The Travel to... series takes a unique approach to its subject matter of travel via specific topics. Each iteration takes a topic and highlights different parts of the U.S. significant to that topic, including a concluding map noting each location mentioned. Typical to Rourke titles, the work includes "School to Home Connections," a precursor that notes reading reading activities to do before, during, and after reading to improve comprehension. These continuing series titles starkly contrast in subject matte, similar to the first iterations of the series. Historical Black Colleges and Universities journeys through the history of HBCUs, including their influence on the civil rights movement, academic prowess, athletic contributions, and cultural influences. The work follows a timeline from the origin of HBCUs to their modern contributions to society, including notable alumni from each HBCU mentioned such as Kamala Harris' attendance at Howard University or Bayard Rustin at Cheyney University. The Scene of the Crime focuses on high-profile crimes and criminals in the U.S., ranging from white-collar embezzlement to mob activities to the Iran-Contra Affair. Though there is no significant through line that this work seems to follow, featuring unrelated sidebars in order to include more historic crimes, each crime addressed has notoriety or is known as an act of civil disobedience. Each work is capped off with a glossary, index, text-dependent questions, extension activity, and bibliography. Both are sure to intrigue readers invested in location-significant history.
—Booklist, April 2024
