Connecticut (From Sea to Shining Sea, Second) [Library Binding]

Nancy Furstinger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2002 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: From Sea to Shining Sea, Second

Describes the geography, plants and animals, history, economy, language, culture and people of the state of Connecticut

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nancy Furstinger is the author of several nonfiction books for children.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Library Binding: 80 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Library Publishing (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0516223240
• ISBN-13: 978-0516223247
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,073,885 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nancy Furstinger has been speaking up for animals since she learned to talk, and she hasn't shut up yet. She is the author of nearly 100 books, including many on her favorite topic: animals! She has a trio of rescued pooches and 7 house rabbits.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taking a tour of Connecticut, the Constitution State, February 26, 2006

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Connecticut (From Sea to Shining Sea, Second) (Library Binding)

In introducing the Constitution State (home of the first written constitution adopted in the United States) in the first chapter of this volume in the From Sea to Shining Sea series, Nancy Furstinger talks about how Connecticut welcomes visitors to the New England region. I had not thought of that before but it makes sense (especially since I started with Maine in this series and Connecticut is my last stop in New England, so just reverse the path and it all makes sense). If you have been to the Great Hall at the Peabody Museum at Yale (page 60) or Dinosaur State Park near Rocky Hill (page 17), then you know that there are lots of dinosaur skeletons and footprints to be seen in Connecticut. Furstinger asks what else comes to mind when you think of Connecticut and after a listing a few possibilities, proceeds to give you more to remember next time around.

The geography of the third smallest state is covered in the second chapter, The Land of Connecticut, which divides it into five distinct regions, and also looks at the Rivers and Lakes, and Climate. The biggest chapter is the next one, Connecticut Through History, which begins with the dinosaurs, continues through the Native Americans, Dutch Explorers, and English Settlers, to the colonial period. Connecticut's Constitution gets its own section, as do the Industrial Revolution, fighting slavery, and the world wars. The next chapter covers Governing Connecticut, briefly looking at the three branches of government before taking a tour of Hartford, the state capital. The accompanying map of downtown Hartford shows that the Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe houses are neighbors, and how to get from the Old State House and State Capital. The last chapter is devoted to The People and Places of Connecticut, where Furstigner looks at what working people do in the state and then takes her young readers on a tour of th state, giving a good idea of what there is to see in each region. This is also where we get the book's recipe for Hartford Election Cake (it has raisins in it and the original receiper made a 90 pound cake).

The history is a strength of both this volume and the series, especially in comparison to what you will find in other series. But Furstinger also covers the basic geography issues as well. In addition to the main topics the book is filled with informative little sidebars as well. Questions are raised in Find Out More sections (e.g., Why does the ground groan as it settles?), What's in a Name? covers origins (e.g., Middlebury's town meeting house is 10 kilometers from Waterbury, Southbury, and Woodbury), and Famous Firsts lists just that (e.g., the first U.S. amusement park was built in Bristol in 1846). Extra! Extra! adds interesting footnotes (e.g., Connecticut once had two capitals), and Who's Who in Connecticut provides mini biographies (e.g., Harriet Beecher Stowe, Katharine Hepburn). These are just the sort of interesting tidbits that can help punch up your school report on Connecticut. There are also color photographs or historical illustrations on most of the pages that usually match up nicely with the subjects under discussion.

When you get to the back of the book there is a two-page Connecticut Almanac, which covers a whole bunch of basic facts concerning highest and lowest elevation, origin of the state name, and various state symbols. Furstinger then provides a Timeline, with Connecticut state history on the top and U.S. history on the bottom (Dutch explorer Adriaen Block arrived in Connecticut seven years after the first permanent British settlement at Jamestown, Virginia). There is a Gallery of Famous Nutmeggers, including Marian Anderson, Dorothy Hamill and Mo Vaughn amongst others, and a Glossary of key terms from "commemorate" to "reservoir." If you need to go somewhere For More Information, there is a page of web sites, books, and addresses right before the Index. From Connecticut we continue heading east, leaving New England and entering New York.