A Pocketful of History is a collection of essays about the state quarters put out during the fifty state quarter program. Some are straight history, some are about a particular coin design's travel from idea to eventual winner, and some ... some kind-of go off on tangents. When the coins give Noles something of historical importance, he does a good job of telling us the story. Unfortunately, not all do, and Noles has to scramble to deliver on his promise.

Full review: http://libwen.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/a-pocketful-of-history-by-jim-noles/ ( )

A Pocketful of History: Four Hundred Years of America -- One State Quarter at a Time (2008) by Jim Noles takes the State Quarter Program as a launching point for an engaging look at the 50 United States and the symbols chosen to represent them. Often, Noles goes beyond simply telling the history of the image on the coins to delve deeper into the social and cultural history of the States. For each quarter, Noles also discusses the other finalist for the quarter design, the process of approval, and circulation of each coin. The only thing I could ask for is more illustrations of the people and things he discusses.

My favorites include:

revisiting my 4th grade social studies' lesson of Connecticut's Charter Oak (by far my favorite State Quarter.
the importance of the palmetto in fort construction in Revolutionary South Carolina
Rhode Island's quarter inspires a history of yacht racing.
the "scandal" of Ohio depicting a living person by including an astronaut who must be John Glenn or Neil Armstrong.
Helen Keller's Socialist ways make her an unlikely representative of Alabama as well as someone appearing on US currency.
Arkansas's Crater of Diamonds, where you can keep the diamonds you find (I didn't know it existed).
exciting stories of storms on the Great Lakes make up for Michigan having the most boring quarter.
the Kansas quarter leads to the history of the Buffalo Soldiers, regiments of African American cavalrymen who fought in the Indian Wars of the West.
Colorado's purple mountains majesty hid a CIA training camp for Tibetan subversives.
Wyoming's pioneering history in Women's Suffrage.

The quarters open a door to learning about the states, their great people, buildings and places, arts, and flora and fauna (and their conservation). Like the State Quarters themselves, A Pocketful of History will have a broad appeal beyond numismatic buffs. I think it especially will be a good tool for teachers and children. ( )