America's Top 10 Cities

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6Three series titles that attempt to introduce young readers to some interesting facets of Americana. The selections in Bridges appear to be subject to the writer's preferences. Construction also presents arbitrarily chosen projects, gives a short narration on how each one was built, and includes such structures as the Alaska Pipeline, Grand Coulee Dam, the Sears Tower, and the Hubble Space Telescope. Cities briefly describes the history and present-day importance of the nation's 10 most populous urban centers. The format for each entry is the same: a full-page, full-color photo on the left, and a column of text on the right with a wide right margin containing a sidebar offering statistics and a "fun fact." Small location maps are superimposed on the main photo, but many are so limited in scope that they do not show any relationship to the surrounding area, making them useful only to readers who know the location. There are problems with text clarity; e.g., the impression is given that NASA existed in 1946, and some descriptions of how bridges and tunnels were built are vague. Each volume concludes with a list of related structures or cities not included in the text. Most of the factual information in these volumes can be found in any good encyclopedia. Marginal purchases.Eldon Younce, Harper Elementary School, KS