(4) K-3 Illustrated by Stacey Dressen-McQueen. "We're going to see the Elephant...That's what people say when they head west." As her family travels to California, Lily Rose keeps alert for a pachyderm and helps her grandmother sew quilt squares. The joke goes on too long and the down-home dialogue can be grating, but the folk-style illustrations incorporating stitches and traditional quilt motifs nicely reflect the family's experiences. Reading list. Bib.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) 4-6 Dear America series. When her new stepfather, a trader, decides to move the family to Santa Fe, Missourian Florrie and her family start out for New Mexico Territory. In her diary Florrie records her trip as well as her worries about her pregnant mother and her grief over leaving friends along the way. Occasionally the plot seems overloaded with every possible experience, but Florrie's tale is engaging overall.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(4) 4-6 In American History series. The Weatherford volume traces the issue of civil rights across one hundred and fifty years of American history; the other books are more concentrated, explaining the political culture of individual eras, identifying notable figures, and discussing the continuing legacy of the events described. Occasionally drab black-and-white photos and reproductions accompany the texts. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Cornerstones of Freedom series. Although the prison at Alcatraz should more properly qualify as a cornerstone of confinement, the five volumes in this series all deal with important episodes and places in American history. Written in simple language and illustrated with archival images, the books serve as solid introductions that contain intriguing historical vignettes without neglecting the overarching historical significance of the topics. Time lines are included. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta