From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6-This book will appeal to followers of Lourie's earlier adventures, as well as to outdoor enthusiasts. The author began on Lake Itasca in Minnesota and paddled by canoe down the entire length of the Mississippi to where the delta and gulf waters meet in Louisiana. He intersperses information about his trip with facts about the river and the land it cuts through. Descriptive language abounds. Clear, full-color photographs and some historical black-and-white photos or drawings appear on each double-page spread. Most are captioned. A map shows the Mississippi River and its tributaries; an inset shows the states it flows through or borders. A prologue provides background on the river and Lourie's journey. It's unfortunate that there is no glossary. For a more complete picture of this mighty river, pair Lourie's book with Karin Luisa Badt's Mississippi Flood of 1993 (Children's, 1994), which explains just how dangerous the river can be and why people still choose to live so near it. Patricia Lauber's Flood: Wrestling with the Mississippi (National Geographic, 1996) is another good source of information on the river, while Michael Pollard's The Mississippi (Benchmark, 1997) is a better source for reports and general information.
Kathleen Simonetta, Indian Trails Public Library District, Wheeling, IL
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Kathleen Simonetta, Indian Trails Public Library District, Wheeling, IL
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 3-5. Lourie, whose previous work includes books on the Amazon, Hudson, and Yukon Rivers and the Erie Canal, now introduces readers to the Mississippi River. Lourie's account of his trip downriver from Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Venice, Louisiana, forms the framework for the book. He adds information about the history and commerce of the Mississippi and shows readers places along its banks. Traveling by canoe, bicycle, car, and on foot, Lourie finds plenty to interest him, but whether his journey will interest young readers is another question. Competently written, the book provides an overall view of its subject, but with its geographical arrangement and no index, it will be of limited use to students researching the river. The many illustrations include good-quality photos of the trip, including posed-looking shots of the author in various locales and period photos of people and places, from early loggers in Minnesota to slaves on a Louisiana plantation. Of interest to libraries in the region and to larger collections elsewhere. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
