Geographical+Sources

=Geographical Sources Annotations=


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Rand McNally Atlas of the World published by Rand McNally & Co. in 1994 is a great resource even though it is an older version. It would be nice to have a current copy of this resource. It lists the countries of the world with information such as the population, capital, language and type of government. It includes regional and world maps along with metropolitan area maps. Scholastic Atlas of Space published by Scholastic, Inc. in 2004 is another example of a geographical resource in my collection. This resource is broken down into four categories which are The universe, Celestial objects of light, Our little corner of the universe, and Space exploration. Throughout the book there are interesting facts in fact boxes labeled by a galaxy symbol and there are star maps in the back of the book to help learn the night sky.

This book discusses how geography has influenced local food culture in more than 90 countries/regions around the world. Staple foods, signature dishes, food preparation, and eating customs are discussed at length. Regional variations within countries are identified. Each entry also includes a list of traditional ingredients. This is not really an atlas—no maps are included—but it is a great geographical resource. Beautiful four-color photos illustrate the text. I would not have thought pictures of food could be so fascinating, but really it is the cultural context—photos of food being harvested, sold at markets, and enjoyed at festivals, etc—that makes this book most interesting. Eighty recipes are included in an appendix. A bibliography according to region is also included. Produced in cooperation with the Mariner’s Museum of Virginia. Geographic guide to the journeys of 41 explorers during the “Age of Discovery.” Entries are grouped by geographic location. Contemporary illustrations and artwork, fully captioned, are combined with full-color maps of the explorers’ routes. Also includes discussion of ship construction and navigation. Includes an appendix with birth and death dates of the featured explorers. Our Fifty States //**** by **** Mark H. Bockenhauer and Stephen F. Cunha ****, 2003, **** National Geographic Society. ** The layout sets this book apart. Each state entry is beautifully illustrated with a full-page color photo and a timeline featuring archival photos/artwork. Easy-to-read maps for all 50 states, District of Columbia, and U.S. territories are accompanied by 2-3 page essays, fact boxes with key statistics, “Did You Know?” trivia, and illustrations of state flags, birds, and flowers. A nice resource for elementary students doing state projects.
 * // The Food Lover’s Atlas of the World //**** by Martha Rose Shulman, **** 2002, Firefly Books **
 * // Historical Atlas of Exploration: 1492-1600 //**** by Angus Konstam, 2000, Checkmark Books **

1. **//Hammond Children’s World Atlas//**. James Harrison and Anne Mcrae. Long Island City, NY: Hammond World Atlas Corp, 2008. A really nice atlas geared toward kids without dummying down information.-Lynn

2. **//Frommer’s Family Travel Guide. Washington, D.C., with kids//**. New York: Prentice Hall Travel, 1992. I like this guide because it includes points of interest for families, not just the adult traveler.-Lynn

3. **//A Field Guide to the Stars and Planets//**. Donald H. Menzel and Jay M. Pasachoff. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1983. Maps of the stars. Beautiful and easy to maneuver information about exploring the skies.-Lynn

__National Geographic Beginner’s World Atlas__. Suzanne Patrick Fonda, Project Editor. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1999. This is a beautiful atlas which sets the tone for students to enjoy learning about and respecting the diversity of the world and its cultures. It has an attractive, oversized format with a large font and colorful photographs. The book is clearly arranged and easy to use, with an introductory section on different types of maps. Each continent is color coded in the table of contents, and has a few pages which are divided into two categories of land and people. The land section covers regions, physical features, plants, animals, and climates, while the people section gives an overview of countries, cities, people, languages, and products. The maps are clear and colorful and don’t include too much information to overwhelm younger students. A strength of this book is how it connects photographs of places with their locations on maps by introducing each section with engaging photographs that encourage the reader to find the location on the map on the next page. The “World at a Glance” reference section, glossary, and simple index make this book a great atlas for younger students.

__Scholastic Atlas of the World__. Edited by Philip Steele. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 2001. This is a visually appealing atlas that combines maps, tables, and photographs. It is easy for elementary students to use, with a tab file graphic at the top of each page. The first twenty or so pages are dedicated to the geology, astronomy, and meteorology of the earth. The map scale is very student friendly, and each page has a “Search and Find” box to get students focused on using coordinates to locate capitals and cities. Each country’s entry has interesting facts that are likely to appeal to students in the “Discover More” section. There is a glossary to help define terms, and the index is easy to use with important entries in bold and illustrations in italics.

