The Crusades

KLIATT

Greenhaven is the best-known name in publishing series across a wide range of academic disciplines and public affairs issues. Turning Points in World History looks at key events in history and examines a mix of political, social and scientific factors that help explain the event and its significance. The books have four or five chapters each, which include three to six excerpted essays that can be used by students in grades 9-12. Individual pieces run anywhere from two to ten pages each. Each section and each item has introductory material. One of the best features of these books is an appendix with documents. While chapters include some boxed sidebars with primary source material and the documents at the end include some personal narratives, the emphasis in this series is analysis and explanation. A bit dry, but useful for teachers to find background information or students to pursue research work. For comparative purposes, I found Houghton Mifflin's Nextext series book on civil rights to be more inviting, with personal narratives, speeches and even poems that made the material come alive. This series is better at presenting the material in a lively fashion, while the Greenhaven titles are better at offering a more systematic overview. KLIATT Codes: SA—Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2000, Greenhaven, 264p, bibliog, index, 23cm, $17.45. Ages 16 to adult. Reviewer: Daniel J. Levinson; History & English Teacher, Thayer Acad., Braintree, MA, July 2000 (Vol. 34 No. 4)