Most recent

edition
Grade level/
Ages
Number of
books in
series
Pages
Images &
Maps

Text & font

Table of
Contents
Index
Added
features

Price

One Nation
(Capstone Press)
Most 2003 but some updated as
recently as 2008
Grades 4 & up

From Sea to Shining Sea

(Scholastic)
Most 2009 but many as early as 2002

39 states can be found in new

edition but I will assume that
there is one per state
48
Color images appear on about
every other page, some are
small thumbnail sized while
others are full page; 2 maps
Only black lettering on white
paper; consistent use of italics
and bold lettering for chapter
titles, headings, and picture
captions
One page including only text
(chapter titles)
One page
Timeline
Famous people
Words to Know
To Learn More
Useful Addresses
Internet Sites

Only 35 states can be found after much

searching but I will assume that there is one per
state
80
Color & black & white images on most pages,
some taking up half of a page, others as large as
an entire page; images are photographs, paintings,
sketches, 5 maps
Mostly black text on white pages; some sidebars
with different colored headings

$17.78 per book on Amazon

(37 cents per page)

Grades 5.5 - 8.6

America the Beautiful, Third Series

(Scholastic)
Most states updated as recently as 2013 & 2014 but some
2009
Grades 4-8 (Ages 10 & up)

52
(50 states + Puerto Rico & Washington D.C.)
144
On every single page there is some image; all sizes, mostly
beautiful photographs; 12 maps

Extremely varied and eye-catching including insets and

margin notes with different attractive fonts and colors

One page including text and 2 color photographs

2-page spread including chapter summaries & eye-catching

photos
3 pages long
4 pages long
How
to Use This Book, Sidebars, Charts, Graphs, FAQs,
Almanac
WOW Factors, Travel Guide, Cross-curricular project
Timeline
suggestions, Timeline, Glossary, Biographical Dictionary &
Famous people
mini bios, Resources, Web sites, Authors tips, Suggested
Glossary
sightseeing trips and places to visit, Life as a kid during
Resources
different periods of each states history, Words and phrases
specific to each state, treats and culinary specialties of each
state, plus a kid-friendly recipe to try, State symbols, songs,
and flags including traceable state seal and flag, Weird laws
$22.88 per book on Scholastic
$24.70 per book on Scholastic
(29 cents per page)
(17 cents per page)
Diane Miller-DeSoto LIS 445 Choosing a Geography Series

The America the Beautiful series in green is the series that I would purchase to supplement the other two sets. It is the most
complete, the most recent, the most attractive, and the one directed to the right grade level. With all that it offers, you get the
most for your money. At report time, I would manage access to the new set by setting up a research area in the library and
requiring that it be used in-house only, allowing the older sets to be checked out. I would also provide a supplemental handout
with useful websites to search for state information as well. An electronic version of this would be accessible via the website.