Reference Review

Gr 7 Up–In her thorough text, Henderson defines patriotic holidays as those “dealing with aspects of democratic civic rights, responsibilities, and values consistent with the ideals laid out in the nation’s founding documents.” Some of these days are legal public holidays, while others, such as 9/11, also called Patriot Day, are simply public observances. The book begins with a fascinating look at patriotism. Along with several definitions and views on it, the author explores different symbols of the U.S., including those of political parties, the cornucopia, the eagle, and the flag. She then considers each holiday in alphabetical order, describing any customs, songs, and foods associated with it; the history behind the observance; and a sampling of activities and observances around the country. Each discussion ends with a list of related Web sites and a bibliography. Pull quotes, sidebars, and fact boxes are found throughout, as are black-and-white photos and reproductions. The volume also contains almost 100 pages of useful primary documents related to holidays, including The Mayflower Compact; The Declaration of Independence; flag laws; and excerpts from diaries, letters, and speeches. Readers are sure to gain insight into the history of the U.S., for the history of a nation’s holidays is certainly a history of the country.–Anne L. Tormohlen, Deerfield Elementary School, Lawrence, KS

Gr 5-9–A boon to collections needing materials on the years 1500-1700. Unlike many historical encyclopedias that organize material in a topical fashion, this set is arranged alphabetically. Entries offer solid information, intriguing explanations, and examples that could lead to more extensive research. For example, the article on “Magic and Superstition” includes text and illustrations addressing high and low magic, perceptions of witchcraft in both Flemish and Salem contexts, astrology (and early astronomy), and the increasing rift between religions due to their perceptions of magic. While Europe is covered most extensively, events in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas abound. Each volume has an identical introduction, time line, one-page glossary, list of recommended readings, and index, while the tables of contents are specific. The set is illustrated with black-and-white and color reproductions of period art, photos of artifacts and sites laid out on plenty of white space, and colorful sidebars. While it’s a little disconcerting at first to see “Papacy,” “Paris,” “Paul III,” and “Peace of the Pyrenees” in immediate juxtaposition, readers–especially browsers with an eye toward research–will soon appreciate the arrangement.–Mary R. Hofmann, Rivera Middle School, Merced, CA

Gr 9 Up–Eight chapters build a chronology from 1890 to 1920, allowing readers “to track the step-by-step development of several reform movements at the heart of progressivism, such as the beginning of conservation initiatives and the movement to end child labor.” Other topics include America’s rise to world power, 1898-1901; the impact of World War I; and the role of entertainment, sports, and the fine arts in defining the era. Each chapter includes a chronology that lists yearly events by month and relevant primary sources. The placement of first-person accounts within chapters is an outstanding feature, particularly for students who want to explore a range of viewpoints. Black-and-white captioned photographs illustrate the text. The book includes three appendixes: documents, including presidential addresses, passages excerpted from books, and Congressional legislation; “Biographies of Major Personalities”; and tables and maps. Overall, this useful tool will best be utilized by students needing to do in-depth research.–Patricia Ann Owens, Wabash Valley College, Mt. Carmel, IL

Gr 6-9–This attractive and informative set uses a wide variety of primary sources to introduce readers to the people who built our nation from 1600 to 1815. Each book profiles a different group, with volumes devoted to the underprivileged, workers, merchants, children, women, lawmen and lawbreakers, professionals, soldiers and sailors, transportation workers, and producers. The books incorporate information about Native Americans, enslaved and free Africans, and numerous ethnic groups. Each volume opens with an introduction that discusses the availability and reliability of the primary sources. Topical two- to four-page sections follow, highlighting a specific segment of the population, person, or topic (e.g., “Slavery and Manufacturing,” “Lewis and Clark,” “Early Paper Money”). These sections present readable combinations of narrative in black print and excerpts from primary sources, or quotes, in blue print. The authors are objective, placing the beliefs and behaviors of the period into historical context. Although the many speakers and writers are identified in the text, no specific documentation is included. The range of illustrative material is outstanding. There are at least two pictures per spread; they include color and black-and-white period paintings and drawings, contemporary maps, and color photos from living history sites. The well-written captions add additional information. Each volume includes an individual glossary and bibliography, and a set index. This resource will aid students’ understanding of life in early America and is sure to be popular with researchers. A clear choice for most collections.–Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO

