New Hampshire

Children's Literature

Granite, White Mountains, primary elections—it must be New Hampshire! Capstone's "Land and Liberty" series about the 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. covers the usual topics—geography and climate, state history and government, the people and their culture—but the slender volumes offer an overview rather than an opportunity to delve into the differences that make each state unique. Maps are restricted to two, one showing cities, the other charting major geographical features. Since the text consists of short declarative sentences, fluent readers may find it less than appealing; illustrations are mostly clear color photos—adequate, but not exciting. In this volume, the most striking shows bright orange jack-o-lanterns at the Pumpkin Festival in Keene. Although the state's history is abbreviated, a whole page is devoted to orator Daniel Webster, born in New Hampshire. Unfortunately, the arts and artists are underreported, nor will readers discover anything about the many historic houses and towns that make this state so fascinating. Middle readers will be touched by a sidebar about space teacher Christa McAuliffe, while a recipe for maple syrup muffins (flavored with a traditional New Hampshire product), offers a possibility for classroom cooking. Special features include an almanac (facts about the state), a short timeline, a glossary, and a bibliography, which, unfortunately, does not list works of fiction that might enrich understanding of the history and people of New Hampshire. Compared to some others, the price of this series is modest, but so is its usefulness. 2004, Capstone, Ages 9 to 13.
—Barbara L. Talcroft

Library Journal

Gr 3-5-The beginning chapter in each book focuses on a unique tourist attraction such as Newport in Rhode Island and Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire. Subsequent chapters cover the land, climate and wildlife, history, government and politics, economy and resources, and people and culture of each state. Sports teams, popular foods, and ethnic diversity are discussed, and each text includes a local recipe. A picture and description of the flag and seal, a quick fact almanac, and a limited time line are appended. They contain all the basics for good state reports.-Kristina Aaronson, Henniker Community School, NH Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.