Just Fine the Way They Are: From Dirt Roads to Interstates - by Connie Nordhielm Wooldridge

Sometimes change is hard. Sometimes people believe that things don’t need to change because things are just fine the way they are!

Just Fine the Way They Are tells the story of how the dirt roads in the 1800’s became the U.S. highway system of today. Beautiful illustrations are provided by Richard Walz. Wooldridge includes a timeline in the back of the book that highlights relevant points such as the construction of the National Road in 1811 and Henry Ford’s first Model T in 1908. Also included is a list of Web Sites which are all currently active and quite relevant to the book as well as a list of Places to Visit (such as national railroad museums).

I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to parents, teachers and young independent readers. I think it would be an appropriate read-aloud book for younger children who have an interest in trains, automobiles, etc. For independent readers, I believe 7-12 would be the perfect ages for this book. I think it would be a great learning tool in the classroom as well. It is a perfect blend of information and humor mixed with lively illustrations.