The West

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-General overviews of the U.S. The West includes Minnesota, Nebraska, and Kansas, but not Utah or Idaho; Arkansas appears in The Midwest. States are not identified by name until the end of the books. In each volume, after a general introduction to the area, two-to-four page chapters give chronological historical highlights; the lay of the land; plants and animals; famous folks, with short notes on their lives; fast facts, including an outline map (no cities identified on them), and statistics about the state. Large and small photographs, mainly in color, add variety to the page layouts. The choices of historic events, of landmarks, and of the noteworthy people and cities are arbitrary and would certainly need to be supplemented for class use or reports. Not one of the presidents from Ohio is listed. These general overviews are attractive but too thin to stand alone.-Sylvia S. Marantz, formerly with Worthington Schools, Columbus, OH