of Marco Polo endeavors to find out where the facts lead. Marco's is an odyssey worthy of closer investigation.

Marco Polo was six years old when Niccolò and Maffeo went east for the first time. Upon their return nine years later, Marco jumped at the chance to join their next expedition, which promised to explore further east. The three globetrotters trekked across Europe and the Middle East, then through the extreme weather of elevated mountain passes to arrive in the land of the Mongols. Kublai Khan (grandson of Genghis) ruled the powerful Mongol Empire, which included China, the Middle East, and part of Europe. No European had ever observed Kublai Khan's empire from the inside, but Marco Polo and his companions would claim to. They were honored emissaries of his court, chosen to carry out missions on behalf of the legendary Mongol.

Homesickness eventually prodded Marco, Niccolò, and Maffeo to request leave to return to Italy, but years passed before the aging Kublai Khan reluctantly granted their petition. Marco reentered Venice as a forty-one-year-old with magnificent tales to tell, which made the rounds of Europe and ignited argument over their authenticity. The final twenty-five years of Marco's life were tame compared to the wild times he claimed to have in Asia, but his legacy continued to be hotly debated, with no way of knowing whether his travels were true or a hoax. To this day, Marco Polo remains an enigma.

Scholars argue on both sides of the Marco Polo debate, but I like Russell Freedman's take on it. Marco gave precise, accurate details about Asia in Rustichello's written account, probably too accurate for him to have never made it past Persia, as some scholars assert. There are factually dubious claims in Rustichello's work that cast everything into doubt, but the evidence is mixed. I have to believe there's truth in the manuscript, but it's hard to gauge how much. Besides the quirky mystery of Marco Polo as presented by Russell Freedman, Bagram Ibatoulline's artwork is a fabulous addition to The Adventures of Marco Polo, probably my favorite part of the book. His depiction of scenes in Europe and Asia during the Middle Ages is wonderfully atmospheric. There isn't as much thematic depth to The Adventures of Marco Polo as many of Russell Freedman's nonfiction works, but I'd give it at least one and a half stars, and I'd consider two. Come participate in a historical mystery older than Leonardo da Vinci, King Henry VIII, or Sir Isaac Newton. It makes for an entertaining read.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent book! However, it was not one of Freedman's best books, which of course, is a negative way of saying it was better than most other juvenile nonfiction. It is too bad the Siebert Award started so late in Freedman's writing career. He would have been a regular on that list!
This was a fascinating account of Marco Polo's life, and Freedman found the perfect hook for this book. Most youth today know of Marco Polo only through the pool hide and seek game (the seeker says Marco, the hiders say Polo and try to be elsewhere when the seeker hones in on their voice). This book starts with Polo on his death bed and his friends and relatives begged him to confess his "lies" about the fabulous land of China and other Asian countries. What a great way to get kids interested in this guy who is dying and being accused of lying! Then Freedman explains what Polo wrote about and how he ended up in prison recounting his tale to a fellow prisoner. Finally, he examines the pro and anti Marco Polo arguments about whether he had actually been to China and witnessed the sights he recounts in his famous book "The Description of the World". There is an afterword where Freedman tells about the many editions and versions of this book that is a fascinating bit of biblio history. I would say one of the greatest detractors of this book were the illustrations and the extremely hard to read captions. The book did lag a bit. As I said, it wasn't Freedman's best book, by far. Highly recommended, especially since there is so little on Marco Polo for youth.

[Noninuna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I assumed that everyone knows who Marco Polo is or at least heard of his name before but I dont think everyone has heard of his story/book, "The Travel of Marco Polo". And I'm one of the latter. I didn't even know that his book was and still is being question about the validity of it. Whether the journey was his imagination or something he heard and gathered from other travelers or it's something he actually experienced.

Reading this simplified and unbiased writing from Mr Freedman make me curious about two things; Marco Polo's 'The Travel of Marco Polo' & the Khan's dynasty in Mongolia and their invasion almost half of Asia.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

How did I go through school without encountering Marco Polo? Before reading this book, I would have said that he was an explorer who lived long ago, before Columbus. And I would have been correct, but the facts are much richer than the paltry ones I knew.

In relatively few pages, Freedman presents an intriguing overview of a man who left his mark on history. Within months of returning from his twenty-four year journey, Polo landed in a dungeon where he met a writer. So Polo talked and his fellow prisoner wrote, thus creating a story that was immensely popular. This being the time before printing presses, all copies of the book were transcribed (and often illustrated) by hand. Fewer than 150 versions from Renaissance Europe and the medieval times still exist; no two of which are the same. And scholars still debate how much of this Polo actually experienced, how much he heard from others, and how much is fabricated (by Polo or the transcribers).

