November 1, 2013
Gr 4-6-A la Edgar Lee Masters's Spoon River Anthology (1915), this set present history from a variety of viewpoints. Grounded in fact, each title provides three fictionalized first-person accounts. For instance, Orphan Trains is told from the perspectives of an orphan, a farmer's wife, and a placing agent. The text is accessible, yet seasoned to suit the identity of the narrator. In Dust Bowl, for example, a young man remembers his reaction to a dust storm: "We thought it was a tornado. Momma told us to hightail it down into the root cellar." Reproductions complement the diarylike tone of the narratives. Sidebars with suggestions for activities and critical-thinking activities round out each title.
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