River Roads West: America's First Highways [Hardcover]

Peter Roop (Author), Connie Roop (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2007 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

This 64-page four-color picture book traces the history and expansion of the United States through its rivers. Each chapter depicts a separate river and its role in history from the time before Europeans arrived to the end of the nineteenth century. The rivers highlighted are the Hudson, Ohio, Missouri, Mississippi, Rio Grande, Colorado, and Columbia. It is illustrated with photographs, prints, paintings, and original maps.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–8—The role of transportation in national history has seldom been more clearly delineated than in this meticulous treatment. Spanning prehistory to the 19th century, the sparkling text, inflected with wry humor, focuses sequentially on the Hudson River and Erie Canal, the Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, Rio Grande, and the Colorado Rivers, and the Columbia River. Each chapter begins with quotations pertaining to the river, from the literary to songs such as "Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal" and "Roll On, Columbia, Roll On." Each chapter discusses the river's source, indigenous inhabitants and civilization, exploration, and the impact of settlement in historical, sociological, and environmental terms. The straightforward historical progression of each chapter makes it easy to follow and gives the prose a sense of narrative and story. Maps, color photographs, and period reproductions are well placed. Text in blue highlights relevant people (e.g., Washington Irving, John Chapman), incidents (the New Madrid Earthquake, the fate of the steamboat Far West as it impacted General Custer's final days), or concepts (the Northwest Passage, for example). The lack of an index is a bit of a problem, though the organization is such that most items pertaining to a particular river will be in the chapter concerning it. This is a sound report source, and it will supplement units on American history generally and the Westward expansion in particular.—Ann Welton, Helen B. Stafford Elementary, Tacoma, WA
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Review

Dip in anywhere in the volume and follow a water route through American history, learning much about culture, geography and the growth of the nation along the way. The attractive format is supplemented by a thorough bibliography and a list of websites. Excellent for research or for browsing. --Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Boyds Mills Pr (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590784308
• ISBN-13: 978-1590784303
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,138,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars "River Roads West" is very strongly recommended for both school and community library American History collections., October 6, 2007

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: River Roads West: America's First Highways (Hardcover)

It was the many and diverse river systems of North America that first enabled the exploration and settlement by European of what would become the United States of America. Even before the coming of the white man, it was the river systems that enabled the rise of Native American empires and commerce. It was these rivers that saw canoes and rafts evolve into flatboats and steamboats as first explorers and then settlers occupy the country. These rivers were also important culturally as reflected in the songs, poetry, legends, myths, and stories of the people. Now experienced river guides Peter and Connie Roop provide young readers ages 8 and older with an historical overview of how the rivers were utilized in the exploration and settlement of the country in "River Roads West". From the Hudson, the Ohio, the Mississippi, and the Missouri, to the Rio Grande, the Colorado, and the Columbia, the story of these rivers is enhanced with photographs, paintings, prints, and original maps. With a list of thematically appropriate websites and a selected bibliography for further readings, "River Roads West" is very strongly recommended for both school and community library American History collections.