Arizona (Portrait of America) [School & Library Binding]

Kathleen Thompson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1996 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Portrait of America

Discusses the history, economy, culture, and future of Arizona. Also includes a state chronology and pertinent statistics.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• School & Library Binding
• Publisher: San Val (January 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613032357
• ISBN-13: 978-0613032353
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,056,456 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The lawman Doc Holliday?, December 13, 2004

By 

Kris (Oxnard, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arizona (Portrait of America) (Library Binding)

This is a nicely illustrated little book (48 pages) targeting young readers. It is one in a 53-book series called, "Portrait of America," published by Steck-Vaughn, covering each state plus Washington DC, Puerto Rico, and Pacific Islands.

The book accomplishes what it probably was supposed to accomplish, that is, to provide a rough overview of Arizona, its history, its peoples, and its current status.

The only thing that jumped out at me is on page 15, where Thompson writes, "Lawmen such as Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Bat Masterson came to town around 1881."

This may be a minor point that only Western buffs would note, but Doc Holliday was definitely not a "lawman." Yes, he fought on the side of the Earps and was friends with Masterson, but he was never deputized, as far as I could find in his biographical materials.

So what? Who cares? Well, it just seems like someone writing a history should be a little more attentive to detail. Sliding over this detail may give readers a totally wrong impression about Doc Holliday. Compared to Earp and Masterson, he was really just a tubercular dentist, fast with a gun and handy with a knife (he killed several men), who loved to gamble. A very interesting personage, but not a lawman.

Anyway, that's the only part I can complain about. Otherwise, the little book was informative, and it made me want to avoid Arizona even more than I had before reading it (too hot, not enough water). Diximus.

4.0 out of 5 stars A history for Arizona, June 29, 2004

By 

Rocco Dormarunno (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Arizona (Portrait of America) (Library Binding)

Beautiful deserts and hyper-modern cities. Arizona has a lot going for it, and this book will show you and your students what.

The "Portrait of America" series is a great and easy to understand introduction for pre-teens to the 50 states and to the places and events that shaped the history of the United States. This "Arizona" installment is particularly good. The book is broken down into sections like "History", "Culture", "Economy" etc., and each section is thoughtfully written and edited. My only reservation is that the History section should have focused more attention on the ancient civilizations that flourished on the deserts over the centuries.

This book, as well as the entire "Portrait of America" series, will prove to be a valuable teaching tool to all primary school educators.