Explorers and Pioneers: Intrepid Adventurers Who Achieved the Unthinkable

Gr 3–5—A collection of biographical sketches of mostly well-known public figures. Each spread features a digitized image of the subject and follows the same structure: early life and education, obstacles to success (if any), eventual triumph, and later life. This form makes for some uneven comparisons; for instance, making ends meet by recycling cans and bottles (Steve Jobs) versus being sold into marriage to a French-Canadian fur trapper (Sacagawea). Some achievements are presented in such a simplistic way that they may give a false impression of the historical record: "Though [Christopher Columbus] exploited the native peoples, his unintentional discovery of the 'New World' changed the course of world history." There is also at least one misstatement of fact; Roald Amundsen and his team arrived at the South Pole (not the North) in 1911. Of over 50 people profiled across the volumes, the majority are white males. The lack of back matter in each volume limits their use as report fodder. They are unlikely to satisfy curious readers and are too uneven in presentation to carry the theme.