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Who Was . . . ? Series
Who Was Milton Bradley?
Meet the man behind the board Milton Bradley.Born in Maine in 1836, Milton Bradley moved with his family to the working-class city of Lowell, Massachusetts, at age 11. His early life consisted of several highs and lows, from graduating high school and attending Harvard to getting laid off and losing his first wife. These experiences gave Bradley the idea for his first board The Checkered Game of Life. He produced and sold Life across the country and it quickly became a national sensation. Working with his company, the Milton Bradley Company, he continued to produce board games, crayons, and kid-friendly school supplies for the rest of his life. He is often credited as the father of board games, and the Milton Bradley Company has created Battleship, Jenga, Yahtzee, Trouble, and many more classic games.
106 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 2, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
July 4, 2025
Who Was…? biography series for middle grade inspires with the story of Milton Bradley – a talented inventor and printer, who became the father of modern board games.
Milton Bradley (1836-1911) was born in Vienna, Maine. From childhood, he had a talent for drawing. Thus, in order to utilize his talent, his first jobs were as a draftsman. However, right after High School, in addition to working as a draftsman, he also worked as a patent agent which later came useful.
At twenty-three, he went to school to learn lithography. And a year later, he set up the first color lithography shop in Springfield, Massachusetts, but the business wasn’t doing well.
His friend tried to cheer him up by playing games. At the same time, Milton got an idea to invent a board game. Some people saw games as a waste of time. So he wanted to create something that was fun and meaningful. He came up with The Checkered Game of Life, which he took to NYC to different stores. After selling them all, with the money in his pocket, he was ready to marry the love of his life.
When the Civil War began in April 1861, Milton was asked to help draft plans for new types of weapons. His patent business took off.
Nevertheless, Milton felt an obligation to join the Union Army, but he was told that designing the new guns was the most important job he could be doing. When passing by a group of soldiers, he noticed them being sad and bored. That’s when he came up with a small pocket-size game board. He called it the Game Kit for Soldiers.
Then, he came up with the rebus puzzle cards which became a huge success, too.
A German man named Friedrich Froebel introduced an idea of kindergarten, which was learning by playing. Elizabeth Peabody was an American teacher who believed in Froebel’s idea of kindergarten and became a leader of this movement in the US.
The Milton Bradley Company was growing but they wanted to stick to games only. Milton himself was of different opinion and persisted in creating material for teachers, which were considered less profitable. At the end, it also turned out to be profitable.
He believed in meaningful ideas, making a difference for humanity. He stood by it and at the end made his mark with big profits.
He believed in working hard, and staying close to your family. Also, that learning and fun were both important and could be combined.
This biography exemplifies a man who strongly believed in his ideas, of learning and having fun at the same time. When others looked at profits only, he persisted with something that was considered not profitable, and his creativity made it profitable.
This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.
Milton Bradley (1836-1911) was born in Vienna, Maine. From childhood, he had a talent for drawing. Thus, in order to utilize his talent, his first jobs were as a draftsman. However, right after High School, in addition to working as a draftsman, he also worked as a patent agent which later came useful.
At twenty-three, he went to school to learn lithography. And a year later, he set up the first color lithography shop in Springfield, Massachusetts, but the business wasn’t doing well.
His friend tried to cheer him up by playing games. At the same time, Milton got an idea to invent a board game. Some people saw games as a waste of time. So he wanted to create something that was fun and meaningful. He came up with The Checkered Game of Life, which he took to NYC to different stores. After selling them all, with the money in his pocket, he was ready to marry the love of his life.
When the Civil War began in April 1861, Milton was asked to help draft plans for new types of weapons. His patent business took off.
Nevertheless, Milton felt an obligation to join the Union Army, but he was told that designing the new guns was the most important job he could be doing. When passing by a group of soldiers, he noticed them being sad and bored. That’s when he came up with a small pocket-size game board. He called it the Game Kit for Soldiers.
Then, he came up with the rebus puzzle cards which became a huge success, too.
A German man named Friedrich Froebel introduced an idea of kindergarten, which was learning by playing. Elizabeth Peabody was an American teacher who believed in Froebel’s idea of kindergarten and became a leader of this movement in the US.
The Milton Bradley Company was growing but they wanted to stick to games only. Milton himself was of different opinion and persisted in creating material for teachers, which were considered less profitable. At the end, it also turned out to be profitable.
He believed in meaningful ideas, making a difference for humanity. He stood by it and at the end made his mark with big profits.
He believed in working hard, and staying close to your family. Also, that learning and fun were both important and could be combined.
This biography exemplifies a man who strongly believed in his ideas, of learning and having fun at the same time. When others looked at profits only, he persisted with something that was considered not profitable, and his creativity made it profitable.
