New Hampshire (Celebrate the States) [Library Binding]

Steven Otfinoski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1999 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Celebrate the States

Surveys the geographic features, history, government, economy, people, and landmarks of New Hampshire, one of the six New England states.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding: 144 pages
• Publisher: Benchmark Books (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761406697
• ISBN-13: 978-0761406693
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,538,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4.0 out of 5 stars Celebrating the state of New Hampshire, a beautiful state with memorable landmarks, April 30, 2006

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: New Hampshire (Celebrate the States) (Library Binding)

Of course the most memorable landmark in the beautiful state of New Hampshire is no longer around. During the night of May 3, 2003, the Old Man of the Mountain slipped off of his perch on the side of Cannon Mountain. The five granite ledges that made up the natural stone formation had been held in place by steel cables and turnbuckles, but the effects of erosion finally claimed the chief symbol of the state of New Hampshire, now immortalized on the back of the state quarter and probably millions of photographs. A newspaper account of the Old Man of the Mountain represents the memorable landmarks that Steven Otfinoski lists among the sundry quotes in this book's introduction that talk about "What New Hampshire Is..." There you will find P.T. Barnum, Stephen Vincent Benet, and Robert Frost talking about the state. Then Otfinoski gets on to celebrate the oldest state that is also one of the most modern in six chapters devoted to basic topics.

(1) The Lay of the Land, looks at the geography of this New England state, and while it does not devote specific sections to each geological region as some other series devoted to the states do it does lay them out and cover climate, big trees, wild animals, and the state's pollution problems. Sidebars are devoted to key topics such as Mount Washington and Dealing with Deer, another ecological concern. (2) A Proud Past begins with Thomas Hill's painting of Crawford Notch and then gets into the original inhabitants and early explorers of the region. The emphasis is a bit more on how the third British colony in the New World became a state, providing a quick survey of New Hampshire's history in the 20th century. One of the signatures of the Celebrate the States series is that you will find music and lyrics for a could of songs in each volume and in this chapter we have "The Old Granite State," which the Singing Hutchinson Family of New Hampshire used to open their concerts of anti-slavery songs from the 1840s through the Civil War (e.g., "Yes, we're friends of Emancipation, And we'll sing the Proclamation").

(3) The Democratic Way, combines a look at the state government and the 221 "little republics" as the state's towns are often referred to, with a look at the modern economy that has earned the state the nickname of "Nouvelle Hampshire." The uniqueness of the state in have neither a state income tax or general sales tax, in being the site of the first presidential primary, and being the only state not to have public kindergarten for all five-year-olds are highlighted. (4) Natives and Transplants looks at the uniform population of the state, touching on education, religion, and some of the things they do. The book's recipe appears in this chapter and while Otfinoski says, "Don't knock it till you've tried it," I will pass on the idea of pumpkin milk shakes.

(5) Notable New Hampshirites highlights one of the strengths of this series, which is providing young students will details about famous peoples from each state. President Franklin Pierce, U.S. Representative and Senator Daniel Webster, sculptor Daniel Chester French, astronaut Alan Shepard, teacher Christa McAuliffe, documentary film maker Ken Burns, and author-illustration Tomie DePaola are profiled in this chapter. (6) A Grant Tour, covers the state's landmarks, starting in the southern region of the state with the Robert Frost farm and the Cathedral of the Pines, moving on to Central New Hampshire with Lake Winnipesaukee, and ending up in the north where the Old Man of the Mountain once was the lord of all he surveyed.

Otfinoski provides more information in the back of the book, beginning with a State Survey that explains the flag and seal, lists all of the state symbols, and provides some key geographical facts. You will also find the words and music to "Old New Hampshire," the official one of the nine state songs, a timeline that runs from the 1600s to 1990, and a calendar of celebrations that highlights the likes of the Mount Washington Valley Chocolate Festival, Frostbite Follies, and the Candlelight Stroll at Strawbery Banke. State Stars adds the likes of Josiah Bartlett, Mary Baker Eddy, John Irving, J.D. Salinger, and George Hoyt Whipple to the previous mentioned famous people. Finally there is a list of key places to visit when you Tour the State, such as Castle in the Clouds and the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium.

The back of the book is one of the strongest parts, and if you want to know more about New Hampshire there is a list of books about the state in general and special interest topics to go along with a couple of videos and a trio of Internet sites that young students can check out. The third and fifth chapters are the strongest, especially in comparison to other competing series that will tell you more about the geography and history of New Hampshire. This Celebrate the States book is illustrated with full color photographs, along with some historical etchings and paintings in the history chapter. You will find the basics covered here and get an idea of what else there is to find out about if you need to do additional research for a school report.