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Synopsis
These biographies introduce young readers to important figures in American history. Ideal for reports and correlated to the social studies curriculum, the series presents a straightforward account of each individual’s life and times and describes how each person contributed to shaping our nation.Editorials
School Library Journal
Gr 2-4 Beginning with defining moments in the subjects' lives, these brief biographies follow a pattern of introducing the subject as a child and then chronologically leading readers to their adult achievements. Chief Joseph focuses on the Nez Perce chief's upbringing in the Wallowa Valley and his tribe's conflicts with and flight from the U.S. military, followed by his imprisonment in Oklahoma and role as a spokesman for his people. John Muir describes how the environmental leader learned to love nature as a boy on a Wisconsin farm. His passion led him to fight to protect Yosemite and found the Sierra Club, as well as travel the world and write about nature. Kiely Miller relates how Houston spent time living with the Cherokees as a teen, and then went on to serve as a representative and governor in Tennessee before becoming involved in the war for Texas's independence. Each title features good-quality maps, photos, and drawings. However, the subjects fail to come to life, and students will not likely be inspired to read more about them. Though the leveled texts make these volumes a logical choice for early readers, they lack the engaging writing and visual appeal of titles such as Kathryn Lasky's John Muir (Candlewick, 2006). Buy where demand for easy biographies on these subjects is high.-Jackie Partch, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR