Life in the Wild West

Gr 2–3—More earnest than the "You Wouldn't Want To…" series (Scholastic), and for a slightly younger audience, this set provides compelling details about day-to-day life in various American epochs. The simple design makes the books appealing to young readers. The accessible writing is straightforward and succinct. Paragraphs are short, and the fonts are large and plain. The main body of text appears on the verso while the captioned illustrations appear on the recto. The large, colorful images consist of archival and modern-day photographs, period reproductions, and maps. Most spreads feature a "Did You Know?" text box that contains an intriguing fact or anecdote. For instance, "One woman on her way to the goldfields was offered $5 for a biscuit she had made. When she didn't reply at once, the man raised his offer to $10!" All in all, a first-rate series for budding historians.