The Bald Eagle

November 1, 2013

K-Gr 2-This series is both informative and accessible. In each spread, two or three sentences on the verso face a complementary, full-page, high-resolution photograph or reproduction on the recto. The illustrations are rarely captioned. The font is large and plain, and the sentence structure is short and direct. The text never panders, and is full of relevant, substantial facts. For instance, in Pledge, the author explains the protocol for saying the Pledge of Allegiance: "The code says most people should take their hats off when they say the pledge. Only people in the military keep their hats on during the pledge."

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2014
Large-scale color photos and simple but dull texts introduce American icons to early readers. The history and meaning of each symbol is explained, as well some evolutions (bald eagles' near extinction; repairs on the Statue; wording changes in the Pledge). This series offers useful overviews of scattered aspects of American history. Common Core critical thinking prompts are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)