Encyclopedia of Native America: 5

Right down to its pages' decorative borders and designed numbers, Trudy Griffin-Pierce's The Encyclopedia of Native America manifests respect for its subjects while offering a detailed history of the ``first Americans.'' Divided into seven geographic/sociological regions of the U.S., the book is complemented by numerous archival and present-day photos, historical lithographs and informative sidebars (Viking, $25, 192p, all ages ISBN 0-670-85104-3 June).