Kosovo: The Splintering of Yugoslavia FROM THE PUBLISHER
The Headliners series provides up-to-the-minute information to explain the stories behind today's news headlines, along with the background detail that is so rarely provided in the media. Kosovo: The Splintering of Yugoslavia how this war actually began centuries ago with a great deal of Serbian violence during the middle ages. This book recaps the history of the area and reports on the success and failure of mediations throughout history—and today!
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature - Childrens Literature
As a part of the "Headliners" series, this title is advertised for students in grades five through eight. The reading level and format are suited for readers of these ages, but the extremely complicated history of Kosovo and the nations and peoples covered in this particular book renders the content less accessible. Although this presentation of the Balkan conflicts is straightforward, the actual history is simply too convoluted to be followed by very young readers. This account will be more useful to teen-aged students. It contains good illustrations, a chronology, information list and index. 2000, Millbrook Press, Ages 13 to 15, $23.40. Reviewer: Donna T. Brumby
School Library Journal
Gr 6-9-This book opens with two pages of emotionally charged quotations from refugees about their forced departure from Kosovo, but the tone of the text itself is dispassionate and balanced. In the first chapter, a history of important milestones and movements of people in the Balkans is laid out in an easy-to-understand manner. The sections that follow discuss the breakup of Yugoslavia, the Dayton peace accord, and the involvement of NATO forces. While the text is generally clear, the major role played by the U.S. air power in the bombing of Serbia is not explicit. Also, the author misuses the term Soviet Russia when referring to the Soviet Union. Insets within chapters effectively deal with topics such as NATO, the Kosovo Liberation Army, and genocide. Black-and-white and full-color photographs show the plight of refugees and the results of bombing without being too graphic. A useful addition for collections needing background information on current events.-Elizabeth Talbot, University of Illinois, Champaign Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|
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