Charting the World

Gr 6 Up—Serious map junkies and aspiring cartographers will find this book fascinating, but many general readers will be lost. One disappointment is that the maps are so small. The author recommends copying them for the suggested projects, but a magnifying glass will also be useful. Much attention is devoted to how maps have been produced over time: from an initial outline on a rock to developments involving etching copper plates and eventually aerial mapping using satellites and computers. Because discovering the Americas required charting undocumented territory, the book primarily focuses on the time period after 1492 and more specifically on mapping the United States. Numerous historical facts such as the settlement of the Canadian/American border, the Missouri Compromise, and the origin of the Mason-Dixon Line are included. The author explains how maps can help track the outbreak of disease or outline political sensibilities in an election year. He discusses treasure maps and how they first appeared in literature. While noteworthy, these sorts of details clutter the presentation. With its vast array of information delivered in dense text, this volume is for dedicated students. Others may simply examine the captions. Projects employ easily accessible materials, but with complicated explanations and the math element inherent to mapping, they may also be daunting.—Janet S. Thompson, Chicago Public Library