The Hudson River

The Hudson River is the largest and most important river in the state of New York. From its origin of a tiny lakefed stream, the Hudson River flows south through the Adirondack, Catskill, and Taconic Mountains before emptying into New York Harbor. The Hudson Valley is an important industrial and farming region, and along with a system of canals, the Hudson River joins New York to the Midwest.

Greg M. Romaneck - Children's Literature

One need only think about the writings of Washington Irving to conjure up images that include the historic Hudson River. Originally settled by Native peoples such as the Mohawks and Mohicans the area surrounding the Hudson River was once a Dutch colony. Ultimately, the British prevailed after a series of colonial wars and the Hudson River became a part of the vast British Empire. Throughout its history the Hudson River has been of great importance to the commercial and agricultural development of this portion of New York State. For over 300 miles the Hudson flows through forested areas as well as towns and farmland. In the end, the Hudson courses through New York City before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. Once one of the most pristine rivers in America the Hudson was so polluted by industrialists that its water was thoroughly soiled. In recent years, concerted efforts to control pollution has helped restore much of the Hudson but pollutants such as PCP continue to make fish taken from the river unfit for safe consumption. Ian Wood provides these, and many other, facts concerning New York's Hudson River in this illustrated chapter in the "Rivers of North America" series. In this well written study in regional geography Ian Wood combines a sound writer's touch with ample illustrations to create a fine introduction to the Hudson River. Young readers will come away from Mr. Wood's book with a good entry point of knowledge concerning a major eastern riverway. 2004, Gareth Stevens Publishing, Ages 9 to 14.