France

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-These titles highlight elementary students and their families in their respective countries. They show major cities and the child's village or city on a full-page map, and then give a general overview of the land features and weather patterns. Through full-color photographs and direct quotes, readers are given a glimpse of the child's home life, school, and activities. Each title has a recipe, a one-page index, and useful addresses for embassies and offices of tourism. While the information is limited, these books can be combined with titles from the "Postcards from-" and "Food and Festivals" series (both RSVP) for country studies.-Betsy Barnett, Eads School District, CO|

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7Two country studies that focus strictly on contemporary life. Both are attractive and informative. Each book begins with a brief introduction to the nation and concludes with an outlook for the future. In between, the authors discuss landscape and climate, home and family, employment, education, and leisure and entertainment. The series' uniqueness lies in its use of a specific city and village to illustrate what life is really like in France and China. Each topic receives a broad overview for the nation as a whole, then a two-page description of its application in the city, and two pages on the village. This is a helpful approach as it lets readers relate a general concept to a particular locale. Since the city and village selected for each country are in different geographic areas, readers aren't limited to one location. The books are interesting; up-to-date; and colorfully illustrated with a generous number of photos, maps, and charts. The only drawbackand unfortunately, it's glaringis the awkward writing. Otherwise, these are useful additions to foreign-study units and travel-abroad programs.Ann W. Moore, Schenectady County Public Library, NY