The Compass Rose and Cardinal Directions

Gr 3–6—These books are a tutorial on how to read and use maps. They are divided into nine facing-page "chapters," with about two paragraphs that introduce and define a topic on the left and a well-captioned full-page photo or map on the right. A "Just the Facts" banner on each text page adds more information or an interesting example. Vocabulary and content are elementary, with concrete examples that will help emerging readers understand maps. There is some oversimplification (Latitude implies that Galileo solved the problem of measuring longitude, but he only developed an early method that was never actually used by seafarers) and omission of important information, such as Time Zone's failure to explain the International Date Line. Most of the content is widely available in either extant titles or online sources, making them supplemental report or classroom support choices.