Reddit mentions: The best children architecture books

I also remembered that there is r/asklibrarians but you should definitely ask your local librarians. This is the kind of thing they live for!

I had some time this morning so I went through our history books and found as many as I could that are good for general reference so they should hit all those subjects for her in a broad but informative way. Since that's my son's favorite subject, and he is homeschooled, we keep a lot of historical encyclopedias around:

Everything You Need To Know To Ace World History

Everything You Need To Know To Ace American History

World War II: The Definitive Visual Guide

The Usborne Internet-Linked Encyclopedia of World History

Free: U. S. History Sourcebook - Basic Kindle Edition

Also Free: U. S. History Sourcebook - Advanced Kindle Edition

The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia there is probably a newer version now of this. This is my son's FAVORITE throughout the years.

History: From the Dawn of Civilization to the Present Day

This is a good one too: Himeji Castle: Japan's Samurai Past

Since your daughter is interested in Japanese history as well, I asked my son's Japanese teacher what she would recommend (she has the kids read books periodically), and she recommended some books. I know they're not all nonfiction, but historical fiction can give a lot of context and understanding.

The Cat Who Went to Heaven – Elizabeth Coatsworth

The Samurai’s Tale – Erik C. Heaugaard

Born in the Year of Courage – Emily Crofford

The Big Wave – Pearl S. Buck

The Master Puppeteer – Katherine Patterson

The Sign of the Chrysanthemum – Katherine Patterson

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes – Eleanor Coerr

Heart of a Samurai – Margi Preus

If you're after cheap books and can't find them at the library, search on abebooks.com or the used books on amazon.com. We always check Abebooks first because they're almost always cheaper there once you factor in shipping.

Since he's been very young he seems to have gravitated towards things with details, drawings and explanations.

I happened to find a book called "Castle" at a yard sale which lead me to find a bunch of other books by the same author (City, Underground, Pyramid, Mill) which I bought as well.

This lead us to all of the amazing Stephen Biesty cross-section books .

We have also really enjoyed the Ken Jennings Junior Genius books - he spends a lot of time reading these books.

The older Magic School Bus books are really great as well for an overview of how things work.

I'll grab any "the way things work/science/explanation" type of book that I see just to throw on his shelf.

We'll often go into his room at night and he'll have half a dozen books spread over his bed, it's super gratifying to see.

For computer games he is into a thing called Algodoo which is sort of a physics-simulator, Poly-bridge, Beam NG (a realistic physics driving game), Sim City, Cooking Simulator, Minecraft (of course). He's dabbled in Scratch a little bit as well.

I don't know that we've done anything specifically to encourage this or if this is just the way he is. I happen to have a pretty broad (but relatively shallow) base of knowledge that lets us talk about pretty much whatever comes into his head - and when I don't know we use google pretty heavily to get the real answer.

I try to dig into the "why's" as much as possible - why advertising exists, why we live where we do, why we have schools, etc, etc. We light stuff on fire in the driveway to see what'll happen and take stuff apart to see what's inside.

We're not "hardcore" about this stuff by any means - but I do work pretty hard to provide the materials that he can discover on his own.

Hope some of that helps :)

Preface: I'm not a historian, so some of my facts might get a little muddled.

I was under the impression that most farm houses would make their own rudimentary items (spoons, bowls, shoes, etc) during the winter slow months, and purchase "good" items when the money was in during harvest season. They could often barter with others who might make a better candle or shoe than them, trading furniture or food for that. (The start of the mercantile trade at a grass-roots level.)

Typically, the woodcutter, carpenter, and blacksmith might all be near each other, particularly given that the woodcutter doesn't need much space, the blacksmith might be the carpenter, and the carpenter might supplement income by being the woodcutter. (Then again, the carpenter and the jointer were two separate individuals: one dealt with building houses, and the latter with furniture.)