Gr 9 Up–Approximately 750 alphabetical, signed articles cover topics from “abyssal plain” and “Ibn Battuta” to “Quaternary geography” and “zones of convergence/divergence.” Volume one opens with a complete listing of entries as well as a chronology of important geography-related facts from 200 million B.C.E. to A.D. 2050 (projection on “the continuing population explosion”). The articles range in length from a few paragraphs to a few pages; those on countries begin with a page notation for a map and a listing of the area, population, capital, highest point, lowest point, GDP per capita, and major natural resources. While basic definitions and facts are given, the authoritative entries also provide historical context and analyze current events and trends. The set has 80 black-and-white photographs and 115 two-color maps. Appendixes include world rankings in a number of areas (area, infant mortality, population, migration, literacy, etc.) and a complete world atlas. However, Peter Haggett’s Encyclopedia of World Geography (Marshall Cavendish, 2001) offers more comprehensive coverage and features color pictures and a more appealing layout. Still, McColl’s set would be an asset to libraries.–Maren Ostergard, Bellevue Regional Library, WA

Gr 9 Up–More than 400 essays that examine concepts, theories, and historical events from 1790 to 2003 are included in this set. In the preface, the editor states that “…the United States has probably been the most racist country in the world, with the exception of South Africa under apartheid between 1948 and 1994, and Nazi Germany.” The articles cover six areas: social science terms, concepts, and theories related to racism; historical and contemporary events, figures, and organizations that reflect or support racial discrimination; racial prejudice and discrimination in employment, housing, and other economic areas; reactions of minority groups to discrimination and minority leaders; government programs, agencies, and related court cases; and major books that either support or expose racism. Eight groups are discussed: Native Americans; African Americans; Hispanics; Asian Americans; Muslims and Arabs; white ethnic groups including Jews, Italians, and the Irish; and immigrants and their children. Average-quality, black-and-white photographs of individuals and events are interspersed throughout. Volume three contains primary documents and original writings such as “The Emancipation Proclamation,” “The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882,” and “The Civil Rights Act of 1964.” This resource is more comprehensive than others on the same topic.–Ann Joslin, formerly at Erie County Public Library, PA

Gr 9 Up–Similar in scope and in length to Ilan Stavans’s Encyclopedia Latina (Grolier, 2005), this multivolume encyclopedia seeks to document “the history and experience of Latinos and Latinas in U.S. society since the early Colonial period of this country.” Far from being an exclusively biographical resource, it includes more than 700 signed, objective articles on a wide range of topics both general and specific from “Baseball,” “Employment Discrimination,” and “Religion and Spirituality” to “Environmental Racism,” “Teenage Pregnancy,” and “Tucsonians for a Clean Environment.” There are also entries for each of the 50 states; biographical articles represent individuals who are considered to have broken new ground and are not meant to include all prominent Latinos or Latinas. For example, although Joan Baez’s mixed heritage (Mexican/Scottish) does not always cause her to be identified as a Latina, “…her commitment to justice for all aligns her with the struggles of Latinas and Latinos in the United States.” Each essay ends with cross-references to related articles and a bibliography. Black-and-white photographs and a few tables and charts are scattered throughout the set. A 190-page index is included in volume four. Comparing entries in the Oxford with those in Encyclopedia Latina reveals enough variety in coverage for libraries wanting to provide a range of resources to have both sets.–Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA

Gr 9 Up–This comprehensive set covers the people, events, and themes relevant to the African-American experience and the literature that it inspired. More than 1000 signed entries of varying length are organized alphabetically and include biographical information as well as critical discussions of the works. Other articles describe major themes, historical events, places, cultural figures, and literary genres that continue to impact the African-American experience. Coverage ranges from the Colonial period through the present. Resources for further information appear at the end of each article and include both print resources and Internet sites. Alphabetical and thematic lists of entries (including important dates) appear in each volume and there is a comprehensive index in the final volume. Although there are slight variations in the writing styles from article to article, the text is clearly written and engaging throughout. Sadly, only slightly more than 100 black-and-white illustrations, mostly portraits, are included. However, this is a completely accessible work. While it is by no means exhaustive (an impossible goal, the editors acknowledge), it is an important resource that should be considered by most libraries.–Linda Greengrass, Bank Street College Library, New York City

Gr 8 Up–Filled with plot descriptions and brief analyses and jam-packed with delightfully obscure plays, this concise collection of 1000 “important works of the world stage” is a wonderful ready-reference tool. The writing is clear, the summaries are easy to follow, and the information on performance dates, genre, setting, etc., is presented in a lucid manner at the head of each article. The works covered range from ancient Greek dramas (Aeschylus’s Seven Against Thebes, Sophocles’s Electra) to worldwide treasures (Leo Tolstoy’s The Power of Darkness, Jean-Claude Carrière’s Le Mahabharata) to contemporary social commentaries such as Marsha Norman’s ’Night, Mother and Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive. The volume includes helpful indexes of characters and playwrights, and a list of plays by country of origin and period. Frank N. Magill’s Masterplots II: Drama Series (1990) and “Critical Survey of Drama” series (both Salem), or the “Drama for Students” series (Gale), are multivolume sets that offer more in-depth analyses. Patterson’s resource offers the advantages of succinct description and easy access in a single volume. However, readers may question why some plays were included and others were omitted. For example, John Guare’s legendary House of Blue Leaves and Athol Fugard’s Boesman and Lena aren’t here, but Maria Fornés’s Fefu and Her Friends and John Daly Burk’s Bunker-Hill each earn an entry. Still, when readers can find descriptions of works by Dario Fo, Caryl Churchill, and Aeschylus in the same book–well, to paraphrase John Guare, I may not know much about signs…but this looks like a good one.–Herman Sutter, Saint Agnes Academy, Houston, TX

