Windsor Castle: England's Royal Fortress

School Library Journal

Gr 2-5-Each of these slim titles begins with a short anecdote related to the site. While these stories of a ghost, a revolution, and an unexpected death will pique children's curiosity, the simplified, brief texts may leave some readers with more questions than answers. In each book, three or four lines of text per page accompany at least one colorful photograph, drawing, or reproduction. While the art is captioned, it is not attributed. The text in Windsor covers the years 1066 to the present, only touching on a few important events. Although Versailles begins by discussing King Louis XVI, the story really begins with King Louis XIV. Readers may find themselves flipping back and forth trying to understand how each Louis fits into the big picture. Each title provides directions on how to visit the site. To visit the Taj Mahal, "take an airplane to New Delhi....From there, you take a two-hour train ride north to the city of Agra. Then you can take a bus to the tomb." A time line of important events is featured in each text, but simple family trees would have been helpful.-Anne L. Tormohlen, Deerfield Elementary School, Lawrence, KS Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.