Hills

Children's Literature - Joyce Rice

Hills are areas on the earth's surface that have been raised up by eruptions on the earth's surface, or that were once mountains and have been worn down over time by wind and rain. Hills are like mountains, except much shorter. Hills are less than 1,000 feet. If they are taller, they are classified as mountains. Hills can be found in almost any environment. However, the plants and animals that live on a particular mountain will be affected by the climate around the hill. When human beings cut down the trees that grow on a hill, they change the appearance of the hill, as well as other things. It may no longer have the plant life to support its animal population. The rain will be more able to erode channels in the hill without the foliage to slow it down. Part of the series "Earthforms," this series teaches the reader about different land forms, using quick facts and lots of photographs. The inclusion of bold print in the text to identify terms that are defined in the glossary is helpful. An index, a glossary, and a supplemental reading and Internet site pages make this a series worth looking at for older elementary collections and middle school classrooms with reluctant readers. Internet sites are reached by viewing Facthound.com, a database that has already researched the sites and classified them according to age appropriateness. The code needed for accessing this web site is given at the back of the book.