Awesome Persian Crafts & Unit Study Outline For Kids Who Love Ancient History

In this jewel-like version of a classic story, popular folklorist Shirley Climo tells the tale of Settareh, the Persian Cinderella.

Magic enables Settareh to outsmart two jealous stepsisters and win the heart of a prince. But where most Cinderella stories end, poor Sattareh's troubles are only beginning! The unexpected plot twists will enchant readers as they rediscover the familiar tale in the lush setting of long-ago Persia.

Shirley Climo's authentic details bring the story to life, and Robert Florczak's stunning paintings echo the vibrant colors and motifs of an ancient land.

More than 2,400 years ago one of the most thrilling war stories in history was being read and discussed in Greece. It was called the Anabasis and was written by a Greek noble named Xenophon, who described at first hand what he did, what he suffered, and what he saw during a campaign against the Persians.

In Exploits of Xenophon, Geoffrey Household cut the Anabasis to a quarter of its length and modernized Xenophon's style. It retells much of the war hero's own story, a superb picture of a valiant Greek army and its impact upon the ancient civilization of the East.

In that day, it was customary for men to hire themselves out as soldiers fighting for another country. More than 13,000 Greeks, including Xenophon, were serving with Cyrus, one of the imperial governors of ancient Persia. Cyrus wanted to seize the throne from his brother, Artaxerxes; but in the Battle of Cunaxa, Cyrus was killed and his Greek army was defeated. Panic seized the men as they realized they were leaderless and 1,000 miles from their native Greece. In short order, they selected Xenophon as one of their new commanders and began the heroic retreat through enemy territory. And all the way the armed Persian hordes continued their attack with poisonous arrows, sweeping sabers, or great boulders from high mountain passes.

Cicero called Herodotus "the father of history," and his only work, The Histories, is considered the first true piece of historical writing in Western literature. With lucid prose, Herodotus's account of the rise of the Persian Empire and its dramatic war with the Greek city sates set a standard for narrative nonfiction that continues to this day. Illustrated, annotated, and filled with maps—with an introduction by Rosalind Thomas, twenty-one appendices written by scholars at the top of their fields, and anew translation by Andrea L. Purvis—The Landmark Herodotus is a stunning edition.

Here are stirring tales of pre-Islamic kings and heroes, and of the conflict between Ormuzd, god of goodness and light, and Ahrim-an, god of darkness and evil. For centuries the Persians waged war against their traditional enemies the Turanians, and from this struggle came inspring stories of valour. This collection includes tales of the legendary heroes, including the great warrior Rustem, who overcame demons and dragons and tragically slew his own son in battle.

Though the countries in the Persian culinary region are home to diverse religions, cultures, languages, and politics, they are linked by beguiling food traditions and a love for the fresh and the tart. Color and spark come from ripe red pomegranates, golden saffron threads, and the fresh herbs served at every meal. Grilled kebabs, barbari breads, pilafs, and brightly colored condiments are everyday fare, as are rich soup-stews called ash and alluring sweets like rose water pudding and date-nut halvah.

“A patchwork story is the shame of the refugee,” Nayeri writes early in the novel. In an Oklahoman middle school, Khosrou (whom everyone calls Daniel) stands in front of a skeptical audience of classmates, telling the tales of his family’s history, stretching back years, decades, and centuries. At the core is Daniel’s story of how they became refugees—starting with his mother’s vocal embrace of Christianity in a country that made such a thing a capital offense, and continuing through their midnight flight from the secret police, bribing their way onto a plane-to-anywhere. Anywhere becomes the sad, cement refugee camps of Italy, and then finally asylum in the U.S.   Implementing a distinct literary style and challenging western narrative structures, Nayeri deftly weaves through stories of the long and beautiful history of his family in Iran, adding a richness of ancient tales and Persian folklore. Like Scheherazade of One Thousand and One Nights, Daniel spins a tale to save his own life: to stake his claim to the truth.

Originally composed for the Samanid princes of Khorasan in the tenth century, the Shahnameh is among the greatest works of world literature. This prodigious narrative tells the story of pre-Islamic Persia, from the mythical creation of the world and the dawn of Persian civilization through the seventh-century Arab conquest. The stories of the Shahnameh are deeply embedded in Persian culture and beyond, as attested by their appearance in such works as The Kite Runner and the love poems of Rumi and Hafez.