I am thoroughly enjoying this book. I like the concept that Manhattan can be described both geographically and chronologically and that has cemented the information in my brain. Aronson is a great writer and populates this book with tons of pictures that really help. Anyone interested in the history of this area will love this book. ( )

Synergy: City

A city is a large, densely populated human settlement. These places generally have a central authority that facilitates operations such as sanitation and transportation. Some cities are part of a larger, continuous urban landscape called a metropolis. In some cases, large cities are divided into neighborhoods or boroughs. For instance, Manhattan is the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City.

Read the recently published nonfiction book for youth then learn more at the website.

FOUR STREETS AND A SQUARE: A History of Manhattan and the New York Idea by Marc Aronson is a work of nonfiction for middle grades and young adults. Using photos, drawings, and other primary source materials, along with an engaging narrative, Aronson provides a fascinating examination of the evolution of four streets and a square within Manhattan. Of particular note are the many ways the author addresses common legends and challenges traditional thinking about the long history of the city. He takes care in providing multiple viewpoints and lesser known examples. Throughout the book, he includes snapshots that provide a timeline of key events.

RESOURCES from Marc Aronson provides useful online materials to immerse readers in each chapter. From maps and video clips to photo collections and entire websites, this useful supplement will bring the book alive for readers.

To explore the links, go to https://bit.ly/3Ku4Ssz.

ARC courtesy of Candlewick Press. ( )

Aronson’s delightful Four a streets and a Square is a paean to the richness that has been, and is, New York City - mainly Manhattan. Given the history, it’s a dip into all the city is, but what dip it is! I especially appreciated how Aronson shows how the interplay between groups - ethnic, racial, sexuality - defined the city, and modeled the nation as a whole. ( )

I would recommend this to a student doing a project on NYC but if they wanted to read an interesting book, I wouldn't because this is a slog through everything but the kitchen sink. Mr. Aronson covers the history from indigenous people to present day very thoroughly with plenty of visual supplementation like maps and photots; there is also bonus content to be accessed online. But it is a large heavy tome and what I would describe as an intellectual exercise rather than a good read.

A big thank you to Candlewick Press for sending me an advance copy to review. ( )

I am one of the millions of fans of New York City, not to mention a fan of history, and books. I have 66 books tagged New York right here in LibraryThing, both fiction and non-fiction.

Marc Aronson, a much-published writer for young people, seems to have applied his background to this project in a very engaging way for adults, offering plenty of illustrations, and a key to supplementary on-line resources to be accessed thru-out the text. What a great system for someone that wants to "see" into what they are studying, and tends to be looking up supplementary references no matter the subject! (I often find I prefer kids' reference books for just these things.)

There is every kind of history here: natural, Indigenous, Black and enslavement, immigrant, architectural, commercial, cultural and more. There are the commonly known stories, and lots that is much deeper, older, and usually out of sight. It was clearly a labour of love for his own home, which happens to be the lodestar of America. It might even be a book one would carry along to have handy on a trip to the city.

A tremendous effort, and an excellent result. I cannot recommend it highly enough. ( )

As a person who loves NYC I feel like this book was written for me. It has just what I would wish: maps, illustrations, explanations and descriptions of specific events, as well as general historical background of NY, and how all of these things tie in with the rich history of art that deeply pervades the city. The author is from NY and I can tell that he loves his city.

I showed the book to a family member and they thought it resembled a text book. Maybe it does (though it is an ARC, so as it is right now that could be deceiving), but it is perfect in my eyes. I would have been drawn to its cover had I seen it in a bookstore. This book gets 5 starts from me. ( )

Marc Aronson, an award-winning author of nonfiction and biography, focuses this book, subtitled "A History of Manhattan and the New York Idea," on four major streets in New York City: Wall, 4th, 42nd, and 125th, as well as Union Square, in order to tell the history of New York City (primarily the island of Manhattan).

The book is packed with illustrations, timelines, and icons in the margins to remind readers to check the web page with multimedia links for the book - other websites, academic sites, and full texts of historical documents in the public domain. At the end, the author explains his use of terminology, tells how he researched and wrote the book (in a four-page author's note), and provides 24 pages of source notes, five pages of image credits, and a ten-plus-page bibliography. The final book (this was an advance reader edition) will also have an index.

I'm more familiar with Aronson as an author of books for elementary grades and up, and this book is grouped with those for "young adults and adults" on his home page. I think the book might be hard for students under high school age to follow, but it is definitely appropriate for older teens and any adult with an interest in the history of Manhattan. ( )

I liked the way that the author approached the history and geography of the city from its beginnings to present day. He included detailed accounts of all the people who lived and worked in what is now Greater New York City. Aronson writes about the tensions between various groups who lived in the city. The contrast between the very rich and the working classes never changed. The histories of Black , Irish, Jewish and Italian Americans are described as well as the emerging Latin groups who come to live in the city. Aronson covers the history of gay communities from early days to the present. He looks at Feminist history with accounts of the women who made an impact in the city. The reader learns not only about the political history but also about the origins of the theatre and the kind of entertainment and culture that evolved in New York. In fact, Aronson covers the contemporary issues involving the pandemic. I enjoy reading history books and found this one really interesting and to me- educational. I learned a lot. ( )