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Regional History

Once upon a time, schoolchildren could be expected to know the name of the mountains separating France from Spain, the location of the Nile River, the capitals of all fifty states, and what and where the Pampas could be found. Now, even adults have a hard time naming the most populous city in the U.S. or the countries of Asia. These are, indeed, sad times, and doomed to become sadder if this geographic ignorance is not turned to knowledge.

Without a firm grasp on geography, how can we expect to know anything about history? History is rooted in a sense of place. Why did the Union troops lose the Battle of Cold Harbor? Because they were attacking Confederate fortifications uphill. And if you don't know anything about the Alps, the fact that Hannibal's army crossed them with elephants won't surprise you near as much as it should. Understanding the physical terrain and the demographics of an area are essential to understanding the history of that region.

Which is why studying history by place is such a good idea. There are cultural considerations, of course, and these can be immensely helpful guides in their own right, but simply looking at the lay of the land so to speak will provide a sense of context more abstract boundaries never can. African history, for instance, makes so much more sense if you know what the continent is like.

Even cultures are influenced by geography. Take the United States: some of the most important advances in transportation technology happened within her borders largely due to necessity. The steam engine train was perfected here, automobiles and airplanes were invented here, and in the last few decades we've led the world in space exploration.

It's not that no one traveled before the 19th and 20th century, or outside the North American continent—it's just that because the new nation was so vast, and there were so many natural barriers (the Mississippi River, the Grand Tetons and Great Smokey Mountains, the Mojave Desert), new forms of getting from here to there were not only a good idea, they were a necessity.

There probably isn't one instance in the history of the world in which geography and events weren't directly tied. Certainly this is true for military history, and exploration, and agriculture, but it's also true of ideas and ideologies. Part of the reason slavery was such an important part of Southern culture in the U.S. was that cotton was an immensely growable crop and only armies of slaves could be counted on to get all the work done; in order to justify the use of forced labor, however, a philosophical ethos was developed.

Other instances may be more obscure, but no less true. In France, the mild climate and fertile country led to a series of approaches to thought that emphasized experience and the pursuit of pleasure for its own sake (particularly existentialism); in ancient Greece, the geographical isolation enforced by mountains and seas allowed democratic polity to emerge among the city states.

