New Products: History 101, with Help from Brad Pitt

Meg McCaffrey -- School Library Journal, 7/1/2004

Mention Homer's Iliad to students, and you might get more than a few yawns. But bring Brad Pitt's name into the conversation, and that could change everything. That's the idea behind Reel to Real, an online resource from ABC-CLIO Schools (web.abc-clio.com) that uses contemporary Hollywood films to teach kids social studies and history.

For example, the site's feature on Troy, the summer film starring Pitt as Achilles, examines the Trojan War and the historical context that gave rise to Homer's Iliad, and includes profiles on Hector, Odysseus, and Helen. Joyce Valenza, a library information specialist at Springfield Township High School Library in Erdenheim, PA, lauds the site's biographical profiles, scholarly commentaries, and primary-source documents. "So often young people don't have any real context for understanding historical events," she says. "In an attractive and manageable package, Reel to Real offers necessary context for understanding."

Films including The Alamo, Fog of War, Miracle, and The Last Samurai have been featured on Reel to Real. Coming soon to a theater near you—and Reel to Real—are Alexander, a biopic about Alexander the Great starring Colin Farrell, and The Aviator, a biopic about Howard Hughes starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

An abbreviated stand-alone version of Reel to Real is available free for six weeks after a movie's release date; the comprehensive version, with more information and resources, is part of ABC-CLIO's American History, American Government, and World History subscription Web sites, which cost between $499 and $599 per year for school and remote access.