Davy Crockett at the Alamo — Justine Korman; Ron Fontes

Gr 3-4-- Four novels said to be ``written with an eye toward historical accuracy.'' Fontes and Korman have taken episodes which, even if they never took place, fit well into the body of material about Calamity Jane and Davy Crockett . The dialogue includes numerous examples of the colorful details of frontier life. Children should enjoy Crockett's outwitting and capturing of a group of scoundrels who are terrorizing settlers to get their land and Calamity Jane's pretending to be a man in order to scout for the army. Johnny Appleseed and Sacajawea , while clearly fictional, stick more closely to what is generally known of the individuals' lives. Chapman's planting of orchards and nurseries is presented as a business venture as well as an altruistic endeavor. Sacajawea's journey is given a spiritual dimension as she fasts and embarks on a quest to find the animal who is her guardian spirit. All of the books are illustrated with ink drawings, contain maps showing the locations of the characters' travels, and are followed by brief accounts of what is actually known about their lives. None of them are essential purchases, but all are readable and could be used where there is a need for historical fiction. --Jean H. Zimmerman, Willett School, South River, NJ