Gr 9 Up–This comprehensive, thoroughly researched volume “traces the origins and histories of diverse peoples of Iran from the earliest times” and shows how these tribal and nomadic groups and non-Muslim religious minorities have fared under the various central authorities. Price’s accurate and clearly written volume begins with a description of the land and its prehistory going back to 3000 B.C.; the latter two thirds of the work concerns events from the 20th century to the present day. Each chapter concludes with a summation; a time line; an annotated listing of significant people, places, and events; and a bibliography. The ethno-linguistic groups discussed are the Azerbaijani, Qashqa’i, Turkmen, Bakhtiyari, Baluchi, Kurds, Lurs, and Persians. The religious minorities considered are the Armenians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Baha’is, Jews, and Zoroastrians. The occasional black-and-white photograph or art reproduction is often too dark or fuzzy to show any detail. There are only a few black-and-white maps, none of which are particularly helpful. The dense text, especially in the early chapters, demands knowledgeable readers; the latter, more accessible chapters provide a fine, nonjudgmental account of the actions of the central government and the response of the minority groups. This volume is best suited to collections serving a Southwest Asian studies program or a large Iranian clientele.–Diane S. Marton, Arlington County Library, VA

Gr 9 Up–This invaluable guide is an expert abridgment of the acclaimed Oxford Classical Dictionary (3rd ed., 2003). This version, more readable in style and font, retains the core information and fascination of the parent volume at half its bulk. Entries center on the period 776 B.C.-A.D. 180. Alterations are judicious: all two paragraphs of the original entry on the “Vindolanda tablets” survive intact, for example, while the earlier edition’s lengthy piece on Roman history is cut to under half its original length. Although the bibliographies are gone, for nonspecialist users, abridgment is largely a blessing, eliminating distracting (and discouraging) byways and pointing readers to the essentials. Greek is transliterated but British usage remains. An appended article on the value of money in the classical world will help answer students’ perennial questions on that topic. A chronology, gazetteer, classical-author list, and six black-and-white maps add to the book’s scope. Teachers and students of history, literature, and classics will find this an outstanding reference volume.–Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George’s School, Newport, RI

Gr 9 Up–This excellent resource is divided into three parts: “Biography,” “Works A-Z,” and “Related People, Places, and Topics.” The first and shortest section provides a summary of Steinbeck’s birth, early childhood, education, and career. The bulk of the book offers descriptions of all of his works–published and unpublished. Many of these entries include background information, critical summaries, discussions of the work’s early reception and contemporary perspectives, chapter-by-chapter synopses, information on film adaptations, and further-reading suggestions. Entries in the final section run the gamut from notes on the writer’s relatives and friends to the name of his high school yearbook. Appendixes include a chronology; chronological, alphabetical, and categorized bibliographies of Steinbeck’s works; a bibliography of secondary sources; and more. Black-and-white photos of the man and the people and places in his life and works and a few film stills are scattered throughout. A terrific choice for literature students.–Pat Bender, The Shipley School, Bryn Mawr, PA

Gr 4-7–An attractive cover and numerous color photos and illustrations can not redeem this volume. Despite being a revised edition, the text contains many errors, both grammatical and factual. The article on agriculture is illustrated with a photo depicting a 1960s-vintage combine. Patrick Henry was indeed governor of Virginia, but not during the Civil War. Those who live in Jacksonville, FL, will be surprised to find that they live on the St. Johns River at the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean. Shreveport, LA, has been moved across the state to the banks of the Mississippi. Wheat is not stored with other grains, nor is it stored in silos. The chart of U.S. Presidents lists the service dates of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush incorrectly. The word “river” is never capitalized when it is used in conjunction with a proper name. A number of the short entries fail to cover the topic adequately. The entry on the “Persian Gulf War” is little more than dates and figures and does not define “U.S.-led coalition.” There is no mention of any of the accidents in the “Space Program” entry. There is no reason to purchase this title.–Eldon Younce, Harper Elementary School, KS

