Memorial Day

January 1, 2003
K-Gr 1-These small format series titles present very basic information about each holiday for beginning readers. Each page consists of a photograph or reproduction and one line of text such as "We celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day every year. This holiday is in January" and "We celebrate Memorial Day every year. This holiday is in May." How and why these days are celebrated are covered, but both books are confusing in terms of when. In King, a picture of a calendar indicates that it is observed on January 21; the time line says that it was first celebrated on January 20, 1986, and there's no explanation as to how the date is determined. The same is true of Memorial Day; a picture of a calendar highlights May 27, with no indication that the holiday does not always fall on that date. A time line and facts section follow each text. Mir Tamim Ansary's Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Heinemann Library, 1999) offers more information about the man, the day, and the history leading up to the holiday. Additional purchases.-Janie Schomberg, Leal Elementary School, Urbana, IL

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2003
With a simple text and large color photos, each small-size book in this series gives some very basic history about a U.S. holiday. While the writing is fairly dry, these books offer easy-to-read introductions for young readers. Oddly, photos of modern-day presidents in "Presidents' Day" are from the 1980s and 90s, giving the book a dated feel. A timeline and a page of additional facts are included. Glos., ind. [First Step Nonfiction covers these titles: "Earth Day, Independence Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day", and "Presidents' Day". ]

(Copyright 2003 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)