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

Terry Miller Shannon (Author)

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Library Binding: 80 pages
• Publisher: Children's Press(CT) (September 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0516223976
• ISBN-13: 978-0516223971
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 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: #3,676,560 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Taking a tour of Oregon, the Beaver State, April 12, 2006

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Oregon (From Sea to Shining Sea, Second) (Library Binding)

The first thing I want to say is that I like the way the purple border of the front cover of this From Sea to Shining Sea compliments the photograph of the Portland skyline with Mt. Hood in the background. The second thing is that since my brother lives in Oregon I have had the opportunity to visit there quite a few times in the past couple of years and driving up the Columbia River Gorge and stopping to see the various waterfalls and other sights is one of the most enjoyable trips I have taken (it helps when just driving along the highway is pretty impressive). In this informative volume Terry Miller Shannon introduces young readers to the Beavers State, covering not only the state's rich history and unique attractions, but also its geography, government, and people.

The diverse geography of Oregon is covered in the second chapter, where Shannon lays out six distinct land regions: the Coast Range, the Willamette Valley, the Klmath Mountains, the Cascade Mountains (which includes Crater Lake), the Columbia Plateau, and the Basin and Range Region. Obviously the lakes and rivers section has a lot to cover, and Shannon makes a distinction between the climate in eastern and western Oregon thanks to the Cascade Mountains. The longest chapter is always the third in these books, which is where the history of the state is covered. The arrival of first the Europeans and then Lewis and Clark establishes the importance of the region to the fur trade. Following the missionaries that arrived in the early 1840s, the establishment of the Oregon Trail, which should resonate with any young reader who has ever played the popular and educational computer game. Other sections are devoted to statehood, the discovery of gold, and the struggles with the Nez Perce tribe. The 20th century section highlight how the New Deal transformed Oregon, the internment of Japanese-Americans in camps in eastern Oregon, and the emphasis on the environment in modern Oregon (I remember a greeting card where the state's governor invited you to visit any other state and the highway north from California gets to Washington by going around and rather through Oregon; no wonder we thought of the place as a great place to live).

After touching on the three branches of state government, the key part of chapter four is a tour of Salem, the state capital. A map of the downtown area shows not only the State Capitol but also several museums and Salem Riverfront Park, where you will find both the Riverfront Carousel and A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village (a sidebar explains why Gilbert was known as "the man who saved Christmas"). The final chapter looks at what working people in Oregon do and provides a recipe for Stuffed Spuds. Then Shannon takes us on a tour of Oregon, starting on the eastern part of the state, but devoting the most space to the Oregon coast, the Portland area, and the Willamette Valley. Color photographs highlight some of the best sights to see, from the peak of Mount Hood and Fort Clatsop National Memorial to Benson Bridge at Multnomah Falls and the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.

The back of the book begins with an Oregon Almanac, two pages of statistics, productions and state symbols (but which only shows one side of the state flag). There is also a Timeline of Oregon state and U.S. history, a Gallery of Famous Oregonians that highlights Matt Groening, Linus Pauling, and Picabo Street, and a Glossary of key terms. Young students can turn to the list of webs sites, books, and addresses provided For More Information, or they can check out all of the sidebars throughout the book. Extra! Extra! blocks tell about the discovery of Oregon Caves National Monument and what is really the tallest building in Salem, while the Who's Who in Oregon ones provide mini-biographies of the likes of Henry Villard. Famous Firsts include the first settlement west of the Rockies, and we also learn What's in a Name? explains that Salem is a variation of the Arabic and Hebrew words for "peace." So there is plenty of information here for students assigned to report on the Beaver State for class. From here we go to the other bank of the Columbia River to tour Washington, the last of the 48-continental states on our itinerary.