Don't Know Much About the 50 States [Hardcover]

Kenneth C. Davis (Author), Renee Andriani (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 24, 2001 | Age Level: 6 and up | Series: Don't Know Much About

Provides assorted facts about each of the fifty states in question and answer format.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

From the author of the bestselling Don't Know Much About History comes a terrific new series for kids. In Don't Know Much About the 50 States, young readers will be amazed to discover how entertaining U.S. geography and history can be. Using an engaging question-and-answer format, Kenneth C. Davis reveals the mysteries and claims to fame behind each state in the United States. What is a Tar Heel, anyway? Why do many buildings in New Mexico look different from those in other states? To build Nevada's Hoover Dam, did it really take two years of continual concrete pouring? What state is nicknamed the Flickertail State? Each state gets its own page (except Texas, California, and New York, with two apiece), with an outline of the featured state, a couple paragraphs of text, and miscellaneous sidebars and quizzes. Tucked in among the tidbits of trivia are some substantial pieces of information about each state, including its nickname, year of statehood, capital, state flower, and state bird. Goofy illustrations by Renee Andriani contribute to the lively, upbeat tone of this useful resource. It's not comprehensive, by any means, but it'll certainly spark an interest in geography.

Other titles in the series include Don't Know Much About Planet Earth, Don't Know Much About Space, and Don't Know Much About the Solar System. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

Kenneth C. Davis, author of the bestselling Don't Know Much About series for adults, has adapted the concept in a group of books for younger readers. Using his signature approach of presenting facts in a q&a format, Don't Know Much About the 50 States, illus. in full color by Ren‚e Andriani, begins with a picture of the American flag and an explanation of the 13 stripes. Each of the 50 states get its own page, with a drawing of the state and five facts, and a few warrant a spread (California, New York, Texas). Serious questions ("How many United States presidents were born in Ohio?" [Seven]) share space with jauntier queries ("I'm big, I'm green, I'm America's Welcome Queen. Who am I?" [New York's Statue of Liberty]). Endpapers unite all of the states and list the original 13 colonies.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (July 24, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060286075
• ISBN-13: 978-0060286071
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #901,807 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ken Davis is the author of Don't Know Much About History, which spent 35 consecutive weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, and gave rise to the Don't Know Much About series, which has a combined in-print total of 4.3-million copies.Ken Davis has been dubbed The King of Knowing by Amazon.com because he becomes a subject expert in all of the areas he writes about; the Bible, Mythology, the Universe, the Civil War, for example. Ken has also been a Wise Man; on Who Wants to be a SuperMillionaire and a Life Line on the regular edition of the show. Ken Davis's success aptly makes the case that Americans don't hate history, just the dull version they slept through in class. But many of them want to know now because their kids are asking them questions they can't answer. Davis's approach is to refresh us on the subjects we should have learned in school. He does it by busting myths, setting the record straight and always remembering that fun is not a four-word letter word. A somewhat well-kept secret: Ken Davis never graduated from college, but he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Concordia College in Bronxville, where he was also asked to give a commencement address. Ken Davis is a frequent media guest. He has appeared on hundreds of television and radio shows, including NPR, The Today Show, Fox and Friends, CNN, and The Discovery Channel. He has been a commentator for All Things Considered, and has written for the New York Times. In addition to his adult titles, he writes the Don't Know Much About Children's series published by HarperCollins. He lives in New York with his wife. They have two grown children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't know much about 50 states, September 17, 2004

By 

Pt.Defiance Librarian (Tacoma, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Don't Know Much About the 50 States (Hardcover)

I have read and reviewed many children's books in my 28 years as an elementary school librarian, and have found none with more glaringly inaccurate and unclear writing:Washington is the Evergreen State, not the "CHINOOK State", Mt.St. Helens did not have "LAVA" flows as the text says it did, the section about the state says that the Chinook winds are a "PAIR of winds" and does not explain what they are, they are warm winds that sometimes flow from east to west bringing warm air west. As a native of Washington, I began, and ended, reading in the section on our state. After reading the section I did not bother to check to see if the other states information was as inaccurate and poorly written, as I knew that I certainly would not want this book in any library nor in the hands of any children, dispite the vissual appeal.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars State Facts and Fun....., September 7, 2001

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Don't Know Much About the 50 States (Hardcover)

Do you know which state has the largest cave system in the world, why Tennessee's nickname is the Volunteer State, or why North and South Dakota have the same name? What did Delaware do first, before any other state and why are more languages spoken in Oklahoma than in all of Europe? Do you know how many presidents were born in Ohio, whether there are really 10,000 lakes in Minnesota, or where you'd find a nodding donkey? The answers to these and hundreds of other questions can be found in Kenneth Davis' marvelously creative and inventive geography book, Don't Know Much About The 50 States. Written in an easy to read, conversational format, each page is dedicated to a single state, chock full of interesting trivia, fun facts and historical information and complemented by Renee Andriani's witty and expressive illustrations that just add to the fun. Perfect for youngsters 9-12, this is a book full of history, trivia and lots of surprises that whets the appetite, takes the stuffiness out of geography and makes learning fun. So find out in which two states wild Venus Fly Traps grow, and enjoy!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for younger children, July 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Don't Know Much About the 50 States (Hardcover)

True this book does not go into great detail about the states, but if you want you children to get a start on learning about all fifty states this book is great. It gives some general facts about every state - state bird, capital, flower. It then gives a couple of interesting facts about each state. The author keeps the information short, to the point and intersting. It is a great book for kids 3-7. I would agree that 10-12 year olds maybe to old for this book.