Greece ANNOTATION
An introduction to the history, geography, language, schools, and social life and customs of Greece.
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature - Ruth Buchholz
Greece is an ancient and rich culture. The country is made up of 200 islands and no town is further than 60 miles from the ocean. People of Greece live in the city and the country, use the Internet, drive cars and enjoy the outdoors by hiking, snow skiing and wind surfing. Roads on some islands are too narrow or steep for cars, so horse carts or donkeys are the preferred method of travel. The book includes a map, a recipe, a description of school programs, how to count to ten in Greek, and more. A glossary, fast facts about Greece, short bios on three well-known citizens and a book and website bibliography are also included. Dazzling photographs show the beauty of the country and help to bring the culture to life. The layout provides just enough text versus white space. Though nicely written, the text is not as strong or in-depth as other in the series. It, however, is still an excellent resource for social science projects and book reports. Part of the "Discovering Cultures" series. 2004, Benchmark Books, Ages 9 to 12.
School Library Journal
Gr 2-4-Another title in a seemingly endless series of books on countries for young students. Good points for this one include excellent-quality, full-color photos (especially of the Greek people themselves); a good, full-page map at the beginning; and a lively, accurate, and well-written text offering many facts not covered in other books. For instance, Gordon mentions the krypho scholio (secret schools), run by the Orthodox priests during the 400-year Turkish occupation, which kept alive the forbidden Greek language and culture. Such interesting facts are highlighted on separate pages striped with blue; indeed, throughout the book the bright blue of the Greek flag attractively frames the text and unifies the format. The concluding "Fast Facts" section includes some new data and repeats other information already mentioned verbatim-a curious use of space. Two pages on famous modern Greeks and a list of the numbers 1 to 10 in Greek are also included. A minor cavil is that there is no pronunciation guide for Greek words. An attractive and appealing offering for collections needing more easy books on modern Greece.-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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