The Split History of World War II

November 1, 2012

Gr 4-6-Each title in this engaging series is actually two books in one, right down to having two front covers and two indexes. One half of each volume describes events, people, and ideologies that represent one side's view of a major historical event or period. The other half recounts the opposing side's position. Using concise, well-researched content, this approach engages critical-thinking skills by encouraging students to look at issues from a variety of perspectives. For example, in Expansion the "Settlers' Perspective" is that "they would be settling the land and improving it both for themselves and future generations." In contrast, the "American Indian Perspective" is that "They felt cheated by the U.S. government and angry over how they were treated." Archival photographs and reproductions, in both color and black and white, effectively illustrate the texts, and sidebars offer profiles of important figures and other relevant information. The simple layout helps keep the flip concept from being fussy or confusing.

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