The Illinois Adventure
By Bill Stepien, Charnelle Lewis,
and John Lewis
2002, Gibbs-Smith Publishers,
Salt Lake City
Cloth, $34.95

Who is studying Illinois history these days? Perhaps the publishers of this marvelous textbook for young readers know something that State Board of Education isn't telling. The Illinois Adventure is a well-written, well-illustrated and informative text that tells Illinois' story from its pre-Columbian past to the wonders of present-day statehood. With excellent maps, compelling history, and useful timelines, the authors introduce readers to all manner of Suckerdom, from the French trappers at Cahokia to the Chicago Board of Trade. The Underground Railroad, the exodus of the Indians, the birth of Chicago blues, and even the communalists at Bishop Hill are explored in some detail, a considerable amount of intellectual gristle for young readers to chew.
In slightly over 200 pages, the width and breadth of what it means to live in the prairie state are explored in llw Illinois Adventure. Given that most adults in Illinois have a limited sense of state history, this is a book that belongs on every Illinois coffee table and in every reading room. But will it surface in any Illinois classroom? That's a question for our lawmakers and educators, who, at least for the moment, have written Illinois history out of the curriculum.

reviewed by William Furry

24 Illinois Heritage