__The Kingfisher Young People’s Atlas of the World__. Edited by Philip Steele. New York: Kingfisher, 1997. __The Kingfisher Young People’s Atlas of the World__ is another atlas edited by Philip Steele. Each entry is presented with illustrations and photographs, which gives a good impression of people, land, and resources. The maps include an appropriate scale and are color coded to show relative elevation, but they do not actually include an elevation key. The “Facts and Figures” table in the back of the atlas makes a useful ready reference to compare natural resources, languages, and currency. However, it doesn’t have the helpful color coded arrangement of some of the other atlases I found, which could make it somewhat more difficult for students to use, although on the whole it’s still a well-organized atlas. The index is more thorough in that it includes not only places but other information such as peoples and resources, but it is also slightly more difficult to use. However, it does differentiate the illustrated pages with italics.

Post Annotations Here: Title: Historical Atlas of Massachusetts Editor: Richard W. Wilkie and Jack Tager Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press Year: 1991 Features: Maps provide information on Massachussetts' history, economy, transportation, politics, health care, communications, and natural resources. Reproductions of 17th-century maps. This Atlas is quite appropriate and useful for any Massachusett’s secondary school library. It fits quite nicely into the local history curriculum. The volume integrates primary documents, statistical analysis and geography quite nicely. Incorporates manufacturing and agricultural facts by population and location. The volume is currently out of print which makes it more valuable to Essex Aggie’s collection. If it were to be updated and brought back into circulation it would be a definite addition to the library. I concur with Library Journal that it is an excellent addition to any Massachusetts Library, school or public.

Title: The American cornucopia : an atlas of American agriculture Editor: Richard Pillsbury, John Florin Publisher: MacMillan Year: 1996 Features: Details the production of fruits, vegetables, grains, poultry, meat, fish, and landscaping plants using text, maps, and charts. The atlas is currently out of print which makes it truly a keeper. It is appropriate for all ages and fits nicely into the agricultural curriculum. It’s regional arrangement makes it easily accessible, students and the use of charts and crop statistics are helpful in the study of agricultural history of America.

//1. ////**Historical Atlas of Exploration: 1491-1600** // Angus Konstam 2000 Checkmark Books

This was a very interesting book which had great colorful maps, pictures and timelines. It covers all areas of the world (Northwest Passage, the Pacific, the Indies, and Central America etc.) and describes when and who explored the area. Very interesting book!  //2. ////**World Reference Atlas** // The Dorling Kindersley (DK) 1998

This volume is dated but I really like the format of this user-friendly book. It is very colorful, easy to read and gives great bits of information regarding politics, world affairs, resources, education, crime, wealth, health and world ranking of all the countries of the world.  //3. ////**Historical Atlas of Massachusetts** // University of Massachusetts Press, Amherst, MA 1991

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">This is one of my top three books because I have lived in Massachusetts all my life. It has great historical data such as political districts and party affiliations by region and town, voting data, race and gender and other population figures. What was particularly helpful is it shows maps of where people settled when they arrived from England and other areas of the world. It shows where people migrated to in Massachusetts. This was a very interesting read. Joanne T

**U//sborne Children’s Picture Atlas//**. Written by Ruth Brocklehurst. Illustrated by Linda Edwards. Tulsa: EDC Publishing, 2003. This illustrated picture atlas is a gem. It takes children on “a magical journey around the world.” The atlas begins by introducing students to the universe, maps, countries and cities, people, transportation, and habitats. In the introduction, there are pictures of things to find on the maps, such as seahorses, blue-tongued stink and the Saami people. The maps are organized by continents. There is a Trip Around the World quiz at the end. This would be an excellent resource for elementary school students as a beginning atlas. - Michelle Muscatell

This atlas is arranged by region, which includes a section for Washington, D.C. and outlying regions (Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa). There are more than 750 full-color pictures. Each section (by region) gives information about the region to include the history, climate, landscape, lifestyle and economy. There are also key dates listed. The state information includes the same, but is specific to the state. There are also State Facts and a “Did You Know” box with interesting information. This is easy to read. There are two pages for each region and state. This is a resource for elementary and middle school students. - Michelle Muscatell
 * //State-by-State Atlas//**. Written by Justine Ciovacco, Kathleen A. Feeley, and Kristen Behrens. New York: DK Publishing, 2003.

