Benoit, Peter. Vietnam War.

Benoit, Peter.  Vietnam War.  Scholastic/Childrens Press    2013 64p  $21.05  ISBN 978-0-531-23608-6      elem series: Cornerstones of Freedom VG-BNes    

In this comprehensive book, upper elementary students are introduced to the long, bloody war in Vietnam from 1954 to 1975 and the ways in which its results have shaped our world today.  The author provides background information to help set the scene.  Students will read about what led up to the war, how it began, and what it took to end it.  The author also provides students with a view of what happened after the war and how the United States and Vietnam needed to work together to heal its wounds. 

The author uses several primary sources, including firsthand accounts, personal quotations, spotlights, maps, headline news, news from today’s perspective, and black-and-white period photographs, to help students dive into the history.  Students learn about influential individuals, a timeline of events, recommended books and web sites, a living history, and there are a glossary of terms and a comprehensive index as well. 

For schools that use Accelerated Reader, there is a test (AR Quiz # 156887). 

Each title in this series has an original, commissioned map spread that places all the events, people, and other important topics in their geographical contexts.  Sixty titles have been published in the third series of Cornerstones of Freedom as of this review.  

Vietnam War, 1961-1975                                                                            --Charleen Forba-Mayer