This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.
January 17, 2019
106 pages. Interesting history on the man who made playing games a national pastime. I learned a lot about Milton Bradley and the times in which he lived. Good information for a report on a famous person or just general biography reading. Highly recommended for Grades 4-5.
April 11, 2019
I love the way the books in this series tell the stories of historical and popular figures, and as a lover of board and card games, I really enjoyed reading this biography of Milton Bradley!
Milton was a humble man who "believed in working hard, going to church, and staying close to your family. He believed that learning was important. He also believed that fun was important. And he knew that both of those things could be combined" (Ch. 9). I believe I would have loved Mr. Bradley!
Milton was a humble man who "believed in working hard, going to church, and staying close to your family. He believed that learning was important. He also believed that fun was important. And he knew that both of those things could be combined" (Ch. 9). I believe I would have loved Mr. Bradley!
January 31, 2019
Joey is Milton Bradley in a report for school. I figured I should read up on him as well. Very interesting, very interesting…
June 27, 2021
Wow!earned a lot about Milton Bradley. It sounds like he was an amazing man who was always willing to help anyone who needed it.
September 18, 2017
Who Was Milton Bradley?
By Kirsten Anderson
In the book Who Was Milton Bradley? by Kirsten Anderson, she writes about the life of Milton Bradley from when he was born until his death. You learn about his childhood and when he began to invent and create games and then started his game company. His company changed throughout his lifetime and it was very interesting to see what he could create. Milton Bradley was a honest, generous and a fun person who made it fun to work for him. You will see how Milton Bradley changed the way we live today by reading this book.
I really liked learning about Milton Bradley and I did not know anything about him before I started this book. Now I am rattling off facts about him to my parents. They found it so interesting they actually read the book too. I would have liked to learn more details about how Milton Bradley came up with his game ideas and how they figured out how to make fun and educational games. I think that would have been interesting to learn too.
I would definitely recommend this book to readers from grades 4-7 and people who are history lovers. But clearly my parents liked the book as well, so anyone who has never learned about Milton Bradley would enjoy this book. It is so interesting to learn about this man and all that he accomplished and how it changed our world we live in. I learned a lot while reading this book and I am sure you will too. There is a lot more to learn about Milton Bradley and maybe someday I will find another book about this talented man who was a connoisseur of fun and games.
September 2, 2017
My son loves everything in this series!
We have read too many to count. they are a super easy afternoon read for him and lead us to some interesting conversations. Highly recommend them all.
We have read too many to count. they are a super easy afternoon read for him and lead us to some interesting conversations. Highly recommend them all.
April 11, 2021
"Who Was Milton Bradley,” by Kristen Anderson, tells the story of a famous game maker. Milton Bradley was a draftsman who drew plans to build machines. After being a draftsman, he decided to become a lithographer, but it didn’t make much money. One evening playing a board game with a friend, Milton realized he could use his printing press from the lithographs to make games. Many serious people didn’t play games, but Milton thought if he could make educational games, it would encourage people to play. Milton’s first game was “The Checkered Game of Life,” and so began his “game-changing" career.
(Book 95 of 100) While these are very short books to read, they are quite informative. I had no idea how many games Milton himself had invented and are still around today. This is a great series because it teaches kids about people who impacted the world one way or another. One of my 4th-grade students picked up a copy of “Who Was Rosa Parks?” and was so excited. She said to me, “Thank you for buying this book. I absolutely love Rosa Parks and the boycott she started.” At first, I was surprised, because this student doesn’t like to read. For instance, she took two whole quarters to read one graphic novel! I’m so glad that she is now finding books she is enjoying and learning about history! I give this book a 4/5-star rating. I recommend this book/series to anyone who likes biographies or wants to teach their students about different people throughout history.
#WhoWasMiltonBradley #KristenAnderson #100BooksInOneYear #Imaclassyrebelreader #lookatmyclassyrebelread #bookcommunity #instabooks #igreads #igbooks #bookish #books #booksbooksbooks #bookphotography #reader #reading #bookreviews #TheCheckeredGameOfLife #TheGameOfLife #BeardlessLincoln #RebusTheModernHieroglyph
(Book 95 of 100) While these are very short books to read, they are quite informative. I had no idea how many games Milton himself had invented and are still around today. This is a great series because it teaches kids about people who impacted the world one way or another. One of my 4th-grade students picked up a copy of “Who Was Rosa Parks?” and was so excited. She said to me, “Thank you for buying this book. I absolutely love Rosa Parks and the boycott she started.” At first, I was surprised, because this student doesn’t like to read. For instance, she took two whole quarters to read one graphic novel! I’m so glad that she is now finding books she is enjoying and learning about history! I give this book a 4/5-star rating. I recommend this book/series to anyone who likes biographies or wants to teach their students about different people throughout history.
