Midwest and Great Lakes Regions

Gr 3–5—Large photos are the dominant feature of these books, which begin with a map of each region, followed by information about its indigenous peoples and later settlers, current populations, agriculture and industry, and regional cultures. The books close with "State Fact Sheet" pages and "Show What You Know" reading comprehension questions. Several weaknesses limit effectiveness. Coverage is somewhat overgeneralized, and many of the photos are so generic that they fail to convey a sense of place. Captions and photos don't always match (for instance, in West Coast, a caption describes snow in a rainforest while the accompanying photo shows no snow). There are some factual errors, such as Northeast's claim that the Appalachian Trail is the world's longest walking trail. These factors make these books additional purchases for most libraries.