Our States Have Crazy Shapes: Panhandles, Bootheels, Knobs and Points

by Lynn Garthwaite

A layman's version of the reasons for the odd shapes and sizes of the 50 United States. Interesting anecdotes about the reasons we ended up with panhandles and bootheels, and why the Upper Peninsula is a part of Michigan instead of Wisconsin. This is the source to find out how the discovery of gold convinced Congress to not divide California into three separate states and why slavery played a part in the size of Texas. Every state has a story. Bonus chapters about ongoing border disputes, Thomas Jefferson's ideal about the sizes of states, and some states that no longer exist.

Genres: History

233 pages, Paperback

Published July 20, 2016

About the author

Lynn Garthwaite lives in Bloomington, MN and is the author of four books in the Dirkle Smat Adventure series. Dirkle Smat and his friends are explorers who solve a mystery in each of these early chapter books.

Lynn is also the author of the non-fiction "Our States Have Crazy Shapes" which is a layman's version of all of that stuff you never learned in American History class. This book is for all ages and explains how we ended up with the bootheels, panhandles, odd knobs and disparate sizes of our 50 shapes.

New in 2020 is her novel "Starless Midnight" which is the story of a young bi-racial woman who returns to her hometown only to find herself up against a white supremicist group. She also makes a grisly find that solves a decades-old mystery, and has to figure out who in that small midwestern town she can trust.

Lynn has also written three picture books on a "for hire" basis.

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a fun read. The states are talked about in the order in which they were admitted to the union which is a nice touch. Definitely focuses on the historical aspects of every state, I learned something new on every page. "In order to define Oregon, they identified the Columbia River as the divider, beginning on the Pacific Coast all the way to the point where the river turns north and crosses the 46th parallel." (Garthwaite 161) This line in particular regards the history of where I live, found the whole Oregon section pretty interesting. Its cool how the states on the West coast were admitted as states before most of the middle of the country which 'filled in' afterwards.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our States Have Crazy Shapes is a well organized book, as each state is listed according to its admittance. There are some interesting facts and tidbits of history, but the book is difficult to read overall. Not only is the book dry, but it is also highly repetitive. Had the information been presented in a clear and concise manner, it would have been a much more interesting read. The history is worth learning, though I would probably recommend that readers look elsewhere.

[Jude Wiesner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing information about our states for children and adults alike. We've all wondered at times about the shapes. I especially enjoyed finding out how Mississippi and Alabama managed to snatch a chunk of the Gulf of Mexico from the Spanish. A good move on their part. Rhode Island is my favorite. Find your state and learn its history.

[Greg Giles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, quick read of some of the quirks of the nation's geography. It's written in a breezy style, geared maybe at teens (?), but it's not cutesy or condescending. I'm not going to judge the accuracy of the facts, because I read if for fun, not research.

[Phyllis Moore]

I read this book and learned interesting bits of information about the physical shape of our United States.

If you're a history buff, this is the book for you.

Even if you're not into history, you'll laugh at why some of our states look the way they do.

[Judith Brenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, entertaining book for the curious!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read. Learned a lot about the geography in the US.

[Reading For Sanity · Rating 1 out of 5]

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