#WhoWasMiltonBradley #KristenAnderson #100BooksInOneYear #Imaclassyrebelreader #lookatmyclassyrebelread #bookcommunity #instabooks #igreads #igbooks #bookish #books #booksbooksbooks #bookphotography #reader #reading #bookreviews #TheCheckeredGameOfLife #TheGameOfLife #BeardlessLincoln #RebusTheModernHieroglyph
September 8, 2020
This was a good biography on Milton Bradley, business man, game maker, and a really good human.
If not the most exciting, then definitely sure and steady. Quietly creative.
"It turned out the normally serious Milton Bradley was very good at making a fun game!" (p.33)
"He believed in working hard, going to church, and staying close to family. He believed that learning was important. He also thought that fun was important. And he knew that both of those things could be combined." (p.95)
It was interesting to learn how dedicated Milton Bradley was to early childhood learning, the "kindergarten" movement, and educational products for learning activity.
He stuck to his beliefs and was successful. I love that this came from his roots, from his childhood. The Bradleys were a "close, happy family. ..They spent their evenings reading together and playing games like checkers and chess. ..Milton's parents were very involved in his education."
Strikes a chord with our household and family values, over 150 years later.
If not the most exciting, then definitely sure and steady. Quietly creative.
"It turned out the normally serious Milton Bradley was very good at making a fun game!" (p.33)
"He believed in working hard, going to church, and staying close to family. He believed that learning was important. He also thought that fun was important. And he knew that both of those things could be combined." (p.95)
It was interesting to learn how dedicated Milton Bradley was to early childhood learning, the "kindergarten" movement, and educational products for learning activity.
He stuck to his beliefs and was successful. I love that this came from his roots, from his childhood. The Bradleys were a "close, happy family. ..They spent their evenings reading together and playing games like checkers and chess. ..Milton's parents were very involved in his education."
Strikes a chord with our household and family values, over 150 years later.
November 2, 2018
I think that this book was very good and I don't usually like biographies. This book is about a boy that loves games. As he gets older he divides to invent games and start a game company. Later he goes to New York to try and sell his game. The day he gets there he selles all of the copies he brought with him to store owners who love it. As you probably know this game was The Game Of Life which back then we called The Checkered Game Of Life. Later on Milton Bradley invented a game kit for soldiers. Milton Bradley now had his own company named Milton Bradley & co. and was not like the little poor boy he grew up as. Soon Milton bradley & co. started to make furniture. Milton Bradley soon expanded his comminy so much that he needed more than one building. That is what I learned from Who Was Milton Bradley?
December 15, 2017
I've seen these books on our library's shelf---the "What is...Who is...Who was...." series and found it a fascinating addition to the biographies. This subject shows that there is something for everyone.
Kirsten Anderson's biography of Milton Bradley is charming and interesting. Who knew his iconic Game of Life was originally played on a checkerboard style board originally? He and his wives (one died young and he remarried) often had a houseful of people and used them as test subjects to try out new board or parlor games.
Bradley also was an early supporter of the kindergarten movement in this country and saw a need for educational toys. He was also an early movie maker with some of his creations.
Kirsten Anderson's biography of Milton Bradley is charming and interesting. Who knew his iconic Game of Life was originally played on a checkerboard style board originally? He and his wives (one died young and he remarried) often had a houseful of people and used them as test subjects to try out new board or parlor games.
Bradley also was an early supporter of the kindergarten movement in this country and saw a need for educational toys. He was also an early movie maker with some of his creations.
January 30, 2021
This short biography of a common name from my childhood surprised me. I had no idea the background of the name attached to many of the board games owned by my family. I thought that Milton Bradley was a cohort of my parents and that the games were produced and marketed during my childhood days. Instead, I discovered that he was born in 1836 and many of hi ideas for games became a reality during the Civil War. Battleship and Trouble took on a different appreciation in my thinking.
I would have liked to had a few more pages of information regarding this interesting man and his creative mind for family and educational games. Nonetheless, a good, concise introduction to this American game-maker.
I would have liked to had a few more pages of information regarding this interesting man and his creative mind for family and educational games. Nonetheless, a good, concise introduction to this American game-maker.
May 29, 2017
This book was alright. It wasn't as interesting as I thought it would be. I recommend this book to whoever likes board games, because the Milton Bradley Company created and sold some pretty well known games. It would probably be neat to learn about the history of some games. In this book, I learned it that if you work really hard, you can achieve great success. My favorite part was when Milton was successful at making supples for kindergarten, because everybody said he would make no money from it, but he did. This book is like all of the other Who Was books because they all give a ton of facts and information.