This is a series of eight separate atlases: Atlas of **__Africa__**, Atlas of __**Europe**__, Atlas of**__North America__**, Atlas of **__South America__****,** Atlas of **__Far East__** **__and__** **__Southeast Asia__**, Atlasof **__Southwest and__** **__Central Asia__**, Atlas of **__Australia__** and Atlas of **__Poles and Oceans__**. The books are short in length, 30 pages each with appropriate font and spacing for younger students. These are easy reference Atlases appropriate for early elementary elementary grades, although useful with ELL students. There are maps with easy to understand icons. Political, physical and thematic maps describe each continent. Each atlas contains facts about the land, weather, animals, plants, flags and languages of each country on each continent. Pictures are color and have descriptive captions. Table of Contents, Index, Glossary, and a Continent at a Glance sections are included
 * __ Picture Window Books, World Atlases__** (8 Titles) Published, 2008, Picture Window Books, Minneapolis MN

A guide to ships lost at sea and the treasures that have been discovered at some wreck sites. It has illustrations, photographs and maps of shipwrecks around the world.The atlas is organized chronology through history, from the Bronze Age to the Titanic and Andrea Doria wrecks. The second part of the book is a gazetteer that lists 1,400 shipwrecks around the world. The information is detailed, shows the depths of the wrecks, routes taken, cargo carried, and salvaging efforts. . Also, I know that a few people have mentioned **__National Geographic United States Atlas for Young Explorers__**, I too think it is a great resource, I particularly like the maps as they are a nice size and easy to read.
 * __The Atlas of Shipwrecks & Treasure: The History, Location and Treasures of Ships Lost at Sea__** by Nigel Pickford. Published 1994, Dorling Kindersley, New York.
 * __ The Atlas of Archaeology __** by Tim Taylor & Mick Aston. Published, 1998, DK Publishing, New York. This atlas gives information about the world’s significant archaeological sites. It has illustrations and explanations of artifacts found at archaeological sites around the world. The maps included show where the sites are located. The atlas also talks about the science of archaeology and techniques used to remove artifacts

__Goode’s World Atlas__, 22nd Edition Howard Veregin, editor Rand McNally, 2009 I chose this atlas as one of the best because of the reputation of the publisher, the quality of the maps, the usability of the work, and the currency of information. This atlas is geared towards high school and college age students. The first section includes a variety of interesting thematic world maps including maps that illustrate population density, climate regions, HIV infections, and agricultural production, just to name a few. -Deb Morley

__A Historical Atlas of Saudi Arabia__ Nancy L. Stair The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2003 This atlas is part of the series, “Historical Atlases of South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East.” I selected it as one of the best as it provides fairly current information for an area of the world that is under represented and often misunderstood. In addition to maps of the four regions of Saudi Arabia, this atlas includes information about ancient Arabia, the rise of Islam, modern Saudi Arabia, a timeline of historical events from 5000 BC to AD 2002, a glossary, bibliography and recommendations for further reading and more information. -Deb Morley

__National Geographic Picture Atlas of Our World__ The National Geographic Society, 1991 One of the challenges I had in selecting the “three best” geographical resources is that many of the sources in the reference collection of the library that I visited are older and by definition (older than five years) considered historic. That said, I selected this atlas because the style and arrangement is suitable for young readers. It includes an introductory section about maps, and detailed maps and facts for each of the seven continents in the world. Each section includes details about the continent, where it is located on the globe, entries for each country that is located on that continent with an encyclopedia like description of each country, and a “data box” that includes the official name, area, population, capital, ethnic groups, language, religious groups, economy and currency. Many photographs are included throughout. - Deb Morley

“National Geographic Ocean: An Illustrated Atlas,” by Sylvia A. Earle and Linda K. Glover. (National Geographic: 2008).

This atlas features text on the sea, including information on seismic activity and tectonic plate shifts to hydrothermal vents and the great diversity life form. Accompanying the text are more than 100 maps, 170 photographs, and three-dozen illustrations. Furthermore, this atlas looks at the sea with a perspective of past, present, and future of the ocean and on how it related to human economies, health, security, and life in general. The photographs included are absolutely phenomenal! TG

“The Atlas of World Cultures,” by Dr. Brunetto Chiarelli and Anna Lisa Bebi. (McRae Books: 1998).

This atlas covers information about the people and cultures of the world. There are 22 colorful, double-page spreads that cover all the regions of the globe. There are also over 400 illustrations of people and places. There are 20 maps with population figures and capitals. There is a table of contents provided, as well as an index. The introduction explains how we are all members of the same human family spread across the globe. Some topics include: Religions, Food and Costume, Central Africa, and Cultures in Contact.TG

“The Klutz Wacky Atlas: crazy stuff about the 50 states,” by the editors of Klutz. (Klutz: 2005).

