I was going to start off by pointing out that it must make teachers of American geography happy to know that will always be able to assign a different state to each student in their class, but I am really worried about what is happening with student-teacher ratios in the public school (if I had to pick the most important factor for improving public education it would be lower student-teacher ratios). The "America the Beautiful" (Second Series) devotes one volume to each of the states and territories of the United States. Of course there is the traditional coverage of geography, history, government, economy, people, and culture that makes each state unique, but without the overly formalized structure you find in too many geography books.

In looking at the state of "Maine," Deborah Kent begins with exactly what is on the cover of the book: the Portland Head Light, the famous lighthouse tower. Kent tells the story of how "A Beacon on the Shore" was built and how it became Maine's iconic symbol (go look at your 2003 Maine quarter and there it is). The next three chapters look at the history of Maine: "Land of the Sunrise" covers Maine to the point where it became a state, "The Vanishing Frontier" looks at Maine during the 19th century, and "Building a Future" is about the 20th century. "Forests, Lakes, and Shores" covers Maine's geography, "Vacationland Cities and Towns" is about tourism, and Kent talks about the state's government in "From Town Meetings to the Capitol." "Trees, Seas, and French Fried Potatoes" is about Maine's economy, "Down Easters at Home" relates tales of the colorful Maine Yankee and other ethnicities, and "Inspirations and Dreams" is about the writers and artists of Maine, from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Winslow Homer to Edna St. Vincent Millay and Stephen King (so there is at least one name on the last every student should immediately recognize).

Through this book you will find full-color photographs, maps, and so many sidebars you can lose sight of what the chapter you are reading is actually about. Of course those are where some of the most interesting details are to be found, such as learning that Captain John Smith visited Maine three years before he became famous for what happened in Virginia (unfortunately Smith's counting of the Calendar Islands in Casco Bay was only off by 243). Students will also learn about Joshua L. Chamberlain, James G. Blaine, Rachel Carson, and Margaret Chase Smith. But as much as Kent focuses on the state's history, she spends almost as much time on places young students can visit if they ever get up to that neck of the woods, such as the Wedding Cake House in Kennebunk and the covered bridge over the Sunday River in Newry. The back of the book has a Timeline comparing United States and Maine state history, Fast Facts, and places To Find Out More about the state.