April 4, 2020
In earlier times before the barrage of internet games, this book had high relevance. These days few kids would even be aware of Milton Bradley's games because they are so "yesterday." However, that doesn't make Milton Bradley's life less relevant. It's still important to learn about entrepreneurs who followed their dreams and created businesses that both entertained and taught lessons to their purchasers.
Milton Bradley's life is a great example of what you can achieve when you put your heart and soul into what you believe. This is a lesson that is worthwhile to learn for all children and adults
Milton Bradley's life is a great example of what you can achieve when you put your heart and soul into what you believe. This is a lesson that is worthwhile to learn for all children and adults
July 20, 2018
I know this book is meant for younger kids, but I still loved it. I am an avid board game and tabletop gamer, and I think the gaming industry owes so much to Mr. Bradley. I am a huge fan of his company’s games even today, and his connection to education and the kindergarten movement in America makes him an even more important part of our history (at least in my opinion). I learned so much about his life in this quick read, and I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a quick snapshot of how board games took off and helped people before and after The Civil War.
January 16, 2024
The main focus of this book was how Milton Bradley started his company. It was not a brief biography or bogged down with personal history. The author perfectly captured the struggle and excitement Milton Bradley experienced on his way to establishing his company. Brief historical facts and explanations of toys and games were speckled throughout, defined by a different font. These explanations and sparse black and white text oriented readers to the time period and significance of Milton Bradley’s achievements. Solid 4 stars and a happy exception to the series!
December 4, 2017
As someone who is serious, but truly enjoys a good board game and firmly believes in tying education to fun, I could pretty easily relate to Bradley as his potrait was painted in this book. This is another great installment in the series. In addition to Bradley's intersting personal life, the book talks about the important backdrop of his era and some of the movements of his times.
I recommend for fans of short biographies or people looking to learn the basics about this inventor.
I recommend for fans of short biographies or people looking to learn the basics about this inventor.
January 30, 2017
I love this book series. I didn't know most of this cool stuff about a guy who loved games and education. I think this would be helpful for you or your children to read if they are very fond of games especially video games. It gives some background on how gaming might be a real blessing in the lives of your children. In other words, it might not be all bad.
July 6, 2018
I read this book before sharing with my students and was pleasantly surprised to read such a great life story. Bradley's personal life was interesting, and a great American business story shared as well. He influenced board gaming and designed and created learning games that schools used to help implement the modern Kindergarten system in America. It is a quick, informative read!
March 26, 2019
Milton was a very interesting man. Very serious yet liked to play games and help children learn through play. He was instrumental in the kindergarten movement and in providing toys/games that would help preschoolers learn, much as he had learned from his father and apples. Very interesting and well researched.
June 30, 2021
Milton Bradley was a very active man all of his life. He invented many games that kept people entertained for many generations. He was also interested in education. He invented several games that are still produced today for children's learning. He kept the nation entertained during the civil war and in to the twentieth century.
July 19, 2021
Another great book in this series. I thought Milton Bradley must have just founded the game company. Little did I know his role in education! The fact that he didn't care if he barely broke even making educational materials says alot for where his priorities lay. There is much to respect in this man and this book does a good job of conveying it.
October 7, 2021
A simple biography of the man who created the Game of Life. How he sold it in New York City and started the Milton Bradley company. Also includes the brief history and explanation of event s that were happening at the time and the history of a few other game such as checkers.
Fave part: Lincoln’s beard.
Fave part: Lincoln’s beard.
June 6, 2018
Interesting man. Great read with intriguing facts on many varied things (kindergarten, Rubik’s cube, and patents to name a few.). We should all play more games!
Could be candidate for civil war historical book clubs too.
Could be candidate for civil war historical book clubs too.
June 17, 2021
I really liked this biography. He was smart and observant and combined fun with learning in his incredibly successful business. I just love these books. Before I read this, I thought Milton Bradley was a company named for two different men.
October 11, 2021
I loved learning more about Milton Bradley. He seems like such a nice man. Someone who took care of his family and worked hard to make a living. He was also flexible and adaptable with all the changes that happened with the economy during his lifetime.
September 21, 2022
I had Lucy read this for school, and then I wanted to read it too. I didn't know that Milton Bradley was really so concerned about making educational toys, and that he helped start the Kindergarten movement in America. Enjoyed learning about this hard worker!
October 23, 2023
He invented many modern board games.
I could sence God willing in the coincidences of his life. l 'm interested in several games which he has made because its low technology may be very good for young children.
I could sence God willing in the coincidences of his life. l 'm interested in several games which he has made because its low technology may be very good for young children.
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December 4, 2016
this book is about a life story about Milton Bradley and he made bord games, meread twice, and drew wepons for the war. He made the game of life and borde games for solgers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews