Colorful photographs, well-placed text boxes, attractive type styles, and easy-to-read text, make this concise yet complete discussion of the Great Lakes easy to read and understand.  The author, Patricia Kummer, lives in Chicago and grew up spending summers on the beaches.  Her knowledge of and love for the area come through in this book.

The lakes in commerce,  research, ecology, art, recreation, poems, sculpture, and song (including, or course, the details of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald), kept me interested throughout.

A glossary, Fast Facts, easy-to-read index, and “Find Out More” pages will help researchers.  The listed web sites, including one on shipwrecks and another with up-to-date environmental information, should remain useful over many years.  This seems especially important in a book that will be used for reference.  The Great Lakes is a great addition to the Nature’s Wonders series.