Florida (Celebrate the States)

Gr 5-8-These volumes in an attractive and broadly informative series will be welcomed by report-writing students. The geography and history sections are clearly written. However, the states' governments and economies are described in more detail than may be comprehensible for readers who may not yet have learned about the nation's government, much less the many ways that power can be shared within and among the various branches. Within the broad framework, individual writers have been allowed leeway with their topics; the "People" segment in Florida describes cultural diversity while the same chapter in Washington, D.C. focuses at greater length on racial issues and in Hawaii includes several pages on music and dance. The chapters on achievements describe famous citizens and include an excerpt from a piece of relevant writing by a native son or daughter. "Landmarks" presents maps and descriptions of parks, museums, festivals, and other attractions. There are also "State Surveys" of fast facts and bibliographies of books, videotapes, CD-ROMs, and Web sites. Each book provides a recipe and two songs. Clear, colorful photos and some black-and-white reproductions are accurately and informatively captioned except, sometimes, when used at the beginning of each section. Graphs of population growth and ethnic composition are clear and helpful; those of gross state products are not likely to mean much to the intended audience and can be confusing. These are easily the longest and most comprehensive books of their type. "Celebrate the States" has a broader focus than existing books on states for this audience and is the series of choice when collections need updating.-Kathleen Isaacs, Edmund Burke School, Washington, DC

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