Iraq: The People. (The Lands, Peoples, and Cultures Series). April Fast. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2005. 32 pp., pbk. & cl., $8.96 (pbk.), $20.76 (RLB). ISBN 0-7787-9687-6 (pbk.), ISBN 0-7787-9319-2 (RLB). Subject Heading: Iraq- social conditions -Juvenile literature. Grades 5-8 / Ages 10-13. Review by Harriet Zaidman. **** /4
	Iraq: The Land. (The Lands, Peoples, and Cultures Series). April Fast. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2005. 32 pp., pbk. & cl., $8.96 (pbk.), $20.76 (RLB). ISBN 0-7787-9686-8 (pbk.), ISBN 0-7787-9318-4 (RLB). Subject Heading: Iraq- Perception and travel -Juvenile literature. Grades 5-8 / Ages 10-13. Review by Harriet Zaidman. **** /4
	Iraq: The Culture. (The Lands, Peoples, and Cultures Series). April Fast. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2005. 32 pp., pbk. & cl., $8.96 (pbk.), $20.76 (RLB). ISBN 0-7787-9688-4 (pbk.), ISBN 0-7787-9320-6 (RLB). Subject Heading: Iraq-Civilization-Juvenile literature. Grades 5-8 / Ages 10-13. Review by Harriet Zaidman. **** /4

excerpt:

The people of Iraq came from different ethnic and religious backgrounds, including Arabs in the central and southern regions and Kurds in the north. These groups resented British rule. In addition, they were unhappy that Great Britain named Faisal I, an outsider from a nation now known as Saudi Arabia, to be Iraqi’s king. Many Iraqis rebelled against the new leader. In 1958, the royal family was killed in an uprising. A series of weak governments took control of the country, but in 1968, the Ba’th Socialist Party became Iraq’s ruling power.

The above paragraph encapsulates the turmoil that has characterized Iraq ever since it was carved out of Mesopotamia and other countries after World War I. Where once the Garden of Eden flourished between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and philosophers and sages walked the streets of Babylon, Iraq’s more modern history is one of colonial occupation and struggles to control the oil fields.

     Iraq is known to young people today because of the war launched in 2003 by a coalition of nations led by U.S. President George Bush on the assertion that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and fostered terrorism. Hussein was overthrown, no weapons were discovered, and no link was ever made with Al-qaida or Osama bin Laden.

     Ancient cities are ruined, and the economy is devastated. Instead of welcoming their liberators, the population of Iraq resents the foreign occupation. Many thousands of civilians have been killed, and different factions are now resorting to terrorist activities to drive out the foreign military forces and assert their own dominance.

     Iraq may be in the news for a long time, and so it’s fitting young children be informed about the history, the people and the land of Iraq.

     The books are part of “The Lands, Peoples, and Cultures Series” from Crabtree Publishing. They are designed according to the standard format, one which is easily understandable for young researchers: a table of contents, subdivided two-page chapters, feature boxes, interesting pictures with descriptive captions, a glossary at the end to explain words that appear in bold type, and an index. The reading level is about Grade 4-5, but the information will also be useful for older students.

     All topics of history, religion, political parties, language, geography, culture, and the physical possibilities and difficulties of the landscape are discussed clearly. Current political information is presented in an understated and neutral a way as possible, for example, calling the post-war period one of “new challenges” and saying “The result has been an uncertain future for the people of Iraq.”

     As is typical with this series, each book leaves out some information so that a student would be likely need all three books to do a thorough research project. However, each book can stand alone for general interest reading.

Highly Recommended.

Harriet Zaidman is a teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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