Westward Expansion

Children's Literature

In 1776, when it was a new nation, The United States looked like, on maps, a thin strip along the shore of the Atlantic. But things were changing quickly and soon explorers and hopeful settlers pushed west, first to the Ohio Valley, then to the Rocky Mountains, and eventually to the Pacific coast. In simple, straightforward language, Cathryn Long describes how the western territory was explored, settled, and made into states, so that eventually that thin strip on the map became much wider. She also details the hardships faced by pioneers as well as those Native Americans whose homelands were threatened and then taken away from them. Long includes information about the voyage of Lewis and Clark, the Oregon Trail, and the last stand of Texans at the Alamo. Maps, color illustrations, and color photographs help to illustrate the text, giving readers a feel for the times back then. A glossary, index, and list of suggested books for further reading help make this a useful resource for elementary classrooms and libraries. 2003, Kidhaven Press,
— Suzanne Lieurance

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-Long follows the settlers' movement west and includes a discussion of Lewis and Clark, the Oregon Trail, the California gold rush, the creation of Indian reservations, and more. The author states, for example, "Certainly the native people of North America had the worst experience during the growth of the United States. For them, the West was nobody's land of promise. It was their own threatened homeland." Nardo introduces the Stamp Act, the Boston Tea Party, and other events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and Jefferson's role in drafting it. Overall, information in both titles is adequate, although neither book has a time line, which would be helpful to children in understanding the sometimes-confusing chains of events. The black-and-white and color drawings, paintings, and photographs in both volumes are sufficient but lackluster. A photograph in Independence shows only a small part of the document, with none of the signatures visible. Dale Anderson's Westward Expansion (Raintree, 2000) and Michael Burgan's The Declaration of Independence (Compass Point, 2000) have better formats and illustrations, and more interesting texts.-Michele Shaw, Yorkshire Academy, Houston, TX Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.