Booklist,
the magazine the New York Times calls "an acquisitions bible
for public and school librarians nationwide," is the review journal
of the American Library Association. It recommends works of fiction,
nonfiction, children's books, reference books, and media to its 30,000
institutional and personal subscribers. In-house editors and contributing
reviewers from around the country review more than 7,500 books each
year, most before publication.
Editorial Reviews (on Amazon.com – 5/05/05)
The Transcontinental Railroad (The Expansion of America)
by Linda Thompson, # Rourke Publishing
(June 30, 2005) # ISBN: 1595153268
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 4-6. The story of the Transcontinental Railroad
is a complicated one, with extraordinary vision, corruption, innovation,
and plain backbreaking work playing roles. In this volume in the new
Expansion of America series, Thompson does an excellent job of meshing
the overriding ideal inherent in linking the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts with the politics and greed that were also part of the project.
Beginning with a particularly good overview, the easily digestible
text features well-integrated sidebars that discuss specifics of construction
worker life. There's even a poem by Bret Harte. The subject of the
railroad's effect on Indian life is also covered. Although the slim
format is not dissimilar to other series, the design seems especially
interesting here--perhaps because the black-and-white historical photos
are well chosen or because the soft, redwood background color works
so well with the rest of the art. A time line, an extensive glossary,
and a short bibliography conclude. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved. |
|