The blacksmith would store much of his stock outside because of space restrictions for his shop, and was also a man of many trades. While much of his work might be that of a farrier (horseshoes a primary function), he would still make or repair tools and common parts. Some fancy parts or raw materials he would need to order, requiring a deal with a tinker or trader.

Means a place for the visitor to stay overnight. Some bakers might expand their shop to double as a store, some towns/villages might have a common room that would double as an inn, some might have a house or two with extra space.

Most would not be able to afford two kilns/ovens, so that would serve double duty for as long as possible.

As for temples/churches, a local abbey might send out a wandering (on a circuit or route) cleric or priest or monk, the bishop of a church in a larger city might do the same, and services might typically last several hours. (If it takes hours to come from the surrounding fields, don't you think they'd want to "get their money's worth"?) Alternatively, some of the folks that still worship the old gods might have a simple meeting place established in the woods, or a small shelter, and hold local celebrations.

There should be a common square (not strictly defined as such) for communal gatherings. Weddings, market day, announcements, visitations from the lord/tax man, etc. Many families might have tables that could be taken apart and set up in the square, so that the party might be public and open.

The middens would be downwind of the village, and the younger might be tasked with taking the buckets down there. Or some of the older folks might do that... depending.

Most villages would be near a source of fresh water, be it stream, river, or well. A simple well would be a back-up, secondary source, however.

(I was a member of ABANA until my budget shrank. I also visit Hale Farm and Village - a slightly post-colonial age visitor center similar to Williamsburg. I have friends who visit (and volunteer) at Williamsburg and other similar museums. I'm also a huge fan of the medieval period, so I collect resources like _Castle_ as well as RPG books dealing with the subject. Again, though, I'm not a historian. Some of my details will not be appropriate for recreations.)

Some good resources:
http://www.rome.mrdonn.org/ (the site looks clunky but there's a TON of good information, kid's level, activities and games and free cute illustrations)

Also: http://www.amazon.com/Usborne-Encyclopedia-History-Internet-Linked/dp/1409519074/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1345802116&sr=8-3&keywords=usborne+internet+linked+encyclopedia+of+world+history This book is a constant favorite.

http://www.amazon.com/Classical-Kids-Activity-Ancient-Greece/dp/1556522908/ref=pd_sim_b_19 (check the library for this one)

Another activity book http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Rome-Exploring-Powerful-Kaleidoscope/dp/1885593600/ref=pd_sim_b_8

http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Rome-DK-Eyewitness-Books/dp/075663766X/ref=pd_sim_b_2 (library will also have this one, and the clip art CD included is pretty cool)

Some kids will dig this level of detail http://www.amazon.com/City-Story-Roman-Planning-Construction/dp/0395349222/ref=pd_sim_b_18

Okay I don't know why these are kind of hard to find, but they ROCK. Just gross enough to fascinate kids! http://www.amazon.com/You-Wouldnt-Want-Roman-Gladiator/dp/0531162044/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345802331&sr=1-1&keywords=you+wouldn%27t+want+to+be+a+roman+gladiator

http://www.amazon.com/You-Wouldnt-Want-Roman-Soldier/dp/0531124487/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1345802331&sr=1-2&keywords=you+wouldn%27t+want+to+be+a+roman+gladiator

I hope you get some interesting replies to this. You probably need to clarify your meaning though; "castles from kingdoms".

For most of human history, Castles were more like a fortified house at the center of village, often where the villagers could take shelter if there was an attack. The vast majority of castles have very little living space square footage compared to what we see in movies. The walls surround a large interior space that is busy during peace times and haphazardly crammed with villagers during a siege.

There would have been a considerable amount of smaller, wooden structures that sprawled out and around the castle to provide support. Having cooking fires, and slaughter houses, and rodent attracting grain stores, and access to fresh water, and stables for animals, and facilities for disposing of animal waster, and space for hundreds of employees to sleep and live, all would happen outside the castle walls. Think of a castle instead as a center point of a large village and it's more likely to be an effective way of thinking about it.

