The Reading Warehouse

Gr 3–5—General state-related history and trivia. Each book opens with an illustrated map of the state that highlights famous and notable places, four of which are spotlighted in smaller inserts. From then on, the series follows a general format, detailing the land, wildlife, politics, culture, and economy of each state. There are numerous outdated stock drawings of American Indians and European "explorers." In addition, slavery is poorly discussed in Louisiana: "Other Louisianians also came to the state against their will." In each volume, a concluding "Resources" page lists a number of movies that don't make sense for the intended audience (Wayne's World in Illinois and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? in California). VERDICT No improvement on the many existing state series.