Andrea S. Libresco is professor of social studies education as well as codirector of elementary education and of the minor in civic education at Hofstra University.Jeannette Balantic is social studies curriculum coordinator in the Garden City School District in Garden City, NY.Mary Battenfeld is associate professor of humanities at Wheelock College in Boston, MA.

• 1 Introduction2 CulturePrimary: Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide CinderellaLesson by Katrina Yoder and Paul J. YoderIntermediate: Inside Out and Back AgainLesson by Noreen Naseem RodríguezMiddle: MuchachoLesson by Sung Choon Park3 Time, Continuity, and ChangePrimary: The TreeLesson by Lisa HardeyIntermediate: Unspoken: A Story from the Underground RailroadLesson by Jennifer BurkeMiddle: Counting on GraceLesson by Jing Williams and Susan Gapp4 People, Places, and EnvironmentsPrimary: At the Same Moment, Around the WorldLesson by Lynne Farrell StoverIntermediate: Healthy KidsLesson by Andrea Libresco, Jeannette Balantic, and Mary BattenfeldMiddle: Canary in the Coal MineLesson by Don Campbell5 Individual Development and IdentityPrimary: In Our Mothers' HouseLesson by Christina Tschida and Lisa Brown BuchananIntermediate: The ArrivalLesson by Noreen Naseem RodríguezMiddle: Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights MovementLesson by Laura Bauer and Maram Mabrouk6 Individuals, Groups, and InstitutionsPrimary: Climbing Lincoln's Steps: The African American JourneyLesson by Deborah MorowskiIntermediate: When Rivers Burned: The Earth Day StoryLesson by Ryan HughesMiddle: Irena Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw GhettoLesson by Kathleen Kavet7 Power, Authority, and GovernancePrimary: We MarchLesson by Debra EriksonIntermediate: Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for DesegregationLesson by Mary Battenfeld, Andrea Libresco, and Jeannette BalanticMiddle: Denied, Detained, Deported: Stories from the Dark Side of American ImmigrationLesson by Kristy Brugar8 Production, Distribution, and ConsumptionPrimary: Last Stop on Market StreetLesson by Jeannette Balantic, Mary Battenfeld, and Andrea LibrescoIntermediate: The History of Money: From Bartering to BankingLesson by Melinda Odom StaubsMiddle: Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, SlaveLesson by Melinda Odom Staubs9 Science, Technology, and SocietyPrimary: Me … JaneLesson by JoAnn WoodIntermediate: The Inventor's Secret: What Thomas Edison Told Henry FordLesson by Andrea Libresco, Jeannette Balantic, and Mary BattenfeldMiddle: Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way)Lesson by Andrea Libresco, Jeannette Balantic, and Mary Battenfeld10 Global ConnectionsPrimary: Dear Primo: A Letter to My CousinLesson by Elizabeth M. Frye, Eric Groce, and Robin GroceIntermediate: Return to SenderLesson by Brenda Ayala LewisMiddle: After Gandhi: One Hundred Years of Nonviolent ResistanceLesson by Karen Hildebrand11 Civic Ideals and PracticesPrimary: Carl the ComplainerLesson by M. Gail HickeyIntermediate: Lady Liberty: A BiographyLesson by George LipscombMiddle: Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickels; Jump into the SkyLesson by Karen Hildebrand12 ConclusionBibliography of Notable Books Spotlighted in Each ChapterIndex

The lesson on families is very strong, and the concept of students as change agents is heartening. This book can help the classroom teacher and school librarian to transcend banal readers and prescriptive reading programs to introduce good, engaging social-studies books. Although the tight lesson structure may seem limiting, especially the worksheets, they are an easy reach for the busy educator.