Washington, D.C

Gr 4 Up-It would be an impossible, dizzying task to visit every monument and museum in Washington D.C. in one hour, but this DVD does a respectable job of illuminating much of what makes our Capital great. The stops at each attraction are brief, but the tour manages to include several of the Smithsonian museums, the Library of Congress, the National Zoo, the National Archives, and an extended tour of the National Cathedral. The cameras take us inside many of the buildings. Viewers also visit the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, and war memorials and monuments that are clustered around the National Mall. On a lighter side, the impressive collection of disguises, secret cameras, and surveillance equipment in the International Spy Museum is featured. The DVD also presents background and context to help viewers understand the place of each monument in the historical fabric of our country. It then moves to the ethnic neighborhoods of Adams Morgan, Georgetown's Herring Hill, and Frederick Douglass' Anacostia. Viewers step back in time as they tour Georgetown on historic mule-drawn canal boats, and thrill to the annual Dragon Boat Festival on the Potomac. The Eastern Market, Farmers Market, and Fish Market are colorful elements of our nation's capitol, and neighborhoods that the average tourist may miss. This DVD is an excellent introduction to this culturally diverse, vibrant city for those who plan to visit and a wonderful refresher for those who have already spent time there.-MaryAnn Karre, Horace Mann Elementary School, Binghamton, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.