That said, buy this book, https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Biestys-Cross-sections-Castle-Biesty/dp/1465408800/

Despite it seeming being "for kids" it will probably have more info than any committed amateur might need to suss out what's going on in a castle.

Others that also look interesting.

https://www.amazon.com/Castle-Eyewitness-Books-Christopher-Gravett/dp/0756637694/

https://www.amazon.com/Year-Castle-Time-Goes/dp/1580137962/

http://www.questionsforgodbooks.com/

We got this from my child's godparents at his baptism. Beautiful illustrations and in line with church teaching. At two I think he's still a little young for it but I am hoping he will enjoy growing up around these books.

Edited to add this one: Catholic Churches Big and Small https://www.amazon.com/dp/0692200886/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_5bDTyb85GF4EX

I love the illustrations of the buildings in this one!

(Sorry for mobile formatting)

As far as books, the DK Eyewitness books are pretty good for basic information. As they are meant for children they are picture-heavy but the pictures are very informative and the the text is usually tops.

As far the medieval era, they have:
Medieval Life,
Castles,
Knights,
as well as Arms and Armor

Another good picture-heavy, if a bit dry, book, cheap too, is Daily Life in Medieval Times: A Vivid, Detailed Account of Birth, Marriage and Death; Food, Clothing and Housing; Love and Labor in the Middle Ages

I also own The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the Middle Ages: The British Isles From 500-1500 But theere are very little pictures and skims over some things while going into confusing detail on some others.

Those do sound like they would fun to color. Medieval seems easier than towns, though here's a city:
https://www.amazon.com/Fantastic-Cities-Coloring-Amazing-Imagined/dp/1452149577
https://www.amazon.com/Fantastic-Structures-Coloring-Buildings-Imagined/dp/145215323X

Medieval:
https://www.amazon.com/Coloring-Medieval-Times-celebrated-illustrator/dp/1600584039

There's several books of castles:
https://www.amazon.com/Castles-World-Coloring-Dover-History/dp/0486251861
https://www.amazon.com/Castles-World-Coloring-Dover-History/dp/0486251861

I ran across some images from this one today:
https://www.amazon.com/Romantic-Country-Fantasy-Coloring-Book/dp/1250094461

I got this one last week and am pleased with it:
https://www.amazon.com/Medieval-Tapestries-Coloring-Dover-Fashion/dp/0486436861

I don't know if you're a fan, but there's one for Game of Thrones
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1101965762/

Here's some free coloring pages
http://www.medievalists.net/2012/09/coloring-pages-about-the-middle-ages/

I looked at my books tonight and have a few – I think what you are thinking of is the Scholastic series called "Voyages of Discovery". I actually have the "Architecture and Construction" as well as the "Exploring Energy" books here at home. The have detailed illustrations with transparent overlays that show you the interiors of buildings, etc. really cool stuff. Here's a link to the series on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Architecture-Construction-Skyscrapers-Scholastic-Discovery/dp/0590476440/ref=pd_sim_b_8

The other possibility that I feel strongly about would be this book I have called "Metropolis: Ten Cities - Ten Centuries". It has highly detailed illustrations of cities throughout time. I don't know if this is also part of a series, but it's geared towards children. Perhaps the illustrator of this book did similar work in others. Here's an Amazon link to that: http://www.amazon.com/Metropolis-Ten-Cities-Centuries/dp/0810942844/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346294816&sr=1-1&keywords=0810942844

The artist of that book is named Albert Lorenz and some work on his site can be seen here: http://albertlorenzstudio.com/bookart.html


Let me know if any of this rings a bell, I'd be interested to find out!

They didn't do it for sanitation purposes, but in bath houses they would have the equivalent of hot tubs. Not sure if it was heated to the point of complete decontamination, but it likely had some effect.