Gr 6 Up–Designed to complement Great American Writers: Twentieth Century (2002) and Great World Writers: Twentieth Century (2003, both Marshall Cavendish), this alphabetically arranged encyclopedia offers information on 96 contemporary writers, primarily British and North American, whose works tend to mine populist as well as artistic veins–usually with bestselling results. Each extensive, readable entry opens with stage-setting biographical and critical comments, then goes on in successive sections to describe the writer’s life and career to date, examine his or her dominant themes in a critical light, summarize and evaluate major works, and close with leads to Web-based resources of interest. Each entry also features sidebars about literary influences or other topics, as well as several sharply reproduced portraits, film stills, and works of art with meaty captions. A comprehensive index and several specialized ones fill the final volume. While it would be easy to second-guess some choices here–why, for instance, such one-hit wonders as William Gibson and William Least Heat-Moon, but not Terry Pratchett or Sue Grafton (particularly as the introduction points to the rise of the female private investigator as a major modern development)–the assortment of scriptwriters and cartoonists, humorists, nonfiction writers, and journalists who join the canonical likes of Anne Rice, John Grisham, J. K. Rowling, Douglas Adams, Jean M. Auel, P. D. James, and company add unusual scope to this resource.–John Peters, New York Public Library

Gr 9 Up–This book focuses on 10 20th-century works. Plays are discussed in chronological order and from the perspectives of the author’s life, influences, writing style, plot and character development, themes, and historical context. Each chapter runs about 10 pages and concludes with a list of suggested readings. In most cases, the author’s most critically acclaimed play has been chosen for examination. These works include John Millington Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World, George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan, Sean O’Casey’s Juno and the Paycock, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party, and Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls, among others. (Churchill is the only female represented.) An introduction briefly covers the history of Irish and British drama. This slim volume is a handy resource for libraries needing material on modern plays as well as those needing information on contemporary playwrights such as Tom Stoppard and Brian Friel.–Pat Bender, The Shipley School, Bryn Mawr, PA

Gr 8 Up–A chronological examination of U.S. involvement in wars from Revolutionary times through the post-Cold War conflicts (including Iraq). Essays have been gleaned from nine other Salem resources and new material has been added. The set is arranged chronologically and each section covering a specific conflict begins with ready reference information listing combatants and noting what was at stake, the location, the major figures involved, and the outcome. Each segment ends with a time line and a list for further reading. In between is a collection of clear and concise articles (39 essays in all for World War II alone) on specific battles, weapons, women’s roles, and censorship during the conflict and concludes with a cumulative subject index as well as a name index, a complete time line of U.S. wars and battles, and brief biographies. Scattered throughout are average-quality, black-and-white captioned photos and reproductions; a number lack adequate contrast. There are also some small, simple maps. Information is easy to find, easy to read, and organized to help students make connections. Useful for reports as well as general interest.–Julie Webb, Shelby County High School, Shelbyville, KY

Gr 9 Up–This clear but sometimes dry work offers both insight and criticism. In all, there are 400 entries on themes (apes, cities, dinosaurs, evil, imaginary worlds, inventions, mirrors, plagues and diseases, time travel), and 200 on specific works (Animal Farm, Babylon 5, Dune, Rendezvous with Rama, Star Trek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xena). A “Guide to Related Topics” and alphabetical lists of classics by theme aid access. The pithy and informative entries cover a lot of ground for both film and print formats in about two pages. Each one includes an overview paragraph; a survey of the theme with references to books, films, and possibly television shows; a brief discussion of the topic or classic under consideration; and a bibliography. Don D’Ammassa’s Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (Facts On File, 2005) covers some of the same ground but with a complementary emphasis on authors’ oeuvres and individual characters. With its excellent organization and cross-referencing, concise entries, and detailed index, The Greenwood Encyclopedia will be of interest to fans or students of these genres.–John Palmer, Bryan & College Station Library System, Bryan, TX

Gr 9 Up–An authoritative, but not comprehensive, resource. The authors have drawn on many works in Mandarin as well as extant scholarly texts in English. They discuss sources and treatments of Chinese myths in the past and present, offering an overview of the interaction between myth and society. Surveying Chinese history and the history of the study of myths, the authors identify some areas for future scholarship. They provide a chronology of Chinese dynasties and include non-Han minorities in their discussions. The writing is clear and correct (though the Weaving Maiden is said to wed a “cowboy”), if not inspired. An extensive annotated bibliography cites selected Internet and video as well as print resources. The index is detailed. Although entries on dragons and on culture-heroes are fascinating, users will look in vain for Guanyin, Monkey (Sun Wukong), Yen Lo Wang, Feng Du, Yuan Shi Tian Zong, Guan Yu, and other folk and Taoist gods. This book should expand students’ ideas about the extent and significance of Chinese myths, but the absence of many myths that are known, even if imperfectly, in the West will limit its usefulness.–Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George’s School, Newport, RI