Exploring North America, 1800-1900

VOYA

Exploring North America offers insight into various events and themes that occurred in the exploration of North America from 1800 to 1900. Powell at the Grand Canyon, Thomas Jefferson's "other explorers" (a separate volume discusses Lewis and Clark), the explorations of Alaska and California, the role of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the contributions of fur traders to exploration are discussed. Exploration in the World of the Middle Ages looks at exploration and discovery in the medieval world. Well-known adventurers like Marco Polo are discussed as well as lesser-known stories such as a fifteenth-century Chinese emperor's exploration of Africa, Muslim travelers, Vikings, the exploratory contributions of pilgrims and missionaries, and the prevalence and long-ranging impact of untrustworthy travel accounts of the day. This series is an intriguing and informative resource devoted to humanity's exploration and geographic discovery of the world. Straightforward writing, an expansive worldview, and thematic rather than chronological arrangement make these books very appealing. The publisher can be relied on for well-produced, trustworthy books, and this set is no exception. These volumes are nicely produced on acid-free paper with black-and-white illustrations (drawings, maps and historical photographs), boxed sidebars, extensive further information recommendations (including Web sites and movies) and double-columned text. Other books in the ten-volume series cover exploration of space, the Pacific, the Polar Regions, and different eras of America's past. Scholarly yet accessible, this series is not an essential purchase but a valuable addition to libraries with room inthe budget. Teachers will definitely be drawn to this set as will teen readers with an interest in or an assignment on world history, explorers, or the history of exploration. (Discovery and Exploration). VOYA CODES: 4Q 2P M J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2005, Facts on File, 198p.; Glossary. Index. Illus. Photos. Maps. Charts. Further Reading., PLB $40.. Ages 11 to 18.
—Tina Frolund