Synopsis
Afghanistan has dominated the news in recent years. Power struggles have led to war on an international scale. Afghans face ongoing suffering, while terrorists operating from the country have shaken the rest of the world.
Children's Literature
Can an understanding of this complex part of the world be any more vital to today's student? This book goes a long way to making the war-torn country of Afghanistan more accessible to today's upper elementary and middle school reader. Given the nature of events in this country, it should come as no surprise that the book is targeted towards those at or above the fourth grade. Visually attractive in a news-like format, using short paragraphs, maps, and lots of sidebars, this book helps explain the history behind how this isolated, mountainous, and poor country has come to dominate the United States' foreign policy. Tracing Afghanistan's troubled modern history from the rise of Communism in the 1970s to the Taliban takeover in the 1990s, it becomes clear that this country has long been a center of conflict. The fact that modernization and the development of a vital economy have eluded this part of the world helps explain the allure of the country's prolific terrorist cells and opium-producing poppy crops. Part of a six-title "Global Hot Spots" series, this nonfiction title includes a glossary, an index, and a fact page summarizing Afghanistan's geography, demographics, and economy. Balanced in its approach, including quotes from a variety of sources, this would be a good addition to any library or classroom. Reviewer: Kris Sauer