Much of what I read was new to me. For example,

p 31: Marco reported that homeless children were cared for and educated. ... Kublai Khan created thousands of public schools to provide a basic education for all children, including those of poor peasants.

p 37, re people who lived in the Yunnan mountains: After one of the wives has given birth, she washes and swaddles the infant. Then her husband goes to bed with the baby by his side and lies in bed for forty days, while all his friends and relatives come to visit and entertain him. They do this, they say, because the woman has done her part by carrying the baby in her womb, and it’s fair that the man should do his share.

p 39: In China People wore fine silk garments, ate their meals from beautiful porcelain dishes, purchased paperback books with paper currency, ...

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haven't read a Russell Freedman book I didn't enjoy. This one made me want to grab Marco Polo's book and read it from the horse's mouth.

[Willow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: does mention polygamy and concubines.

[Jean Bowen]

The skepticism in the book was distracting and , for this age level, largely unnecessary.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marco Polo was 6 when his merchant father and uncle left to trade with Russia. It takes them nine years to return due to storms, wars and bandits, but when they do, a 17 year old Marco is enraptured with the tales of their journey. It’s agreed that Marco, his father and uncle will travel east to Cathay (modern day China) and the court of Kublai Khan where his father and uncle had previously been. While in Cathay, they promised to bring back gifts from the Pope for Kublai Khan. The book follows Marco’s three year journey east and includes primary artifacts of maps and drawings from the time showing students how Marco crossed deserts, changed routes, and had many adventures just getting to China. Once there Marco tells of many of the experiences he had in the Khan’s court. According to him he became a trusted advisor and traveled throughout the empire on missions for the Khan and Marco vividly describes one of his favorite cities, Quinsai. While students get to read the vivid accounts of Marco’s journey’s the author also brings up the fact that many people did not believe Marco Polo once he returned home. The final chapter of the book discusses the critics and what they believe about Marco Polo. Freedman presents their viewpoint and presents possible answers to their questions. I really enjoyed how this book presented the facts as Marco Polo described them to others and then asks students to take the role of historians and determine if what we know about Marco Polo’s adventures are true? It asks them to not only explore the world through his eyes, but then explore historical evidence left behind to see if his accounts are true or embellished. While the book uses primary resources (maps and drawings from the time period), I think a discussion would need to ensure with middle level readers comparing the old to the maps of today so they get a clearer picture of locations.

[Maryem Benmansour · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Adventures of Marco Polo



Marco Polo is one of the greatest explorers of all time. Some people think that when he had told the world marvelous adventures, he was only reposing. People even ask themselves sometimes; was he the world’s greatest explorer or was he the world’s biggest liar? As he layed dying on his bed, his family and friends supplicated him to confess. They importuned him to at least reveal the truth to them and abandon his exaggerations in order to meet his god with a clear conscience. In the era where the Earth was thought to be flat, Marco Polo confessed that he had visited a secluded and unknown land, which was difficult to arrive to, and no European ever had been to in order to apprise about. According to this novel he traveled thousands of miles accompanied by his beloved father and his uncle by camel, donkey, and horse. They have crossed deserts, met man-eating beasts and escaladed the highest mountains where birds could not be found, because of the cold and the height. After a voyage that lasted about three years and a half, Marco had written that he set foot on the outstanding court of the omnipotent Kublai Khan, the world’s most robust ruler and at that time conqueror of China. Polo then told his audience that he became one of the most trusted people of the Khan family and was sent on very confidential missions throughout different parts of the empire. He says that his travels have taken him to “a greater number of different regions in that part of the world that any man who was ever born.” (Freedman 5) His famous books were describing things, which seemed so stupendous that many of his readers commenced to refuse believing in him. For instance, that he had seen “black lions”, “snakes with legs”(Freedman 6), bandits who turned night into day, wizards who could hypnotize sharks, a king who had 500 wives, rocks that burned, and little pieces of paper, which were as valuable as gold. After living many years in China he decides to end his journey and comes back to his hometown, Venice, but there, was another adventure that was awaiting him. Once returned he was seized in a sea battle confronting Genoa, Venice’s rival city state, which was fighting with them for the control of the powerful Mediterranean. As Venice was defeated he eventually became a prisoner of war for Genoa, where he was held for almost a year, until the two city-states agreed on a peace treaty in the year of 1229. He was captured and put in a cell with a man named Rustitchello of Pisa, which was a writer and of course was interested in Marco’s “travel tales”. (Freedman 6) The result was a book named The Description of the World. After his liberation, Marco became a merchant in the city of Venice, where he lived a peaceful life. Meanwhile, handwritten copies of his novel were starting to promulgate throughout Italy. This novel was translated in many different European languages, and aided the Europeans to begin learning about a civilization they had absolutely no idea about. It is also known that it helped Christopher Columbus in order to commence his imagination. On the other hand many of his readers still continued to view his stories as tales only. Till this day, seven centuries later, the truth of his book is still being debated. “Did he really travel to China and beyond, as he claimed? Or was he in fact, “the man of a million lies”?” (Freedman 7) Thus, to his dying day Marco continued to insist that what he claimed was “nothing but the truth.” (Freedman 7) and proclaimed “I have only told half of what I saw.” (Marco Polo)




