SOLVED. Children's early 1980s, second grade social studies text book- featured possibly fictional or fictionalized short accounts of the lives of children from various cultures and countries including the Brazilian rainforest. [s]

[RabbitMilitia]

Hi! I have been looking for this book for years with no success. When I was in second grade (1980-1981), for social studies, our class had a text book that I thought was fantastic. It contained snippets of stories or accounts (I am not sure if they were based on the experiences of actual children or if they were fiction) telling the day to day life of children and their families. Each chapter focused on a different child from a particular country or area of the world and would focus on such things as their family, pets, sleeping arrangements, typical food, games and toys, etc. The children were likely all around 7 or 8 years old. The chapter I remember most clearly centered on a young girl who lived in the Brazilian rainforest. I believe that she had a pet monkey and a pet parrot and slept on a hammock. I also think there was a child from Oceania who ate some kind of turtle soup. I can't recall if the book had actual photographs of children or drawn illustrations and I don't remember any details about them at all.
In our school, books would typically be used for several years, so I'm not sure if this would have been published in the 70s or if it was a newer book from the early 80s.
Thanks for your help!

[Rainbowheart]

People and Places?

There are a couple of different covers, but this is a second grade social studies textbook by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

[RabbitMilitia]

Thanks Rainbow.. I'm not sure about that. It's not a bad guess! I actually own one of the higher level People and Places books (like for 6th grade or something) and it doesn't seem like the correct style, but the level 2 one could be completely different... I will have to see if I can track it down or at least see if I can find something that lists the contents.

[Rainbowheart]

I found the 1983 version on Archive.org.

https://archive.org/details/peoplepla...

I think the 1979 edition has a hot air balloon cover.



But I'm not seeing a story about a little girl in the Brazilian rainforest or getting hits on any related keywords.

[Tab]

I found this book on Etsy
https://www.etsy.com/listing/10557984...

It's called, "Fun Around the World: How Boys and Girls of the United Nations Live and Play. An activity for each country. Stories Games Toys Costumes Flags"

I flipped thru on Openlibrary, but I couldn't find a part about a hammock
https://openlibrary.org/books/OL61793...

[Florence]

This sounds very very similar to Children just like me by Barnabas Kindersley, though that is published too late, but your book may turn up in the similar book recommendations!

[RabbitMilitia]

Rainbow- it is similar no doubt, but definitely doesn't have the girl from the rainforest. I want to keep looking in and around that series though- maybe another from the same publisher or something? Tab- that book is fantastic (and I want to buy it), but definitely a little bit older than the one I'm looking for- and a little less "school text." Florence- it is a bit like the Children Just Like Me book, but more "school book" and definitely didn't have color pictures- though it may have had a few black and white ones- but yeah- kind of the same idea- a child's life, his/her family, important possessions, activities, etc. Thanks so much for looking for me!

[Jennifer]

https://www.google.com/search?q=textb...

I have a copy of this and it's got different stories involving kids in a classroom, but it talks about kids around the world too. Each chapter focused in a different subject such as food, houses, clothes, travel.

[Rainbowheart]

Exploring with Friends?

https://www.etsy.com/listing/94073803...

It's a second grade social studies textbook from McIntire and Hill. The link above is to the 1968 edition, but there was also a later version from 1971.

[RabbitMilitia]

Thanks Jennifer! I don't think it is Working Together. That's a good suggestion, but I don't remember any particular focus at all on classrooms. Rainbow? I'm not sure about Exploring with Friends- it seems possible? I'm going to see if I can pick up a copy and give it a better look.

[Rainbowheart]

Let us know!

I also found a story from a textbook about a child who lives in the Brazilian rainforest, but it might be too old to be yours.

https://archive.org/details/newunifie...

This is the 1958 edition of Exploring Near and Far, but there could be later printings.

[RabbitMilitia]

Sorry- I haven't updated this one in a looong time! I have checked a number of the Exploring Near and Far books, but haven't found the right one.

[RabbitMilitia]

Bumping this one after a very long time- not really expecting to find this, but just in case :)

[Rainbowheart]

Still looking!

Around the World with Koa Koala has a story about a girl with a pet monkey, but she's not in Brazil, and none of your other details matched.

[Rainbowheart]

This is for fourth grade, and I couldn't find turtle soup, but it sounds like your Brazilian story!

Exploring Our World: Regions

Siri, the Chief's granddaughter, shivers in her hammock. Her tiny pet monkey Caca gives a low squeak. Koso, Siri’s younger brother, opens one eye and his dog perks up one ear.

Siris older brother Yawa comes into the house to put away his hammock. “Good morning, everybody,” he calls and his tame parrot answers, “Awk! Awk!” Because he is 15 years old, Yawa sleeps in “the men’s house” in the middle of the village.

[Rainbowheart]

I did find the rest of the Follett social studies series.

[v.1] People -- [v.2] Groups -- [v.3] Communities -- [v.4] Regions -- [v.5] Americas -- [v.6.] Eastern hemisphere -- [v.7] Latin American and Canada

Looks like second grade is Exploring Our World: Groups, but there's not much about this one online.

[RabbitMilitia]

Ahhh!! Good find Rainbow. That sounds like the rainforest story for sure! That could well be the series.. Let me see if I can find more about the second grade one.. :)

[RabbitMilitia]

Rainbow- thank you so much! I am amazed that you were able to track this down! I found Regions on Archive.org and that is absolutely the rainforest/Brazil story (including a few actual photos which I thought might be the case but wasn't sure- so didn't want to "die on that hill")... the overall text of the book seems more difficult - but that makes sense since this is the 4th grade text. I'm guessing that Groups might have some of the same stories in a truncated version or maybe my school used the Follet books throughout and I'm getting some of the content mixed up- but in any case- we can call this solved! Since I can't confirm Groups- and Regions has the particular story- can we please link Regions as the "solved" book? Thank you!!

[Rainbowheart]

Oh. awesome, super glad it was the right one!

I finally found it on Archive.org by using "Brazil" and "pet monkey" as keywords and limiting to books published 1981 or before.