Russia

Children's Literature - Renee Biermann

Elizaveta is writing letters about her life in Russia to a student named Chris. Readers learn about the weather, home life, food, schooling, work, free time, religion, and festivals in Russia. While the book is very informative, it is hard to understand what Elizaveta is responding to because there are not any letters included from Chris. Even so, readers gain a wealth of information about life in Russia from the maps, captions, and photographs. Elizaveta even includes a recipe for a Russian salad, which would be a simple dish to fix in a classroom setting. Teachers would benefit from using this book in a social studies or cultural studies lesson. It could also be used to teach letter-writing skills or introduce the concept of pen pals. At the end, readers are treated to a large fact file, a glossary, further information, and an index. This book is part of the "Letters from Around the World" series, which includes titles about more than 30 countries. Reviewer: Renee Biermann

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-This up-to-date overview provides cursory coverage of the history, geography, politics, society, and economy of Russia. Busy pages meld readable text with maps, full-color photographs, inset boxes, and quotes from newspapers, the latter mostly from the London Independent. The information is correct, but sketchy, especially in the ``Life Today'' section, in which frequent references are made to the ``mafia,'' but that term is never explained. There is a glossary, one-page index, and an eclectic list for further reading. Students may pick this title up for the pictures, which are colorful and well registered. Similar in scope to David Flint's Russia (Steck-Vaughn, 1992), the book will most likely be used for short reports.-Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA