Panama Canal

December 1, 2009
Gr 4-6-Both of these attractive titles provide introductory information in a clear and readable format. The texts are supplemented by large photos, illustrations, and maps, but their bibliographies are limited to Web sites. The first book begins with a description of the Isthmus of Panama and French efforts to build a canal on it. Hall then discusses Theodore Roosevelt's assumption of the project, the enormous efforts necessary to build it and conquer the diseases that decimated workers, and the current operation and continuing importance of the canal. Although it does not provide the detail found in Tim McNeese's "The Panama Canal" (Gale, 1997) and Ann Graham Gaines's "The Panama Canal in American History" (Enslow, 1999), its short chapters and easy vocabulary are well suited to middle graders. Hamen opens with an account of Samuel Slater's mill, the first in America, followed by discussion of the Industrial Revolution in England and its migration to the United States, where it quickly transformed agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and communication. The author also analyzes the economic and social consequences of industrialization, especially the exploitation of labor. This book is more comprehensive than Sean Price's "Smokestacks and Spinning Jennys" (Heinemann, 2006) and is a good companion to Alice Flanagan's "The Lowell Mill Girls" (Compass Point, 2005), which focuses on women in the industrial workforce. Both titles are solid additions to most collections."Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO"

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