BOOKS FOR MOMS AND DADS
The two best basic guides for families ready to undertake genealogical research are ANCESTORS: A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO FAMILY HISTORY AND GENEALOGY,
by Jim and Terry Willard with Jane Wilson (Houghton Mifflin), which is from the folks who hosted the popular PBS series "Ancestors", and UNPUZZLING YOUR PAST: A BASIC GUIDE TO GENEALOGY, Third Edition, written by Emily Anne Croom (Betterway Books).
If you want to know more about your ethnic origins, there are many books dedicated to specific ethnic groups. To find one, log on to www.oryxpress.com or www.ancestry.com. For American immigration information, try THEY BECAME AMERICANS: FINDING NATURALIZATION RECORDS AND ETHNIC ORIGINS by Loretto Dennis Szucs (Ancestry).
To learn more about interviewing family members, try RECORD AND REMEMBER: TRACING YOUR ROOTS THROUGH ORAL HISTORY by Ellen Epstein and Jane Lewit (Scarborough House) or the very kid-friendly HOW TO TAPE INSTANT ORAL BIOGRAPHIES by Bill Zimmerman (Betterway Books).
BOOKS FOR KIDS
THE FAMILY TREE DETECTIVE: CRACKING THE CASE OF YOUR FAMILY'S STORY by Ann
Douglas (Owl Communications) is a delightful but practical book for kids ages eight and older who want to investigate their own family histories.
FAMILY HISTORY: A DK FIRST ACTIVITY PACK by Chris and Melanie Rice (DK Publishing, Inc.) is a lighthearted step-by-step book kit for five- to eight-year-olds and up that includes a family tree poster and projects such as making a time capsule and a family coat of arms.
THE ORYX FAMILY TREE series from Oryx Press, for kids 11 and older, covers 12 ethnic groups in America. Each book has historical information, instructions on tracking ancestors and guidelines for conducting interviews.
FAMILY HISTORY WEB SITES
Thanks to the Internet, our ability to access genealogical information has been revolutionized. There are literally thousands of sites ready to point the way. Many of them offer links, software and books as well. The following sites will get you started:
www.ancestry.com
www.genealogy.about.com
www.familysearch.com
www.cyndislist.com
www.lds.org
www.rootsweb.com
www.creatingkeepsakes.com
Mira Bartók, who researched the projects in this feature and also wrote the Portraits of American Families, is a cultural specialist and the author of the ANCIENT AND LIVING CULTURE series and the BIG WORLD READ-ALONG SERIES, both by GoodYear Books.
