School Library Journal Review

Gr 2-4-Each six-chapter title begins with a true-or-false question that encourages young readers to explore the text to find the correct answer. The colorful, easy-to-use format includes highlighted words, an easy pronunciation guide, a brief time line, "True Statistics," a reproduction on almost every page, and a spread called "The Big Truth!" Each title does a particularly good job of including information on the multicultural forces influencing the time periods. Life in the West covers the hardships and challenges of frontier living, including housing, adverse weather, disease, and the social and environmental impact of the pioneers upon Native people and the land. Westward Expansion, which ambitiously covers 1767-1890, includes profiles of diverse figures such as mountain man James Beckwourth, Mormon leader Brigham Young, and Jessie Benton Fremont, writer and wife of explorer John C. Fremont. California Gold Rush includes sections on the roles of women, Native Americans, Chinese, African Americans, and even Spanish-speaking Californios. Overall, these are modern and accessible sources of introductory information.-Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.