Central and South America

Children's Literature

The Atacama Desert in Chili is the driest place on earth while the tropical rain forest of Brazil is always moist and warm and embraces the largest river system in the world. Maps and thumbnail sketches are provided for each of the seven countries on the isthmus of Central America and all nations of South America. Each country has a map and information on population, currency, and languages. Some countries have special geographic features, while others have special natural resources, but most were once ruled by the Spanish and share the common bond of language. Excellent photographs give quick glimpses into the unique cultures of the Andean villagers, the gauchos of the Argentinean pampas, and the ruins of the ancient Maya civilization. As part of "The World in Maps" series, this is a valuable resource for the classroom or home. An index and glossary make it easy to use. 2000, Lerner Publications. Ages 8 up. Reviewer: Laura Hummel

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-Series titles that provide brief data, full-color photos, and physical maps for the countries on each continent. Both books include information on topography and histories for some of the countries. In Central and South America, text and fact boxes succinctly cover the basics. The maps reflect the political changes of the last decade. Several of the maps in Europe are difficult to read, primarily because of light background colors and the size of the font. Greece, Germany, and Russia have additional maps depicting rainfall, land use, temperature, and/or population density levels. Neither volume contains a key to map symbols, leaving it up to readers to discern the meaning of certain symbols, the colors on the physical maps, and the significance of the names in blue versus those in black. The indexes list no cities or coordinates to aid students trying to locate a particular capital. The maps are arranged geographically, from north to south in Central and South America and from the Atlantic Ocean east in Europe. While the brevity of the texts might make these titles appealing to reluctant readers, the quality of the maps and the poor indexing make it difficult for any student doing research to access information. Current almanacs, general encyclopedias, and atlases such as The National Geographic World Atlas for Young Explorers (National Geographic, 1998) and DK Children's Atlas (DK, 2000) should satisfy the needs of students looking for basic information or maps on these areas.-Peg Glisson, Mendon Center Elementary School, Pittsford, NY Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.