Corps of Discovery

May 1, 2003
Gr 4-7-Each of these volumes addresses a specific part of the expedition and concludes with a cliff-hanger ending. Corps is the most aptly named as it covers the intentions of Thomas Jefferson, his close relationship with Meriwether Lewis, and the goals of the expedition. There is little that is new here, but readers will learn that the group traveled with the most advanced weapons of the time, and the book provides a good overview of how and why the project was undertaken. Missouri River makes mention of some of the other members of the Corps and the Native American tribes that were encountered. One of the most interesting facts in this book is the reason for various misspellings in the journal entries. There was no standardized spelling at that time; indeed, it would be 24 years before Webster published his first dictionary. Mountains begins with some of the material sent back to Jefferson, a reminder that this endeavor was also a scientific expedition. This book ends with the question of what will happen when the Corps meets the Nez Perc Indians. Full-color photos or illustrations appear on every page. Good overviews of this remarkable journey and of the difficulties that had to be surmounted.-Edith Ching, St. Albans School, Mt. St. Alban, Washington, DC

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