The Great Depression and the New Deal: A Thematic Encyclopedia Book

A comprehensive encyclopedia of the 1930s in the United States, showing how the Depression affected every aspect of American life.

School Library Journal

Gr 10 Up—This set looks at the Depression through five interrelated "lenses," discussing, in a section each, its effects on America's economy, politics, societal structures, arts and entertainment, and ethnic groups. Each section opens with an overview that runs from 10 to 30 pages; it is followed by alphabetically arranged, objectively written essays related to the chapter theme, and bibliographical references. The 650 entries run from a few paragraphs to a few pages and are cross-referenced. Although the set focuses on the American experience, the overviews and essays include commentary on world events that affected this country. Quotes from primary sources are integrated throughout the discussions, and the second volume provides a selection of 26 excerpts from speeches, media coverage, and government documents such as official reports and analyses of New Deal programs. However, those readings are more difficult to access than other entries because, although they are included in the general index, there is no separate title listing for them. The text is supplemented by average-quality, well-captioned photos and a comprehensive index that includes cross-indexing. This set offers more advanced discussion and analysis than Grolier's multivolume Depression America (2001), which is also thematically arranged, but written for a middle-level audience. The difficult access to the primary sources is a weakness, but, overall, this work is a good choice to help students begin research on this era.—Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO