Editorials
School Library Journal
Gr 3-5- Written in the present tense, these "time travel guides" present basic facts about culture, religion, geography, daily life, and other topics of interest. Leveled texts and simplistic sentences dilute much of the information, leaving readers with only the most banal understanding of the civilizations. For concrete readers who struggle with the abstract concept of history and time, the present-tense writing could be confusing, although there are time lines in the back matter. These titles only scratch the surface of complex societies, offering up generalizations that can be ineffectual, at best, and misleading, at worst. "The Ancient Greeks fight a lot" is an example of this type of oversimplification, leading readers to a perhaps unfair judgment about ancient Greek society, when in fact only particular city-states were specifically militaristic. The layout is fairly engaging and the photography and artwork are solid, but the supporting text lacks the kind of depth that report writers and interested students may be looking for. The DK "Eyewitness" or "National Geographic Investigates" series are better choices for this age level.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA