Guest Author - Megan Romer

Games Around the World: Chess is a lovely little children's beginning chess book by Dana Meachen Rau. It is published by Compass Point books and comes with a convenient library binding that will keep it safe for years and make a great addition to your family bookshelf. It's written in a style that most early to intermediate readers will have an easy time with it and will be able to learn a lot.

Rau starts the book out with some basic history of the game of chess, and the early pages are illustrated with beautiful ancient paintings. It talks about the beginnings of chess, with a game called "chaturanga", played in India as early as 500 A.D., and a similar game played in China called "hsiang chi". The book then begins to explain chess in the modern world, explaining the concept of tournaments.

From there, Rau begins to explain the game of chess. Starting with the very basics (board setup), the chess pieces themselves are then defined individually. Each piece's moves and abilities are given a thorough explanation, complete with a carefully drawn chart. The reader then learns about check and checkmate, and a few helpful tips for in between. Rau also explains some of the special moves and rules allowed in chess, such as en passant and castling.

From there, the book is just about done. There is a brief, charming page about how chess can bring people together, as there is no language barrier and chess can be played anywhere. A short glossary is provided at the end of the book, and a fun "Did You Know?" page provides several fun chess facts.

Games Around the World: Chess is a charming and well-written little book, a must-have for any school or library bookshelf, and a great addition to the home book collection. It explains chess in an incredibly simple and straightforward way. It does not go into heavy strategy tips at all, so anyone who already plays chess may find it overly basic, but for a child who thinks they'd like to learn the game, this book is a wonderful start!