School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-8-Walker presents a concise account of the complex events leading up to the Battle of the Alamo starting with June 1835, when Texas was still part of Mexico. He focuses specifically on the various people involved and why they were fighting. The deceptively short five chapters are chock-full of quotes and firsthand accounts of various Tejanos (Mexican-born Texans) and Texians (U.S.- or European-born Texans) explaining why they did or did not want freedom from Mexico. Likewise, the Mexican perspective is included. Handsome and colorful glossy pages include abundant full-color and black-and-white period paintings, maps, and small portraits of important figures. An in-depth time line of Texas and the American Southwest (1528-1853) is included, as are postscripts on key figures involved in the battle. Like most books on the Alamo, this one is arranged chronologically, thus the perspectives of particular people are interwoven within the overall story rather than by group. Though carefully written and meticulously researched, this is not an easy introduction. It is best used by mature readers or as an additional resource for further in-depth perspective by readers already familiar with the event. Suggest it after students have read Shelley Tanaka's The Day That Changed America: The Alamo (Hyperion, 2003).-Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.