Voices of The Alamo (Voices of History)
Grade 3-6-A fresh approach to the topic in a picture-book format. Garland speaks in the voices of 16 characters whose lives lead up to the present day. She begins with an Indian woman of 1500 gathering nuts beside a river (presumably the San Antonio). The author then gives voice to anonymous armored Spaniards and cowled priests, Tejanos and Texans, and finally to individuals such as General Santa Anna and David Crockett. Within this device, she retells the story of the fall of the Alamo, General Sam Houston's victory at San Jacinto, and Clara Driscoll's rescue of the Alamo from demolition in 1904. Garland's point of view is traditionally partisan. The villain, Santa Anna, is shown as having coerced his own soldiers, as well as having trampled on the rights of honest colonists. Himler's outstanding double-page watercolors depict characters, sweeping landscapes, battle scenes, and the Alamo throughout its history and fill the pages with bright colors. The book includes a lengthy historical note that provides background information and a glossary of Spanish words and phrases. The book, which will supplement traditional nonfiction accounts of the events, ends with an appeal to readers to "remember."-Ruth Semrau, Upshur County Public Library, Gilmer, TXCopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.