From all the fourteen questions suggested to us by Mrs. Slaoui, three of them have really enthralled my attention. Throughout this novel, Marco was said to be the greatest explorer of all times, but also thought to be a colossal liar. Some people take him as a hero that has changed many lives, and has affected different discoveries the world has known since then. In my personal opinion, I sincerely don’t think that this “brave” man is should not be considered and isn’t a hero, because of the fact that what he has saw or experienced has not been proven in any sort and is still largely debatable seven centuries later. I don’t consider that this person has changed the world in any sort and his discoveries were nothing but tales he has made up. Eventually, eventhough many people didn’t believe what he was saying he became very prominent and was thought to be life changing. His books have traveled throughout the boot shaped country, and his discoveries were believed to been seen by Christopher Columbus. He was very famous at the time, but also part of the devil to some. A question that I had before reading this stupendous novel, which has explained in marvelous details the life of Marco Polo, was if what he was claiming was genuinely true. After reading The Adventures of Marco Polo by Russell Freedman, I learned that the whole world was asking this question, which unfortunately is still not answerable today. To conclude, people all around the world, do not have the answer of the question everyone is asking; was Marco Polo the world’s most notable explorer or the world’s most monumental liar?


I would personally recommend this novel to all history admirers. It very well explains the life of Marco Polo and the discoveries he says he has made throughout his long voyage. This was something that I always was enchanted by. It is a stupendous story with astounding images and a very accurate map of Marco’s time. It helps the audience comprehend his life and all the achievements as well as the obstacles he faced during his expedition. Reading this novel will aid you to uncover the story behind the words and imagery, placed in it. I recommend this book to boys and girls highschoolers and middleschoolers, because of the information it contains, which will be very helpful in their history classes or general culture. I would mostly suggest it to 8th graders because we have been learning about this man who has done the impossible. This novel will eventually enlarge their knowledge and aid them throughout their history classes. To sum up, The Adventures of Marco Polo is a very inspiring story, which I relished reading and I really hope that the people who choose to read this novel by Russell Freedman will feel the same.

[Willow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book is in the shape of a picture book, I would not consider this in that category. Most of the book is text with only a few pictures, and the writing is fairly academic for a children's book. I really appreciated the thoroughness of the information and that so many quotes were used from Marco Polo's book "The Description of the World". I also liked that it included a description of the controversy surrounding his book(s) and the different points that both sides make about whether or not Polo went to China and/or how far he did go. My daughter was able to choose a theory she supported and give evidence for her support using the information in the book. My question: why doesn't the book have more pictures?

[Laurie Woodward · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this picture book is rich with historical detail, its verbose style makes its readability extremely challenging. I have been reading this with my fifth grade gifted students and even those whose lexile are at a ninth grade level find the text difficult. This is written for educated adults, not children. Another challenge for the reader were captions so small that you need a magnifying glass to read them. If teachers plan to use this book, I would recommend picking and choosing a few pages rather than asking students to read the entire difficult text.

[Ryann Norris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Biographical Nonfiction
Grade: 4-6
I really like how the pages look like an old manuscript which is very fitting for the time period. I like how the author added images from the time. This book reminds me more of a textbook than a children’s book which could be intimidating for students. However the information is well spread and and book is well written I didn’t like how it wasn’t a very attractive read. The pages had a lot of words which may be intimidating for students trying to do research. Although if not for research it is a good read but kind of boring.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, objective discussion on the adventures of Marco Polo. Did he really reach China, or was some of what he explained stories he heard from others? Both sides of the issue are discussed. Great book for older elementary students to teach them about telling both sides of a story.

Pictures are marvelous! A variety of pictures are reproduced from various editions through the centuries. The maps are useful to explain the travels.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure if this is the right book, believe it or not The adventures of Marco Polo is a pretty common title. I liked the one I read though.

