Literature Connections to American History K6: Resources to Enhance and Entice Book

Identifying thousands of historical fiction novels, biographies, history trade books, CD-ROMs, and videotapes, this book helps you locate resources on American history for students. Each book presents information in two sections. In the first part, titles are listed according to grade levels within eras and further organized according to product type. The books cover American history from North America Before 1600 and The American Colonies, 1600-1774 to The Mid-Twentieth Century, 1946-1975 and Since 1975. The second section has annotated bibliographies that describe each title and includes publication information and awards won. The focus is on books published since 1990, and all have received at least one favorable review. Some books with more illustration than text will be valuable for enticing slow or reticent readers. An index helps users find resources by author, title, or biographical subject.

VOYA

What history do you remember? Speare's Witch of Blackbird Pond (Houghton Mifflin, 1958), the Collier's My Brother Sam is Dead (Simon & Schuster, 1974), Russell Freedman's biographies--or your history textbook? Adamson's purpose for this project was to link "good reads" for librarians and teachers actively seeking topnotch resources, and she succeeds. Materials covered include 2,486 books: historical fiction, biographies, collective biographies, and history trade books; 33 CD-ROMs; and 460 video tapes. All the materials have received at least one favorable review, are well written, or fit a category for which there are few resources. Adamson has broadened the definition of historical fiction to include books outside the reader's memory, hence the category "Since 1975." The book is very easy to use. From the table of contents, readers can pick one of the time periods in American History, go to the appropriate grade level, choose the category, and skim the list. Annotations for all the materials appear in the second part of the volume. All books are grouped together, followed by CD-ROMS, then videos. Entries include: author, title, publisher, price, ISBN, paper imprint, and grade levels. Availability and price, current at time of publication, is based on publisher catalogs and library buying sources such as Books in Print and Baker and Taylor. Annotations are descriptive, including story lines and facts about nonfiction subjects, not critiques of style. Award winners and special features are noted. Titles are listed in each appropriate grade level or historical period. Grade levels, determined from review sources and publisher catalogs, were adjusted after examination. Three indexes--Author/Illustrator, Title, and Subject--lead to the numbered annotations. This volume is highly recommended for junior and high school libraries and public libraries. Those who need materials for younger students or lower reading levels should seek out Adamson's companion volume Literature Connections to American History, K-6: Resources to Enhance and Entice (Libraries Unlimited, 1998). Index.