Arab Americans

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-Two mediocre offerings. The first book does point out that it is difficult to identify the countries from which early Arabs emigrated because of the complexities of the Middle East, but the explanation isn't clear. Illustrations and photographs, mainly in black and white, appear on every page but many seem to have little to do with the subject, and some are uncaptioned. Sidebars add supposedly "interesting facts"-"The homes of Arab-American store owners were often attached to their stores." The problems in the Middle East as well as terrorism are briefly discussed but the "kid glove" approach is obvious. Islam and Ramadan each have a competent full-page explanation, but there are many other sources for this information. The second book begins with the first German immigrants in 1683 and their settlement near Philadelphia. Reasons for immigration, areas of settlement, Ellis Island, and the contributions of German-Americans to life in America are all explained. Unfortunately, very little of this information is presented in an appealing format. Also, certain odd facts are highlighted: do readers really need two pages on the Von Trapp family? Reproductions and photographs are interspersed on pages with current photos. One sidebar credits the creation of Conestoga wagons to German-Americans. It's true that the wagons were created in Pennsylvania but that doesn't guarantee their German heritage. It is, of course, important to share the culture of all of America's immigrants with children, but these unappealing titles don't succeed in that goal.-Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City