[Eliza Fitzgerald]

Great supplement to our Marco Polo study

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Biography
Summary: This biography by Russell Freedman, is an depth look at Marco Polo’s life and whether all his explorations were true. Freedman delves into Polo’s adventures with the use of Polo’s writings.

Critique:
a. The area for critique is the theme.
b. Marco Polo is a very interesting character in our history and an important person that students need to learn about. In this biography, Freedman manages to interpret Marco Polo’s writings in a fantastic way that gives life to the details of his explorations. He ties it all together to create an easy to read story where the reader learns about Marco Polo’s accomplishments. Even the pages themselves go along with the story, as they look old and faded, which adds to the excitement of the journey.
c. Freedman makes the story relevant to the reader by making it as understandable as possible. Though it is based all over the world, he explains to the reader in a way that makes helps to understand places that we have never seen. On page 15, Marco Polo is beginning his adventure on the Road to Cathay, where Freedman explains, “The lands of what are now Turkey and Iran were familiar territory to Italian merhcants.” This description allows the reader to picture the location or look at a map to see what is now, Turkey and Iran.
Curriculum Connection: I would recommend this biography for older students in upper elementary grades. Though Freedman makes it readable for students, it is still very full of information. It would become overwhelming, I think, for younger students. This would be a great book for students working on a project that has to do with Marco Polo. It would also be great for teaching student specific information about Marco Polo.

[Brittany Newton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Category: Biography - Informational
Source: Textbook page 278 Authentic Biography

Before reading this story, when I heard the words "Marco Polo" I thought of the game that I played in the pool with my friends as a kid. I did not think of one of the world's greatest explorers - or the world's biggest fibber? Russell Freedman uses this book as a way to discover if Marco Polo's adventures were really true. Marco Polo claimed to see many things during his explorations that seem a big fabricated. Freedman uses Polo's writings to write his story. He talks about Polo's writings and how they give great detail and explanations of his voyages. He ties in all of his writings and makes this an easy read for young readers to understand all about Marco Polo's adventures. I would recommend this book to older children in upper grades. Although Freedman uses simple words, it is still a lot of information to take in. This book would be best used when students are creating projects, learning about, or writing papers about famous explorers. Marco Polo is not very well known to children, so this would be a good read for them to learn about someone new.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to older children between 9 and 12. The language is kept as simple as possible, and it does a good job of explaining and describing things that would be unfamiliar to children. It also focuses mainly on things that children would find interesting, such as the strange cultures of the places Marco visits and the exciting adventures he has while away from Venice. The only problem with this book is its lack of a good map. It would be much easier to visualize Marco’s journeys if an easy to read map was provided with his travels marked on it rather than period maps made for the publication of his book. However, this book does a good job of balancing text with detailed, helpful illustrations and period artwork, which children will find engaging. And it is a fascinating subject since the author’s goal is to weigh the truthfulness of Marco Polo’s stories, in a sense turning the reader into a detective. Children will love trying to figure out for themselves if Marco Polo was telling the truth.

[Crystal Lockhart · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read a biography about Marco Polo called Adventures of Marco Polo by Russell Freedman. This book was found on page 278 of our textbook. This book tells the story of the great Marco Polo. Apparently Marco Polo told everyone about mysterious and probably fabricated things he saw on his adventure. The author uses some of Marco Polo’s written letters to bring facts to the story however, many of the facts seem to be made up by Polo himself. This journey is real but the book made me wonder just how much of Polo’s experiences on the journey were real.

I was not a big fan of the book. I thought it was written well however, I did not care for the story. Though I know it was a biography I felt like I was reading fiction as some points with Polo’s “true” adventures.I enjoy the other book I read by Russell Freedman quite a bit more than this one. I would not use this book in the classroom; however, it would fit a biography unit of study for the students.

[Chak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book paraphrases the tales of Marco Polo and adds a bit of historical context and simplified critical analysis (more of it is available at the back of the book in the Author's Note that also serves to debunk a few myths, such as Marco Polo introducing pasta to Italy). The nicely illustrated book especially focuses on Marco's experiences with and thoughts about Kublai Khan, who is presented as the kindest, most benevolent, most forward thinking and noblest ruler who ever lived. It's very interesting to read Marco's writing about the emperor, since it personally made me doubt Marco's version of reality. We read this book as a family, and we all found it fascinating to think about what it must have been like to experience so much of the world that no one that you knew had ever seen. Hardcover, library-covered weight: 593 grams.

