Wild West (Single Subject Reference)

Journey back to another century and visit the untamed American West -- the land of the Gold Rush and home to many Native American tribes. See what life was like in a covered wagon, in a frontier town, or on a cattle ranch. Confront dangerous outlaws and the hardships of living in an unsettled land. Plenty of realistic illustrations, as well as period photographs and paintings, dramatize the gritty truths of the mythic Wild West. A splendid gift for any child fascinated by the stories and legends of this period. Includes a biographical section, a glossary, and an index.

Grade 4-8?As a whole, this title misrepresents Western history and includes several politically correct biases and objectionable topics. It opens with a picture of three men in a shoot-out, and the emphasis throughout is on lawlessness and violence. The text is disjointed and confusing. The opening sentences of the double-page spreads often describe the evils of conquering invaders, be they Spanish Conquistadors or white settlers. Savagery took place, to be sure, but the book depicts such behavior as one-sided. No mention is ever made of Indian attacks on the settlers, and the deaths that resulted. The author seems to delight in the uncouthness of all residents of the old West. At one point he states that all cowboys headed to the saloon at trails end. All of them? The author also lacks balance when describing soldiers and fort life, emphasizing only the more horrid aspects of it. Not all soldiers were ill-equipped criminals and drunkards. This colorful book seems to be an attempt to inform at the basest levels of information and taste. It gives misinformation and misleading statements and omits so much of what is true that libraries would be wise to pass on it.?Carol Beall, Immanuel Christian School, Springfield, VA
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