Kathy Pelta

This little book packs a lot of information about California. The first chapter, "The Land", will be especially useful when children want to learn about the geography of California. Pelta divides the state into four regions: Coast Ranges; the Inland Mountains; the Central Valley; and the Great Basin. She gives clear, easy to read descriptions of the areas and stunning photographs accompany the text. Also in this chapter is information about water issues (always important in our state!), landforms, agriculture, earthquakes, and animals. It can be hard to find an interesting, well-written book for middle to upper elementary grade students which deals with the geography of California. Later chapters address California's history, the economy, and the environment. The book ends with a kind of "Fun Facts" section which includes information about famous Californians. This book was published in 2001 and hopefully will be revised and include the new 2010 census information.… (meer)