(4) K-3 Cloverleaf Books: Our American Symbols series. Illustrated by Kyle Poling. Framed by purposeful stories set in classrooms with diverse students, these books explore national landmarks and symbols while also providing synopses of the various related American history topics and trivia inquisitive young historians will enjoy. Slick, cartoony illustrations contribute to the series' chipper tone. Each book includes an activity. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Our American Symbols titles: Can We Ring the Liberty Bell?, Can You Sing "The Star-Spangled Banner"?, Is a Bald Eagle Really Bald?, What Is Inside the Lincoln Memorial?, Why Are There Stripes on the American Flag?, and Why is the Statue of Liberty Green?.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(4) K-3 Looking Glass Library: Our Nation's Pride series. Illustrated by Judith A. Hunt. This series focuses on symbols, holidays, and buildings that have come to represent America's past and ideals. The texts provide broad overviews of the title subjects, from early influences on U.S. history to continued significance today. Though the writing can be choppy, the volumes serve as decent introductions. Impressionistic illustrations (some muddy) help bring the subjects to life. Glos., ind. Review covers these Looking Glass Library: Our Nation's Pride titles: The Bald Eagle, Ellis Island, The Lincoln Memorial, and Memorial Day.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Colin Bootman. The struggles of African Americans throughout history, from slavery's roots through the Civil War to the civil rights movement and today, are briefly explored in Slade's lyrical text. The book's cornerstone is the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., unveiled in 1922. Bootman's expressive watercolor paintings successfully depict the shifting history. Timeline.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Leonard Jenkins. FDR's assistant secretary of the interior, Oscar Chapman, was instrumental in organizing Marian Anderson's 1939 Lincoln Memorial concert. This picture book biography fills in Chapman's civil rights background (e.g., his childhood attempts to hang a picture of Abraham Lincoln in his racist Virginia school). Jenkins's expansive mural-like paintings are impressive in themselves but tend to overwhelm the slight--in comparison--text.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) 4-6 Great American Memorials series. Photographs by Jennifer Ashabranner. Ashabranner's succinct text begins to resonate when he writes about two seminal events linked with the Memorial: the Marian Anderson concert in 1939 and the 1963 March on Washington. Illuminating the connection between Lincoln and civil rights history, the chapter stands out in this well-written but didactic text. The color photos are clear but undistinguished. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Each of these books introduces readers to a historical American site, briefly discussing history, key individuals, and the site's relevance today. Double-page spreads consist of a full-page photo facing a page of large-type text. Although the writing is choppy at times and the sequence of information not always logical, these four short books provide adequate general overviews of their subjects. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow