School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8 Accessible texts, each with 9 or 10 short chapters, are packed with information, and include some details that will be new to students. For example, in Emancipation, mention of Lincoln's meticulous attention to detail and his insistence on a minor change in the document hours before its delivery provide fascinating insight into the significance of the Proclamation and the nature of the president. In addition, photographs of several former slaves along with a discussion of their lives after emancipation are provided. The information and inviting layouts will capture the interest of report writers and may even draw in reluctant researchers. Each volume is primarily illustrated with captioned color reproductions, but there are also black-and-white and color photographs and archival maps. These titles are more visually appealing and contain more facts than Brendan January's The Emancipation Proclamation (1997) and Gail Sakurai's The Louisiana Purchase (1998, both Children's). However, for depth of material and illustrations, Rhoda Blumberg's What's the Deal? Jefferson, Napoleon and the Louisiana Purchase (National Geographic, 1998) would be the preferred choice on that topic. -Dona J. Helmer, College Gate School Library, Anchorage, AK (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
These books survey American history from the first European settlers to the beginning of World War I. The stories are told through a series of vignettes, sidebars, and inserts. Also included are maps, charts, graphs, drawings, and archival photographs. The episodic treatment gives little specific information but will be useful as introductions. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Making a New Nation titles: A Changing Nation, Colonial America, The Louisiana Purchase, and Westward to the Pacific.] (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