This 50-page book features a one page spread on each of the states, starting with Delaware to Hawaii, and everything in between. There is a picture of each state, sometimes with cities labeled, most famous from the state, “our favorite,” and various other random facts. For example, we learn that the squeezable toothpaste tube was developed in New Haven, Ct in 1892, and that the first National Soap Box Derby was held in Dayton, Ohio in 1933. There are all kinds of fun facts included! TG

National Geographic United States atlas for young explorers, photographs from Tony Stone Images. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 1999. I'm in agreement with Allison: this is a great source for elementary and middle school students. Even the book jacket is utilized: the back overleaf contains a key to symbols used in the book, to be folded over the page in use for quick reference. Beautiful photographs and color drawings. States are grouped into five regions, headed by a map of the region and a small “about” box, and a two-page spread of photographic highlights. Each state map is accompanied by a very short description, plus a box of facts that includes a flag and a beautiful drawing of the state bird, with the state flower. Extensive index; brief glossary. A lot of good introductory data including transportation, growth, and population. RA

The complete atlas of world history, John Haywood, editor. Armonk, NY: Sharpe Reference, 1997. Three volumes covering 4,000,000 B.C. through 1997! Contributing authors and editors’ academic credentials are listed in the opening pages. Information is organized by world region, into two-page spreads throughout, each including a timeline at the lower left, with regional pages including See Also boxes at the lower right. Beautifully illustrated, with a very clearly and simply written how-to-use section. This is a huge amount of pretty complicated material, for use by older students and adults. RA

The official military atlas of the civil war. New York: Gramercy Books, 1983. This is a fascinating reprint of the original Atlas to accompany the official records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington, D.C.: G.P.O., 1891, by Major George B. Davis, Leslie J. Perry, and Joseph W. Kirkley. In addition to beautifully reprinted maps, there are reprinted sketches, and drawings of divisions’ flags and uniforms. A long list of credits to individuals draftsmen and artists appears in the opening pages, along with the original index and preface. RA

//Our World: A Child's First Picture Atlas// National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, 2000. Great for younger students, fantastic pictures, bold colors, large font, great introduction This atlas is aimed at very young children and introduces them to basic concepts of geography: continents, countries and oceans. The reference is organized into seven chapters, based on the continents. In addition, the book also has chapters comparing the earth as a globe and the earth as a map, looking at the land, land and water and where people live. The comparison pages make it very easy for young children to see the use of a globe and a map. The reference also includes a glossary and pronunciation guide. The book is boldly colored and easy to read. The small amount of text included is in big font. The book does omit some countries because they are too small for a child to locate on a map. The photographs of people are of children smiling, which makes it easy for children to relate to people around the world.

//Illustrated Atlas// World Book, Inc., Chicago, IL, 2008, c2007. Edition Revised. Great illustrations, Well-Organized, Lots of information This reference provides students with information to the world around them through colorful maps and pictures and introduces students to map-reading skills and the basic principles of geography. The book includes over 100 maps, 400 color illustrations, 250 photographs, many flags of the world. The book uses cartoon characters to serve as a tour guide to entertain young readers while educating them about the world. The book includes a glossary, index and bibliography. The beginning of the book includes 18 chapters to introduce the reader to the rest of the book. The first chapter, “You and Your World,” provides young readers with a definition of maps and presents the first cartoon about Sally and Tom as they learn about the world around them (streets, parks, towns, countries, etc.). Subsequent chapters show Sally and Tom learning about globes, topography, water, weather, plants, animals and people of the world. The chapter, “Enjoy this Book,” provides readers with an explanation of the information included on each layout. The text is very easy for young readers to comprehend.

//The Children's Atlas of Exploration: Follow in the Footsteps of the Great Explorers// by Antony Mason, Millbrook Press, Brookfield, CT, 1993. Rare, Great Illustrations This book presents students with a geographic look through the ages, with maps, illustrations and photographs. Profiles include explorers (Alexander the Great to Neil Armstrong), adventurers (The Phoenicians to The Arab Traders), and journeys of exploration (mountains and caves to outer space). The reference includes over 200 photographs and illustrations, a comprehensive index and a time chart. The book includes a clearly organized table of contents which introduces the reader to the text. It is divided into seven sections: Introduction, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, The South Seas and Australia, and The Final Frontier. The introduction provides a nice look at “the need to explore” and discusses “the real explorers,” or “someone who travels to places which are previously unknown to his or her people, gathers and records knowledge about these places, and the takes or sends this knowledge back home.” The illustrations included are bright and engaging and the captions are easy to read. The maps included could be better displayed and interpreted.

