The House of Wisdom by Florence Parry Heide, Judith Heide Gilliland and Mary Grandpre
DK Publishing, London, 2000
Hardback, 48 pages
ISBN: 978-0-7513-7217-5
Suggested reading age: 8+
Reviewed by: Indrani Perera
Rating: ****
This is the true story of Ishaq, a young boy who lived in Baghdad in the ninth century. At that time the west was struggling in the dark ages while in the east, scholars discovered and translated the works of the great Greek philosophers. Ishaq becomes a scholar like his father and travels far to collect manuscripts for the house of wisdom. The House of Wisdom was the centre of new ideas and learning, drawing scholars from all over the works.
I loved the glimpse into another culture and time that this book offered. As a lover of books, I wish that I could have visited or worked in the House of Widsom.
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