The Lewis & Clark Expedition: Join the Corps of Discovery to Explore Uncharted Territory (Kaleidoscope Kids Book)

Describes the expedition led by Lewis and Clark to explore the unknown western regions of America at the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Grade 4-6-The Lewis and Clark expedition receives an informal, somewhat interactive and child-friendly treatment here. Short sections, often with humorous headings, cover the background, people, main events, and aftermath of the famous expedition. Interspersed among the informational sections are crafts and activities, most of which require adult supervision, and "Think About It" and "Try It" sections, all of which serve to increase reader involvement. There are many silly cartoons and occasional jokes as well as some archival art and artifacts, maps, and more serious line drawings. Breaking the information into short segments helps give the book a casual and easily approachable feel, but it also tends to lend all events and sections equal importance since the text cannot build and does not expand on more important and climactic happenings. Furthermore, children trying to follow the events of the trip may find the many activities and questions distracting. The questions vary in value. While "Judged by Your Peers" raises interesting topics for discussion, "Ask the Indians" requires readers to speculate on Dr. Rush's motives for wanting to know about Native traditions, something they would not have any basis for judging. Most suitable for school libraries and homeschooling families, this book won't supplant such standards as Rhoda Blumberg's The Incredible Journey of Lewis and Clark (Morrow, 1995) or Peter and Connie Roop's Off the Map (Walker, 1993), but it will be welcomed by teachers and others looking for materials and activities to help commemorate the expedition's upcoming bicentennial.
Louise L. Sherman, formerly at Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4-6. Some volumes in the Kaleidoscope Kids series present thematically based crafts and activities studded with historical facts. This book focuses on the history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and also provides some crafts, activities, and open-ended questions for discussion. The text describes the main players in the adventure as well as several of the other members of the company and then follows their journey from St. Louis to the Pacific and back. Excerpts from the explorers' journals bring their voices into the story. Printed in two colors, with many cartoons as well as maps, drawings, photographs, and reproductions of period illustrations, the broad pages have an accessible look. Activities include making a model of a keelboat from balsa wood, measuring a zigzag course by dead reckoning, and building a miniature Mandan earth lodge from sticks, clay, and grass. Lists of recommended books, videos, and Web sites round out the presentation. Teachers will appreciate the many ideas for discussion and hands-on activities, while students will find the book a very approachable introduction to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Carolyn Phelan
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