Mail Call!: The History of the U.S. Mail Service (First Book)

Recounts the development of postal services in the United States, and discusses the role of Benjamin Franklin, the Pony Express, stamps and stamp collecting, and other topics

Grade 4-6?Four- to eight-page chapters cover such topics as Benjamin Franklin's role in mail delivery in the colonies, the Pony Express, the changes brought about by the railroad, stamps and postmarks, and the postal service today. The final section contains stories about unusual events, such as a mail carrier who fell off his bike into an ants' nest, and a four-year-old girl who was mailed to her grandmother because postage was cheaper than a train ticket. The text is well organized and nicely arranged, and the writing flows smoothly. Captioned black-and-white photographs and full-color reproductions of period paintings, maps, and stamps enhance the presentation. This title is a good companion to Gail Gibbons's The Post Office Book (HarperCollins, 1982), which is for a younger audience. Both books will help to fill the gap in collections where there isn't much information between the Pony Express and the present day.?Eldon Younce, Harper Elementary School, KS
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4-6. This lively First Book chronicles the history of the U.S. Postal Service, beginning with colonial mail systems. Bolick provides a chronological discussion, highlighting mail service during various points in American history. However, the book does fall a bit short in its contemporary coverage: the author ignores the controversy about poor mail service, sounding instead like a Post Office cheerleader; the book also contains a reference to 29-cent stamps. Still, as a historical overview, this works very well. The informative text holds readers' interest, and the color paintings and lithographs, beginning with the bold cover woodcut, are a real plus. A chapter on stamp collecting should add browser appeal. Bibliography appended. Ilene Cooper