Arlington National Cemetery (United States Landmarks)

Temple introduces Arlington National Cemetery as America’s “most important burial ground,” the final resting place for many American soldiers and others who have served their country. Though still in use today, with several burials each week, the cemetery will probably be full by 2020. The book’s short chapters present topics such as Arlington’s history, its significant monuments, and how it marks Memorial Day. The writing is clear, if pedestrian, and the format is uncluttered, with each bordered page of text facing well-reproduced color photos, including views of the cemetery’s landscape, rows of gravestones, and several individual memorials, such as the memorial to those who died on the Challenger space shuttle. The cemetery’s origins are represented by a sepia photo of Union soldiers at Arlington House during the Civil War. From the United States Landmark series, this is a nicely illustrated introduction to Arlington National Cemetery. Grades 3-5. --Carolyn Phelan