Find out about the life of Milton Hershey with this great biography from the Heroes of History series! (And a few extra learning activities about chocolate and more, too. Now that is sweet!)
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During a vacation to Pennsylvania one year, we visited Hershey, PA, and honestly, my expectations were pretty low. I thought it would be fun, but I didn’t know anything about Milton Hershey. We went on a tour that included driving around town as the guide shared about the life of Milton Hershey. What started as a fun trip to learn a little bit about chocolate turned out to be so much more. Perhaps that’s why Janet and Geoff Benge named their biography Milton Hershey: More Than Chocolate.
Benge Books
Through the years we were able to read several books from the Heroes of History and Christian Heroes: Then and Now series. These biographies by Janet and Geoff Benge help both kids and adults learn about the fascinating lives and faith of both historical figures and missionaries.
I love that by reading books from each series, kids can see the impact that faith in Christ can have no matter what God calls them to do.
A group of bloggers has teamed up to share these books with you. But these aren’t sponsored posts that we were paid for—nope. We just wanted to share this wonderful series with you because of the impact these biographies can make in the lives of your children. You’ll find the series of reviews at:
Milton Hershey: More than Chocolate
Why biographies?
There are a lot of reasons to share biographies with our children, but perhaps the best is that we can share stories that inspire.
I love this definition of inspire from vocabulary.com:
Inspire. The Olympics often inspire people to take up a sport, but they can also inspire patriotism. Inspire means to excite, encourage, or breathe life into.
Inspire comes from the Latin word that means to inflame or to blow in to. When you inspire something, it is as if you are blowing air over a low flame to make it grow. A film can be inspired by a true story. Studying for your test will inspire confidence in you. Successful people often have a role model who inspired them to greatness. Who inspires you?
Just think about the character traits of men and women featured in the biographies of Janet and Geoff Benge: ingenuity, creativity, perseverance, sacrifice, selflessness, and so much more. These are people who inspire us to live with the same character.
We want our kids to know that whatever they do in life and wherever they do it, they can glorify God.
Learning about Milton Hershey
Milton Hershey was one man who exemplified these traits. He not only built a business known around the world, but he used the financial blessings from that business to give back. His life wasn’t easy. He experienced hardships. He failed, and not just one time. But he kept going.
From the back cover:
When Milton Hershey’s famous Hershey Bars debuted in 1905, few people knew of the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice preceding the triumph. Debt, lack of support, and fatigue had been constant companions for the famous chocolatier and philanthropist – a man with a fourth-grade education.
Despite comparisons to his wandering father, Milton never gave up. Learning from his mistakes, he spent a lifetime creating sweet things to eat – first caramel, then chocolate. As his company soared, Milton used his wealth to care for others, founding a town for Hershey workers, a school for children in need, and a foundation dedicated to education, culture, and health care (1857-1945).
Get your copy today!
Learning Activities & Resources
One of the things that makes reading biographies so much fun is that it can inspire other related studies you can dig into as a family. And of course reading about Milton Hershey means you will automatically need to know more about chocolate 😉 But don’t stop there!
1. Watch the following video to learn more about chocolate!
2. Find out about how chocolate was invented (as well as a many other fun things!)
This great resource from Usborne Books & More includes The Story of Chocolate. It’s a collection of “real-life stories and bright sparks behind dozens of brilliant inventions.” So not only will you learn about chocolate, but you can read about, “Toasters, toilets and televisions, computers, cars and chocolate bars, flying machines and even your jeans.” Reading level: 8+ years
3. Do the Chocolate Challenge as a family.
Designed for grades K–4th this Download N Go study from UnitStudy.com is fun for the whole family. This unit study take from one to two week to complete, so it’s a little break from your regular studies!
Delve into science discoveries, such as learning about how chocolate comes from a bean pod—that makes it a vegetable, right? Develop an understanding of the basics of how chocolate is made and where it comes from. Learn about rainforests and the ancient Maya and Aztec uses of chocolate. Research the amazing stories of some of the world’s foremost chocolatiers!
4. Have your kids invent their own cooking masterpiece.
Get out some ingredients and let your kids do a little experimenting in the kitchen. Often it helps to start with a recipe you already like and just exchange some ingredients for others.
Or set up your own Food Network style challenge. You lay out some ingredients and ask them to make it into an appetizer, main dish, or dessert. Have one of your children record and edit the video even so you can all sit down and enjoy the show later!
5. Plan a family vacation to Hershey, PA…
even if you can’t actually go (but bonus points if you do!). Let your kids do some research and put a plan together. How much will the trip cost? How will you get there? Where will you visit? What other places might they want to explore while they are there? They can even create their own travel itineraries and brochures.
Giveaway
Benge Books is giving away 3 sets of 5 books! The giveaway will be open from 11/1 to 12/5.
And don’t forget to check out more of their biographies!
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