shighley's review against another edition
4.0
So interesting; I knew nothing about Lizzie Magie. The illustrations have a look reminiscent of the time the game was invented and spread. I especially liked Stone's story of how she came to write the book, and her surprises along the way.
suzannedix's review against another edition
5.0
What a crooked and complicated history for a beloved board game! Pass Go and Collect $200 shares the remarkable and overlooked story of Lizzie Magie, the brainchild behind the mega-successful game. In the early 1900s, Lizzie created the Landlord’s Game in an attempt to remind humanity of its better nature, that the rich don’t need to get richer off the backs of poor tenants. She even received a US Patent for her idea, a rarity for a woman, which represented the first patent ever for a board game. Lizzie tried selling her game to Parker Brothers but was unceremoniously turned down. Years later, the Landlord’s Game continued to grow in popularity. People made their own boards and pieces and one man, Charles Darrow, even started selling his version of the board (similar to the iconic board played on today). He became so invested in his work that he came to believe that he was a legitimate inventor himself. When he approached Parker Brothers, the time was ripe to acquire the rights. In a double cross that Lizzie never saw coming, she accepted $500 from Parker Brothers who then gave full credit and millions to Charles Darrow. Pass Go and Collect $200 is a colorfully illustrated book with a fascinating history. For younger children with a knowledge of Monopoly, this would make a fantastic read-aloud while elementary-aged readers will enjoy racing through each page to find out if Lizzie ends up winning the ultimate game. End pages with trivia, Monopoly Math and an Author’s Note are also not to be missed. Great addition to any nonfiction collection.
miss_alaina's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really quick, entertaining, and informative read!
jshettel's review against another edition
4.0
Kind of tragic that the REAL inventor of a monopoly never got the notoriety SHE deserved.
ajacks's review against another edition
5.0
I support independent bookstores. You can use this link to find one near you: http://www.indiebound.org (less)
nerfherder86's review against another edition
5.0
Nice picture book about Elizabeth Magie, whose creation "The Landlord's Game" became Monopoly, after it was changed and added to and pretty much stolen by others, including Charles Darrow, who for years got the credit for its invention. Bonus material includes a page of "Monopoly math" problems for teachers. Author's note mentions that as of the writing of the book, there was no mention of Magie on Hasbro's (owner of Monopoly today) website, which is kind of sad. Get with the times, Hasbro! I loved the art in this book; the illustrations of real people, while exaggerated for cartoon effect, have their name and dates of birth and death under them.
sassychortle's review against another edition
5.0
Fascinating! This is a great one for families who play monopoly. There's quite a story behind that game. It was sad to learn that what now feels like a tool to teach that you win when you have the most money and everyone else is poor was intended as quite the opposite. It was meant to show how unfair monopolies are and originally had a second set of rules that created a more fair game. Knowing this though, we've started to talk about that when we play and figure out ways we can share and help each other to stay in the game (the downside is I hate the game and it makes it go on forever that way!). There are more great discussion topics relating to intellectual property in this book! A+++
bibliothique's review against another edition
charles darrow can kick rocks. i do want to play the landlord's game now. a lot of my kids love monopoly because they enjoy hoarding wealth and winning over others lol. i'll have to read this to them and see what they think after.
wordnerd153's review against another edition
3.0
Really interesting history and love the back matter. Very text-heavy, so I can’t imagine using it as a read aloud.