Geography and history are pretty much Siamese twins, and academic technology has not advanced to the point where they can be separated without risk of life to both. We've organized the subcategories in this section along pretty standard lines (continents, countries, and the like), but standards arise because they work. Explore a region you're unfamiliar with; you're likely to uncover quite a few surprises.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur.  Read more of his reviews here.
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Active Filters: Preschool (Ages 4-5), New Books & Materials
Abraham Lincoln & His Family - Paper Dolls
by Tom Tierney
from Dover Publications
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Dover Paper Dolls (Location: COL-DOLL)
$9.99
Adelita
by Tomie DePaola
Reprint from Puffin Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
All Aboard! Pacific Northwest
All Aboard!
by Kevin Meyers, Haily Meyers
1st edition from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$11.99
Always Room for One More
by Sorche Nic Leodhas
from Henry Holt and Company
for Preschool-3rd grade
1966 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$10.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Apples to Oregon
by Deborah Hopkinson
Reprint from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
B is for Beaver
by Marie & Roland Smith, illustrated by Michael Roydon
from Sleeping Bear Press
for nursery-3rd grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$18.99 $8.50 (1 in stock)
Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave
by written by Marianna Mayer, Illustrated by K. Y. Craft
First Edition from HarperCollins
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Biggest Frog in Australia
by Susan L. Roth
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$10.99
Birrarung Wilam
by Aunty Joy Murphy & Andrew Kelly, illustrated by Lisa Kennedy
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Boy of the Three-Year Nap
by Dianne Snyder
from Sandpiper Books
Word Books for Preschool-2nd grade
1989 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Brother Eagle, Sister Sky
by Chief Seattle, illustrated by Susan Jeffers
from Puffin Books
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$8.99
Crow Boy
by Taro Yashima
from Puffin Books
Word Books for Preschool-2nd grade
1956 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Day on Skates
by Hilda van Stockum
from Bethlehem Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
1935 Newbery Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.95
Diary of a Wombat
by Jackie French
1st edition from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Edward the Emu
by Sheena Knowles
Reprint from HarperCollins
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
El Chino
by Allen Say
from HMH Books for Young Readers
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Emmanuel's Dream
by Laurie Ann Thompson & Sean Qualls
from Schwartz & Wade
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Empty Pot
by Demi
from Henry Holt and Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$10.99
First Thanksgiving
by Jean Craighead George
from Putnam Juvenile
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$7.99
Fortune-Tellers
by Lloyd Alexander, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
from Puffin Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Funny Little Woman
by Arlene Mosel & Blair Lent
Reissue from Puffin Books
1973 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.99
Gingerbread for Liberty!
by Mara Rockliff, Illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch
from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$17.99
God’s Very Good Idea
by Trillia Newbell and Catalina Echeverri
from Good Book Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Diversity & Multicultural Books (Location: HISMC-MUL)
$16.99
Hanna's Cold Winter
by Trish Marx & Barbara Knutson
from Purple House Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$11.95
Henry's Freedom Box
by Ellen Levine
from Scholastic Press
for Nursery-1st grade
2008 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Hiawatha and the Peacemaker - Book and CD
by Robbie Robertson, Illustrated by David Shannon
from Abrams Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.95
Honey... Honey... Lion!
by Jan Brett
Reprint from Puffin Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Hush!
by Minfong Ho & Holly Meade
Reprint from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-1st grade
1997 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99
Jambo Means Hello
by Muriel Feelings, Tom Feelings (Illustrator)
from Puffin Books
Alphabet Books for Preschool-1st grade
1975 Caldecott Honor Book
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$8.99
Johnny Appleseed
by Steven Kellogg
from HarperTrophy
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same!
Passport to Reading Level 3
by Grace Lin
Passport to Reading Level 3
for Preschool-1st grade
Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor Book
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$4.99 $3.00 (3 in stock)
Little Polar Bear
by Hans de Beer
from NorthSouth
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.95
Lost and Found
by Oliver Jeffers
from Philomel Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Magic Fan
by Keith Baker
from Sandpiper Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.00
Mama, Do You Love Me?
by Barbara M. Joosse
Reprint from Chronicle Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Ming Lo Moves the Mountain
by Arnold Lobel
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Monkey and the Crocodile
by Paul Galdone
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Moses
by Carole Boston Weatherford
1st edition from Hyperion/Madison Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
2007 Caldecott Honor Book
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$18.99
New Shoes
from First Second
for Preschool-4th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$19.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Nine Days to Christmas
by Marie Hall Ets
from Dover Publications
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
1960 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$15.95
Nya’s Long Walk
by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
from Clarion Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
One Grain of Rice
by Demi
from Scholastic Press
for Nursery-Kindergarten
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$21.99 $15.00 (1 in stock)
Other Side
by Jacqueline Woodson
from Putnam Juvenile
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Over in Australia
by Marianne Berkes
from Dawn Publications
for Preschool-1st grade
in Zoology (Location: SCI-ZOOL)
$8.95
Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland
by Tomie dePaola
from Holiday House
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.99
Possum Magic
by Mem Fox
1st edition from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Rain Player
by David Wisniewski
from Clarion Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.95
Rainforest Grew All Around
by Susan K. Mitchell
from Sylvan Dell
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.95
Rfaud Tastes Wisdom
Plain Proverbs Book #1
by Martin D. Carlson
1st edition from BoCook Publishing
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.95
Room for Everyone
by Naaz Khan, illustrated by Merce Lopez
from Atheneum
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Sarah Morton's Day
by Kate Waters
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-fiction for Nursery-3rd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$7.99 $5.00 (2 in stock)
Saving the Liberty Bell
by Megan McDonald, Illustrated by Marsha Gray Carrington
from Atheneum
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Oversized History Books (Location: HISW-OVER)
$19.99
Senators of Rome
Copper Lodge Library
by Mary MacGregor, edited and introduced by Stephanie B. Meter
from Classical Conversations
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Classical Conversations (Location: CUR-CC)
$14.95
Sky Boys
by Deborah Hopkinson
from Dragonfly Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Snow Princess
by Ruth Sanderson
from Crocodile Books
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.95
So Tall Within
by Gary D. Schmidt, Illustrated by Daniel Minter
from Roaring Brook Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$18.99
Statue of Liberty
A Step into Reading Book Level 1
by Lucille Recht Penner
from Random House
for Preschool-1st grade
in Step into Reading (Location: EAR-STEP)
$4.99
Story of Jumping Mouse
by John Steptoe
from HarperCollins
Native American Fable for Preschool-2nd grade
1985 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99
Sugaring Time
by Kathryn Lasky
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Preschool-3rd grade
1984 Newbery Honor Book
in Food & Farming Around the World (Location: HISMC-FOOD)
$9.99
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt
by Deborah Hopkinson
1st edition from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Tacky the Penguin
by Helen Lester
from Sandpiper Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Tale of the Mandarin Ducks
by Katherine Paterson
from Puffin Books
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Teaching the Constitution with Games
by John De Gree
from Classical Historian
for Preschool-6th grade
in Clearance: History & Geography (Location: ZCLE-HIS)
$7.50
Tikki Tikki Tembo
by Arlene Mosel
from Square Fish Publishing
Humorous Folk Tale for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Train of States
by Peter Sis
Reprint from Greenwillow Books
for Preschool-3rd grade
in American History Reference (Location: HISA-REF)
$8.99
V is for Vittles
by Greg Paprocki
Brdbk from Gibbs M. Smith
for Nursery-Preschool
in Board Books (Location: PIC-BOARD)
$12.99
Very First Americans
by Cara Ashrose
from Grosset & Dunlap
for Preschool-1st grade
in Native Americans (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$5.99
We All Went On Safari
by Laurie Krebs
Reprint from Barefoot Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$9.99
We Are Water Protectors
by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade
from Roaring Brook Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
2021 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
We're Sailing to Galapagos
by Laurie Krebs
1St Edition from Barefoot Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Wee Gillis
by Munro Leaf
from New York Review of Books
for Preschool-1st grade
1939 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.95
What You Know First
by Patricia MacLachlan
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99
Where the Buffaloes Begin
by Olaf Baker
from Dover Publications
for Preschool-2nd grade
1982 Caldecott Honor Book
in Native Americans (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$16.95
Wombat Divine
by Mem Fox
1st edition from HMH Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99
Yeh-Shen
by Ai-Ling Louie
from Puffin Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
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