Hundreds of suitable books are available to include in a reading program to supplement the prescribed social studies curriculum. Gordon Parks's book "The Learning Tree" reflects three criteria teachers should consider when selecting books for use in a supplementary reading program. First, the story has what one reader called "cool writing," that is, an uncondescending simplicity, characters with genuine depth, and a consistent point of view. Second, it generates introspection and thoughtful consideration, promoting discussion on values, alternative points of view, and content of past and current events. Third, the book gets the students involved in what they are reading and learning. Such involvement must come through the emotions, and textbooks tend to be dull as they provide only narrative, factual information. Supplemental reading, however, can convey much better the "reality" of the Great Depression, the Nazi concentration camps, or being under fire during battle. (HTH)