Atlantis: The Story of the Lost Continent probes the question of truth or myth. Follow the evolution of a mystery that has captured the human imagination from ancient Greece to the present. These stories testify to the courage of the human spirit. These 48-page books about fascinating subjects like pirates, mummies, and volcanoes are for proficient readers who can understand a rich vocabulary and challenging sentence structure. In addition to the stunning photographs, informative sidebars, and glossary, readers will find archival photographs and paintings. Averaging 4,500 to 5,000 words in length, Level 4 books are 40 percent pictures and 40 percent text. The Dorling Kindersley Readers combine an enticing visual layout with high-interest, easy-to-read stories to captivate and delight young bookworms who are just getting started. Written by leading children's authors and compiled in consultation with literacy experts, these engaging books build reader confidence along with a lifelong appreciation for nonfiction, classic stories, and biographies. There is a DK Reader to interest every child at every level, from preschool to grade 4.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 3 reviews)

Well Written

I purchased this for my son who is 9. He enjoyed it to my surprise and pleasure! It is well illustrated and made him think outside the box ( not that hard for a nine yr.old). The questions this book generates in the young reader makes it a valuable book in their education.
January 16, 2006

Looking for the legendary lost city of Atlantis

I was always more interested in the "real" Atlantis that the ones that popped up in fiction ever since I read a "Reader's Digest" article that explained how archeologists were looking at the volcanic island of Thera in the Aegean sea as the legendary island. The most interesting part of the article talked about how the volcanic explosions that destroyed Thera may well have been the cause of the plagues of Egypt, all of which are apparently associated with volcanic eruptions. Since I am planning a trip to Greece early next year that could involve a few days on the black sand beaches of Thera, I have been doing a bit of research on both the place and the legends of Atlantis.

"Atlantis the Lost City?" is one of the Dorling Kindersley Readers for young readers (Level 4, Proficient Readers), that combines lots of color photographs and detailed illustrations with informative text. Andrew Donkin basically informs young readers about the history of the search for Atlantis, looking at the original story told by Plato (which may have been meant as an allegory rather than a true tale), and then covering all of the various locations around the world where people have been convinced they have found the lost city/continent. Donkin takes pain to explain not only the reasons why a particular location, such as the Azores or Crete, were picked, but also the evidence that exists against those locations. Consequently, without explicitly intending to do so, "Atlantis the Lost City?" introduces young readers to how archaeologists do their work, both in terms of uncovering ancient treasures and in reasoning out where to look. Besides, you really cannot beat the price on these books.
June 29, 2002

A Great Read

A bought this book for my 8 year-old and ended up reading it myself. I've done a fair amount of my own reading on Atlantis and to my surprise I found this to be a really well written overview of many famous Atlantis ideas. The book begins with a nice retelling of Plato's original story. There are some really stunning illustrations in the book - from the original artwork showing the capital city of Atlantis as it might have been, to many photographs of undersea ruins etc. The author has done a great job, and produced a book that I and my son enjoyed in equal measure!
October 21, 2000

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

DK Readers: Bermuda Triangle (Level 3: Reading Alone)
by Andrew Donkin

Secrets of the Mummies (DK Readers, Level 4: Proficient Readers)
by Harriet Griffey

DK Readers: Antarctic Adventure, Exploring the Frozen Continent (Level 4: Proficient Readers)
by Meredith Hooper

DK Readers: Days of the Knights -- A Tale of Castles and Battles (Level 4: Proficient Readers)
by Christopher Maynard

DK Readers: Pirates: Raiders of the High Seas (Level 4: Proficient Readers)
by Christopher Maynard
by Harriet Griffey