Washington, D.C. : National Geographic, c2008. I spend about 6 weeks each year exploring this atlas with my fourth grade students. (This is actually my first year in the 2008 edition) The fourth grade students love this atlas of the States because of its bright, colorful, easy to read maps and because it contains interesting fact boxes with state statistics and other fun information about each state. Did you know that you can water and snow ski on the same day in Hawai’i? The atlas is organized by region of the United States and a color coding system along with a well organized table of contents, a comprehensive index and a How to Use this Atlas section, make navigation easy. This new edition has links to the National Geographic Atlas website which provides even more information. Even without the web links students love to explore this atlas. They are so disappointed that they can’t check it out that I lend copies of the 2004 edition. This is an engaging, accessible, outstanding resource for students in grades 4-6. AS
 * National Geographic United States Atlas for Young Explorers.

Sylvia A. Earle and Linda K. Glover. Washington, D.C. : National Geographic Society, c2009. This magnificent atlas opens with an amazing photograph of an enormous whale shark and contains hundreds of other equally impressive
 * Ocean : an illustrated atlas

images. It also contains a huge amount of information, divided into three sections, about the ocean in general including sea life, about each of the world’s oceans and about man’s relationship with the ocean. Maps of the oceans illustrate everything from depth to surface temperature to the sea floor. Articles by well-known oceanographers, “Recovery of Coral Reefs” by Jean-Michel Cousteau, for example, provide additional information as do fact boxes and web links. Navigation is facilitated by the inclusion of both a subject index and a map place name index. Though the information is quite complex and intended for high school and up, this is an atlas that almost anyone would find engaging and fascinating. AS

Elspeth Leacock, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001 The focus of this historical atlas is on twenty places that define American history. While each of the 20 places is indicated on a map, along with the year in history it defines, the places in this atlas come to life through engaging color illustrations and descriptive text. Many of the places, Plymouth, Philadelphia and Ellis Island, for example, are familiar landmarks in history. Others like Ozette and Boonesborough are less familiar, but significant. A great Table of Contents that includes thumbnail images of each place, a limited index and notes on each place complete the package. This is a very engaging and interesting, if not traditional, atlas. I also recommend //Journeys in Time : a New Atlas of American History// by the same author. AS
 * Places in Time : a New Atlas of American History.

1) Mark c. Carnes, and John A. Garraty with Patrick Williams. Mapping America’s Past: A Historical Atlas. Henry Holt and Company. New York: 1996.

The maps illuminate often obscure aspects of our history that are rarely covered in general atlases. One can track everything from fertility rates on the western frontier to the ravages of Spanish influenza in 1918. The maps are generally in vibrant colors and are supplemented by lucid and sharply analytical text. Arrangement is in nine sections which are subdivided into 120 topics, each presented in double-page spreads. The atlas begins with pre- Columbian America and proceeds through colonial America, the Civil War, the Gilded Age, the early 20th century, post-war America, and current issues through the election of 1994. In sum, this atlas provides a comprehensive look at the social, economic, and political forces that have shaped the American past and present. While a bit dated, this is an excellent resource, and covers many topics offered in our social studies curriculum. LE

2)John Baines and Jaromir Malek. The Cultural Atlas of the World: Ancient Egypt. Facts on File, New York: 2000.

This cultural atlas has 36 maps, but also 500 colorful diagrams, photographs, and explanatory text organized into three major parts. Part one addresses, among other subjects, the geography, study, historical background, kings, art and architecture, of Ancient Egypt. Part two's journey down the Nile stops at some 90 sites where significant discoveries have been made or spectacular monuments stand. Part three focuses on the cultural life of ancient Egypt: everyday life, women and men, the army, burial customs, art, and writing. I like that this atlas is subject specific. This is a resource that is used a lot at my high school. LE

3) New Concise World Atlas. Oxford University Press. USA: 2007 The New Concise World Atlas, offers a look at the world in a fresh, clear manner, opening with six pages of compiled statistics on world population, climate and geography. The highly illustrated "Earth in Space" thematic section that follows provides a wide-angle overview of the planet, placing the human world in the larger context of the universe. Then, in twenty-two compact essays, the Earth's human and natural processes are explained using a balanced combination of informative text, instructive charts and graphs, and vibrant photography and cartography. Historical cross-references have also been added to the already comprehensive 55,000-entry index, so that finding specific locations will be effortless no matter which place name is most familiar. This resource also includes, a "Regions in the News" element highlights those geographic areas that have struggled with strife and turmoil over the last twelve months. These thematic maps illustrate local ethnic populations and occupied territories, helping to decode some of the issues plaguing Afghanistan, Israel, Iraq, and Sudan. LE