Source: http://www.amazon.com/City-Story-Roman-Planning-Construction/dp/0395349222 Great read if you're interested.

Y'know, I still think David Macaulay's Castle is excellent. Though aimed at young readers, Macaulay's ink drawings continue to fascinate me like they did when I was ten.

A kid? I still read them! Stephen Biesty I gift them to my nephews but the adults love them, too.

I would sort-of recommend anything by David Macaulay, like this

https://www.amazon.com/Castle-How-Works-David-Macaulay/dp/1626722099/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503348635&sr=8-1

However, it might be a little too fundamental or not quite what you're looking for? I learned a great deal reading them.

It's hard to define great nonfiction books because they're not books kids cherish and read for years to come. The books are severely limited by the target age of the reader. Whereas, I'm sure my daughter will still own her Harry Potter set when she's 25-years-old.

1. A Street Through Time (Mostly pictures, but fascinating. There's also A City Through Time.)
   
   
2. Castle part of a series, similar to A Street Through Time, but black-and-white.
   
   
3. The (New) Way Things Work by the Castle author, although maybe too advanced for a 7-year-old.
   
   
4. Stephen Biesty's Incredible series -- Meticulous drawings and small print notes breaking down objects and processes.... the interior of a race car, the architectural sections of a cathedral, how wigs are made, how medieval armor is made, etc.
   
   
5. National Geographic Young Explorers. Specifically, the books from the 1980s found now at thrift stores. It seems every school and library once carried them. Maybe written too young for a 7-year-old, not sure. See if your library still carries the series.
   
   
6. Other multi-part 'How does X work?' books. I have one out-of-print series in mind I'll pull the title from after my kids are at school.
   
   
7. Ranger Rick magazine. Here's a Flash preview magazine. It has no advertising. In comparison, NatGeo Kids is packed with advertising and pop culture articles that have nothing to do with geography or the natural world. Tip: Google Ranger Rick and click the Google Ad to subscribe for $15 instead of $20.
   

Granted, but I mean the kids born after 9/11. Those who honestly need books like this.

You, my friend, have missed out on some great medieval knowledge, might I recommend this classic.

Sometime around the time when I was in second grade, my dad got me City: A Story of Roman Planning and Construction by David Macaulay. It has a variety of Roman buildings and diverse architecture from the late republican and early imperial era. I highly recommend it as an introduction to classically-roman architecture. Google books has a sample of the first few pages.

Macaulay's other books are excellent as well.

I find it has a David Macaulay feel to it. Very pleasing to look at. Nice work!

Castle by David Macaulay?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0395329205/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_KE42xb7W512SG

Underground is also super interesting and quite relevant.

If this kinda thing interests you, I highly recommend this [book](https://www.amazon.com/City-Story-Roman-Planning-
Construction/dp/0395349222)

which shows detailed step by step directions how planners laid out and built cities, roads, and plumbing.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/82/f9/55/82f955de762a33149304aab5d7d8d1ff.jpg


which has a PBS special
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9K7Yds8bWz4

The publisher DK and this artist in particular did awesome cross-section books that I remember from my childhood. I realize they're later than you recall but I thought that maybe they might help jog your memory a bit.

Well, castles aren't scary, but they may be interesting anyway.

You may be thinking of Castle by David Macaulay. It's filled with illustrations diagramming out a castle. You'd need to buy it new, or from a used bookstore. Don't bank on finding a specific book via thrift stores and yard sales.

This was my castle book that I loved.

I loved this book as a kid:
https://www.amazon.com/Castle-David-Macaulay/dp/0395329205

The cover is honestly how I sort of pictured the front door of Hogwarts.

I'll have to dig around and find my books in my warren of a basement and get you the titles/authors, a lot of them are really, really dry graduate level books for people who made the study of castles their lives. I'm at work for awhile yet, but if my kids give me time tonight, I'll see what I can dig up.

