Explore the Wild West!: With 25 Great Projects

Gr 3–6—Despite the somewhat busy, black-and-white layout, this book is entertaining and informative. Seven chapters cover the lay of the land, gold-rush miners, moving west, pioneer life, frontier towns, Native people, and cowboys. Highlighted terms and a "words to know" section on each page will appeal to teachers and other educators. Cartoon illustrations, though rather simple, are plentiful and fun. Crafts and activities range from assignmentlike fare (creating a Lewis and Clark map) to cooking "spotted pup pudding" and creating cowboy chaps from grocery bags. Adult supervision is recommended for anything involving a stove, cutting, or the Internet. Brief biographies highlight a wide range of multicultural figures, including Annie Oakley, Crazy Horse, cowboy Bill Pickett, mountaineer James Beckwourth, and "Stagecoach Mary." Overall, this is a useful and engaging introductory overview of the Wild West.—Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library