The basic facts about Washington, D.C. are presented in a small book format. Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States and the center of the nation’s government. The city is home to museums, government, buildings, monuments, and the president’s house. Historical facts include choosing the location, drawing a plan for the city, and the destruction that occurred during a war with Great Britain in 1812. The monuments include the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the Korean War Memorial. Museums mentioned are the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of Natural History, and the National Museum of the American Indian. The Capitol Building and the White House are also included. High quality photographs contribute to understanding of the brief text. Reference aids are a table of contents, timeline, a glossary, an index, and a suggested website. A good source of information for young researchers, this is part of the “Rookie Read-About American Symbols” series. Reviewer: Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D.; Ages 6 to 8.
11/01/2014
K-Gr 2—A clean, crisp design and a plain, accessible writing style characterize this series. Every feature is designed with the youngest readers in mind: books feature one short paragraph per page, printed in a large, sans serif font. For all its simplicity, the text is remarkably informative ("Lady Liberty stands 305 feet (93 meters) tall. That is as high as a 22-story building. At the time, it was the tallest statue in the world."). Throughout each volume, blue-limned sidebars feature "Fun Facts" ("The White House is the only home of a country's leader that is regularly open to the public."). The illustrations are plentiful, colorful, and captioned. An ideal series for newly independent readers.