[Sarah George]

1) Genre: Informational Children's Book
2) This informational children's book teaches children about the many amazing adventures of Marco Polo. Within the pages are familiar stories and some new stories about Marco Polo's adventures around the world.
3) a. The layout and theme of the book.
b. Because of the background, the old paintings, and the font of the text the author allows us to travel back in time and feel more connected with Marco's stories.
c. For example: On pages 16 and 17 the author provided us with a map of Marco's travels we are able to see where he travels and how the map would have looked like during the 13th century.
4) Content Connection: The content connection for this book would be a lesson on 13th century explorers. This book is a great resource for students and teachers.

[Gina Saenz]

The Adventures of Marco Polo
Category: Biography Informational
Author Russell Freedman tells the story or tale of Marco Polo and his adventures around the world. This story reminded me of the saying “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Polo seems to have encountered many many unusual situations on his journey. It’s hard to believe that he was responsible for introducing the Italians to pasta! However, even though the story seems a bit more fantasy than reality it remains a good read. Ibatoulline does a great job with the illustrations. Her illustrations help put Polo in several different countries which try to help give his stories merit. Whether the book is part truth and part fiction or all fiction does not really matter. Readers between 9-12 will be captivated and fascinated by the mystery.

[Brittany Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Junior Book Log
Title: Adventures of Marco Polo
Author: Russell Freedman
Category: Biography
Source: Textbook pg. 278

Marco Polo is one of the explorers I feel like I knew little about and the name was more famous for the game I used to play in the pool as a kid. After reading this book I now know more of what Marco Polo claimed to have explored through his own writings. I loved how Freedman told the story of Marco Polo through these writings, as I believe it will help the students to understand what Polo might or might not have explored. I also liked how Freedman discussed the debate about Polo’s explorations in the book and gave the reader information to make their own informed decision. This book would be best for late elementary school or early middle school especially if a student was doing a project on Marco Polo specifically.

[Erika Tortorice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a biography of the life of Marco Polo and his travels. The book gives detailed stories of how Marco Polo came to be a worldly traveler especially in the East. The stories of Marco Polo and his travels are still questioned to this day whether he really made that trip to China and experienced all that he claims. His stories give wild claims to his interactions with an Emporer and his people. Are they true or are they fabricated? Read this book and decide for yourself. I could use this book in a classroom to discuss a lesson on explorers. The students could use it for a reference to write a paper about an explorer.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a lovely book for children, and adults who want to learn of the journey of Marco Polo as he leaves his home land in Venice and traveled the silk route to China. In 1269, he and two others traveled on an epic journey to Asia. While he was not the first to reach Asia, he was the first to leave a highly detailed accounting, some of which may have been embellished. But, most of which was accurate enough for succeeding men to follow his foot steps.

When he returned to war with Genoa, he was imprisoned and it is in his cell, that he dictated his tale. Later in life, he married, became wealthy and was the father of three children.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inside Cover:
Was he the world's greatest explorer? Marco Polo claimed to have seen rocks urn, heard sorcerers sing sharks to sleep, and met bandits who could conjure sandstorms at will. Marco shook Europe with descriptions of the world he said he'd visited on his epic journey from Italy to the court of Kublai Khan in far-off China. OR was he the world's biggest liar? But some questioned whether Marco Polo had ever reached the "Roof of the World" in Central Asia or ridden waves on the Indian Ocean. They claimed he was a fake who saw nothing more than the conjurings of his own inventive mind. Who was Marco Polo? A heroic explorer or a charlatan?

[Diana Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for my junior book reading log. It is a biography. In this book, the author, Russell Freedman, uses the writings of Marco Polo to examine whether he really saw and went through some of the far-fetched things he claimed to have seen during his explorations. This book is great, as it takes both sides and uses the actual writings of Polo, which he talks about in the book, explaining how in-depth and detailed they are. This is a good read for younger children, as Freedman is able to make it easy to understand and follow.

[Sandy Stiles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Freedman is a gifted author who finds a way to distill massive amounts of scholarship into a slim volume that is readable at the middle school level. This was but another example of a subject that I had heard about seemingly forever, but actually knew little about. Marco Polo's accomplishments, although disputed by some, were amazing and if nothing else, inspired many other Europeans to understand the world was larger than they had imagined. The descriptions of the advanced empire of Kublai Khan were particularly interesting. Glad I read it!!

[Shellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author offers us many interesting details regarding the Polo's journey to China and their lengthy stay in that country. However, the book was slow moving and dry. Unfortunately, this was one of our least favorite reads of the year so far.

I did enjoy the illustrations. They were full of rich saturated color adding life to the story. The 2 large maps were also immensely helpful as we tracked the Polo's 2 journeys.

I just wish the author had provided a vibrant storytelling voice as opposed to just sharing the facts.