Blashfield, Jean F. California Gold Rush and the 49ers

Blashfield, Jean F.  California Gold Rush and the 49ers. Capstone Publishers     2018   32p.  $27.32  ISBN 978-1-5157-7116-6  elem/ms  Nonfiction  VG-BNS 

Upper-elementary and middle-school students who enjoy learning about United States history will enjoy this new title on the California Gold Rush in the “Fact Finders: Landmarks in U.S. History” series.  Written in a story-like fashion, the book allows students to gain a better understanding about the California Gold Rush.  From the deadly journey to California through challenging terrain and weather to the actual discovery of gold for some adventurers, students learn of the difficulties many faced while trying to strike it rich.  Fortune seekers came by land and sea and didn’t realize the dangers, including death from disease, that this journey presented to them.  The author touches upon the miners and basic mining, as well as the women who played a role in the Gold Rush.  Students also learn how the Gold Rush played a vital role in the development of California and its diversity.

The author includes both color and black-and-white period portraits, interesting “Did You Know” facts, maps, sidebars, a glossary of terms, critical thinking questions, recommended books, a special code to use on FactHound, and an index.

For schools who participate in Accelerated Reader, a test is available for students to take (AR Quiz # 189870).      

As of this review, four titles have been published in this new series, Fact Finders: Landmarks in U.S. History.  Each title features daring adventurers and the reasons their actions helped shape the United States.  Titles include The Pony Express, Lewis & Clark, The California Gold Rush, and the Santa Fe Trail.         

Summary: “Readers will learn about the California Gold Rush, the people who went there to find their fortunes, and how this event shaped the history of California and the United States.”         

Gold Rush, U.S. History, California Gold Discoveries.                                                                                                                         --Charleen Forba-MacCain

Blashfield, Jean F. California Gold Rush and the 49ers

Blashfield, Jean F.      California Gold Rush and the 49ers            Capstone Publishers 2018   32p     27.32  978-1-5157-7116-6            elm/ms                        VG-BNS           

“Readers will learn about the California Gold Rush, the people who went there to find their fortunes, and how this event shaped the history of California and the United States.”  Upper elementary and middle school students who enjoy learning about United States history will enjoy this new title on the California Gold Rush in the “Fact Finders: Landmarks in U.S. History” series.  Written in a story-like fashion, students gain a better understanding about the California Gold Rush.  From the deadly journey to California through challenging terrain and weather to the actual discovery of gold for some adventurers, students become aware of the difficulties many faced while trying to strike it rich.  Fortune seekers came by land and sea and didn’t realize the dangers, including death from disease that this journey took.  The author touched upon the miners and basic mining, as well as women who played a role in the gold rush.  Students learn how the Gold Rush played a vital role in the development of California and its diversity.

The author includes both color and black-and-white period portraits, interesting “Did You Know” facts, maps, sidebars, a glossary of terms, critical thinking questions, recommended books, a special code to use on FactHound, and an index.

For schools who participate in Accelerated Reader, an existing test is available for students to take (AR Quiz # 189870).           Fact Finders (Capstone)     As of this review, four titles have been published in this new series, Fact Finders: Landmarks in U.S. History.  Each title shows the daring adventurers and  why what they did helped shape the United States.  Titles include the Pony Express, Lewis & Clark, the California Gold Rush, and the Santa Fe Trail.           Forba-MacCain, Charleen Gold Rush : U.S. History ; California Gold Discoveries.

Blashfield, Jean F. Germany.

Blashfield, Jean F.  Germany.  Scholastic/Childrens Press  2013  144p  $28.05  ISBN 978-0-531-25601-5 ms/hs   series: Enchantment of the World #5  E-BNS 

This revised, second edition explores the history, economy, geography, religion, customs, and culture of Germany. Middle and high school students who have an interest in Germany will appreciate it.  Readers will be able to gather a wealth of information about this great European country in this wonderful resource. Historical facts from the past to the present are introduced to readers in an easy-to-read format.  The book is organized into ten chapters covering topics such as government, history, the natural world including animals and plants,  the economy, education, people, culture, language, religion, geography, music, arts, and sports.  Clear, concise content will help readers gain an insight and understanding of Germany and its people.  The history and government of Germany is explained in easy-to-understand language. 

You’ll find dozens of vivid color photographs, interesting sidebars, timelines, maps, fast facts about the country, lists of recommended books, music and web sites, and a comprehensive index.   High end, glossy pages will last through years of use.  This book will be extremely helpful for country reports and for casual reading. 

For schools who use Accelerated Reader, there is a test (AR Quiz # 156916). 
     

Each title in this series of 48 country books (as of the time of this review) has been completely rewritten and redesigned as the second edition and introduces a format that is both visually appealing and conducive to an effective, interactive learning experience.   

Germany                                               --Charleen Forba-Mayer

Blashfield, Jean F. Australia.

Blashfield, Jean F.  Australia.  Scholastic/ Childrens Press      144p  $39.00      978-0-531-25308-3   ms  Series: Enchantment of the World (Childrens)*#5   VG-BNS           

The geography, history, economy, and culture of Australia are introduced in this easy-to-read, colorful middle-school book.      This book on Australia covers a lot of ground, for 144 pages ... the history, geography, economy, cultures and diversity of Australia.  It includes several maps, which are very helpful and are included in the index for easy referencing.  The illustrations are colorful and plentiful, and they help to break up the text in an aesthetically pleasing fashion.

The book does not shy away from certain controversial subjects, like the Rupert Murdoch hacking scandal and the Stolen Generations, the government policies that separated Aborigine children of mixed race, a practice that continued for six decades.  This is to be commended.

There is a disproportionately large focus on present-day Australian movie stars, rock stars, and the like, but this is probably an asset, as it will draw in the teenage set for whom the book was written.

The index and references for further information are well done and helpful.  The Scholastic Facts for Now search engine proved to be a good one as well.   

This second series of Enchantment of the World includes titles for many countries and is a valuable resource for students doing social studies research.                                                     --Carol Kennedy