Russia and the Former Soviet Republics

Children's Literature - Meredith Kiger

One in a series of ten books on Modern World Cultures, this interesting and balanced edition is a mini social studies course on Russia and the former Soviet Republics. Russia was once the largest country in the world, but is now only one of the fifteen former republics that existed under the Soviet regime prior to its dissolution in 1991. The long and colorful history of Russia is briefly told with an emphasis on its vast geography and cultures. Well researched and written, the book is divided into nine chapters detailing its physical geography, historical geography, population geography, recent political history, and so on. Color photos and an extensive array of maps foster understanding of this complex and ever evolving area of the world. Chapter nine deals with what the future may hold as the various countries struggle for political and economic freedom. An historical time line, resources for further study, and an index are included.

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-Although the relationships between the Russian Federation and other independent states that were once part of the Soviet Union are aptly examined when appropriate, this book is basically a country study of Russia with the exception of a chapter entitled "New Countries on the World Scene." McCray is best when explaining the implications of specific characteristics of both physical and human geography. He also offers some good commentary on the consequences of the economic and political changes in Russia in the last decade. There are two chapters on history, past and recent, and the book closes with a short chapter called "Looking Ahead." The photographs are relevant, but small and not particularly appealing. The few that show women are certainly not flattering, and none include teens or young adults. There is a general map of the region and three topical maps. The writing is generally lucid with just a few ambiguous sentences and typographical errors. Occasionally there is an odd sentence, such as the one about the wealthy Russians whose children visit Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, New York, "just to see how Russian people used to live." Despite the quibbles, this book would be a serviceable addition to most libraries.-Elizabeth Talbot, University of Illinois, Champaign Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.