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|---|---|---|
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | J 973 CHE | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Stillwater Public Library | J 973 CHE | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
"As I've traveled our great country, I have been struck again and again by its beauty and variety and reminded of how rich our history is. Travel a few miles in any direction, and you'll encounter an amazing story that helps explain all the multitude of ways our country came to be." -- Lynne Cheney
Lynne Cheney and Robin Preiss Glasser, creators of the bestselling America: A Patriotic Primer and A is for Abigail: An Almanac of Amazing American Women , take you on an unforgettable tour of America -- from the Everglades of Florida to the grasslands of Kentucky to the Sierra Mountains of California.
Listening to her grandchildren's enthusiastic account of all they saw and did on a family road trip inspired Lynne Cheney to collaborate with Robin Preiss Glasser and create Our 50 States -- the greatest family vacation imaginable. Pack your bags and celebrate our diverse heritage state by state and sea to shining sea in this treasure trove of America's people, places, and history.
A scholar of American history, Mrs. Cheney has drawn on a lifetime of study and travel for Our 50 States. Robin Preiss Glasser has brought her inimitable wit and exuberance to every illustration. Together they have created a joyful book that reminds us how fortunate we are to call America our home.
Author Notes
Lynne Cheney was born on August 14, 1941 in Casper, Wyoming. She received a B.A. with honors from Colorado College, a M.A. in English from the University of Colorado, and a Ph.D. in 19th century British literature from the University of Wisconsin. She was the editor of Washingtonian Magazine from 1983 to 1986. As chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1986 to 1993, she wrote and spoke about the importance of knowing American history and she worked to provide opportunities for teachers to gain the knowledge that leads to inspired instruction. She has written several books including We the People: The Story of Our Constitution and James Madison: A Life Reconsidered.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-5-The beauty and diversity of America are celebrated as three children, their parents, and their dog travel across the country in high spirits. Starting in Massachusetts, the family finds interesting details: Dr. Seuss National Memorial, the first post office, and famous people like Deborah Sampson and Herman Melville. The pages are alive with many small pictures, text, and maps. Some captions are hand lettered, and watercolor-and-ink drawings are numerous and appealing. Design elements for each state pull the book together: a "photograph" of the family enjoying a site, the background map, borders reflecting a dominant feature of the state. Readers will search for the children to read their messages: Annie writes letters to Grandma; Ben stays in touch with Grandpa, and with his friend Alex by text messaging: "alex. I'm watching a guy make shoes in the 19th century. kidding! it's at old sturbridge village. ben." Some states enjoy a spread, but most fit comfortably on one page. A foldout map shows the route the family followed, and Cheney introduces the book enthusiastically: "Perhaps none of us will ever be lucky enough to take such a grand road trip-but surely we are fortunate to live in a country where all these things-and so many more-form the fabric of our national life." There are just enough visual details and fascinating facts to keep children absorbed for hours.-Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The creators of America: A Patriotic Primer and A Is for Abigail have compiled their most encompassing paean to the U.S. yet, here bypassing an alphabetical roundup in favor of a cross-country road trip. An opening gatefold previews for readers the route that five affable family members will take as they set off from their Massachusetts home. They traverse the other 47 contiguous states (and Washington, D.C.) before making final stops in Alaska and Hawaii. The creatively cluttered pages collect words and images that present a pleasing potpourri of past and present: Glasser depicts the touring family viewing landmarks and natural wonders alongside portraits of influential individuals who hail or hailed from each state. The children's snippets of communications to those back home convey welcome personal observations: the boy text-messages a friend; and the girl pens notes to her grandmother (e.g., "Dear Grandma, I want to live in Hershey, PA-the air smells like chocolate, and even the streelights are shaped like Hershey's kisses!"). Glasser utilizes every spare inch of space, including decorative borders that accommodate memorable quotations, song lyrics and historical data. Young armchair explorers will savor this spirited, whistle-stop celebration of America. All ages. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
A fictional family's road trip is the frame for this guide to state facts, people, and places. Beginning with a foldout map, the book uses single- or double-pages spreads to introduce each state and the District of Columbia. Lively ink, wash, and colored-pencil drawings clutter each page, making any sort of linear navigation impossible, but the captionlike text provides interesting tidbits. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
In the third patriotic collaboration between Cheney and Preiss Glasser, the information density is impressively high. Then again, not every writer has a cadre of staff assistants and interns at her disposal, references to which suggest that Cheney may have managed this book more than authored it. However it came about, this almanac-like celebration of the 50 states is one libraries will want to have on hand. Sprightly line-and-watercolor artwork furthers the conceit that readers are charting a particular family's marathon state-by-state tour. The missives of siblings who jot (or text-message) trivia to pals at home combine with a slew of additional historical, cultural, and geographical tidbits, all of which will prove gold for state studies projects, despite pages that occasionally seem dizzyingly cluttered. A useful gatefold map shows the bigger picture to children, who will enjoy looking up their home state and planning visits to other destinations highlighted--which include, unsurprisingly, the Wyoming birthplace of the husband of the author and D.C.'s vice-presidential residence. --Jennifer Mattson Copyright 2006 Booklist
