Grade 4-7 Similar to books in the America the Beautiful series (Children's Press), these titles cover standard facts: geography, history, government, economy, landmarks, and regions. They are attractively illustrated with clear maps, charts, and pie graphs. Photos and reproductions of original documents add to overall effectiveness. The texts are interesting while sticking to a strict series format. The fast-facts sections have most data required for basic reports, including the flag, sheet music for the state song, and a recipe. In these revisions of the 1997 editions, most illustrations were updated, but the original texts were only slightly reworked. There are several completely new sections, including the EPA battle over Zebra mussels in Illinois and the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Virginia.