David Macaulay wrote a book some years ago called Castle, it contains many descriptions and illustrations of how a fictional castle and a surrounding town is built, It was my favorite book as a child.

It turns out someone filmatized the book.

My favorite part was the operating room for some reason... morbid curiosity I guess. I actually still have the castle cross section book.

The Eyewitness Castle book would be a good place to start.

I read that it was in the Loire Valley in the DK Eyewitness book Castle. In the glossary, it shows this gatehouse and identifies it as being in the Loire Valley.

Edit: That being said, I do want to thank you for identifying the city that this is located in.

I loved this book as a kid:

https://smile.amazon.com/Castle-David-Macaulay/dp/0395329205/

Shows a smallish English castle during construction, in detail. Floor plans are easy to find, but this also gives some detail of the construction process, which you can use to add detail if they're adding on.

Maybe start them with a single crumbling tower, and enough space around it to build more.

Another option is to start with an adventure where the bad guys are in a small tower out in the boonies. If the PCs defeat the bad guys, the local authority grants the noble one the tower and the lands around it. Now, improve and defend it.

Castle, by David Macauley, sounds like one of 'em.

Sounds like the [David Macaulay series] (http://www.amazon.com/Castle-David-Macaulay/dp/0395329205).

He also did an entire book on castles I would recommend for any aspiring young knight

This is from illustrator Stephen Beasty's book The Coolest Cross-Sections Ever, which is itself a compilation of several of his books. Very highly recommended books, even if they are a little out of date.

Yup, there's a color version also. The original books came out in 1977. He revised it by adding color and more details to his drawings and published it last year.

Original (1977)
Color (2013)

Wanna read about Castles every time you poop for your whole childhood? I sure did with this book. David Macaulay is the man.

Richard Platt and Stephen Biesty have both published a number of illustrated cross-section books.

I also want such a thing.

There is a series of books by David Macaulay I have not read, but have on my wishlist, that might be what we want. Here is one, the Castle one, with more in the related section, including Cathedrals, the Underground, and City planning.

holy shit, I know it's aimed at 12-year-olds, but how did you miss this one? well-researched, lightly-written and exquisitely drawn, it's basically required reading for anyone interested in both city planning and ancient history.

Some of those pictures remind me of David Macaulay's work! Link for the uninitiated.

The Apartment Book?

https://www.amazon.com/Apartment-Book-Leo-Hartas/dp/0789401975

Inside Story? http://www.amazon.com/Medieval-Castle-Inside-Story/dp/0872262588

See Inside? http://www.amazon.com/See-Inside-Castle-R-Unstead/dp/0862722055

Cross Sections? http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stephen-biestys-cross-sections-castle-stephen-biesty/1000234090

https://www.amazon.com/City-Story-Roman-Planning-Construction/dp/0395349222/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=K9PH85XJWPTEM5GJS9M6

Also, this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Castle-Stephen-Biestys-Cross-Sections-Biesty/dp/1564584674

oh man this is bringing back memories...

I forgot he also wrote (illustrated?) those books on castles and underground too

Stephen Biesty's Incredible Cross Sections of Everything (Stephen Biesty Cross Sections) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1465490000/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_1TEzDbJZCGBDB

You may be thinking of Steven Biesty's illustrations?

Was it A City Through Time?

Maybe one of these?

http://www.amazon.com/Building-House-Mulberry-Books-Barton/dp/0688093566

http://www.amazon.com/How-House-Built-Gail-Gibbons/dp/0823408418/

I had the Stephen Biesty one. https://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Biestys-Cross-Sections-Castle-Richard/dp/1564584674

Castle has been with me since the beginning.

When I was younger I was obsessed with castles and had loads of books on them, this was always my favourite and I could look at it for hours, maybe you could get a copy got your son.

You can find this particular one and similar books for quite a low price on the second-hand market, and some that are new-old-stock. Here it is on Amazon for example


Scanning and posting a book is straight-up piracy and is not encouraged.