Horn Book Review
[cf2]Reconstruction[cf1] discusses the political and civil rights climate in Congress and in the South following the Civil War. [cf2]Mount Rushmore[cf1] provides a look at the almost twenty-year process of the sculpting of this national monument. The large-type texts are both supported by well-reproduced archival photos, sketches, and political cartoons. Time lines are included. Glos., ind. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 4^-6. These two titles in the Cornerstones of Freedom series focus on crucial events in American history. The design is attractive, with clear type, photographs or prints on every page (some in color), a time line, and a glossary. The narratives set the events in context and combine the facts with commentary that is fair and open. The account of Reconstruction gives details of the fight in Congress for constitutional change and also describes the personal suffering of the freed blacks whose dreams of farming their own land were shattered. Connect this with Robinet's novel Forty Acres and Maybe a Mule (1998), which humanizes this history. The account of the Panama Canal discusses the political struggle for control by the U.S., the facts of construction, and also the blatant discrimination against Panamanians in pay, working conditions, and access. This title will be of special interest because the U.S. is giving up the canal; finally, at the end of 1999, Panama will no longer be divided or controlled by another country. Two more titles in the series are listed in the Series Roundup in this issue. --Hazel Rochman
