Greece (Enchantment of the World, Second)
Gr 4-7-These titles provide the usual excellent coverage of the countries with refreshed and updated informative texts and almost entirely new photos and reproductions. The format is the same as in previous editions: 10 well-illustrated chapters, several maps, a fast-facts section, and a few references to other sources, including a referral to a Scholastic website (new). The chapters cover geography, natural environment, history, politics, people and culture. Sidebars tell about famous people, events, issues, etc. The books include many recent events and topics, e.g., Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee; Greece's ongoing financial problems; and Russia's famous NHL hockey player, Ovi. In a few instances, subjects talked about at length in the text are not accompanied by an illustration and/or a location on one of the maps-a minor irritation. The previous edition of Greece contained two excellent explanations of Greece's uneasy relationships with Turkey and the Macedonian Republic, which were omitted from this edition and have been central concerns of Greece for many years. Also, there is no mention in the discussion of holidays of the Saints' days in Greece, which are also the "name days" for most of the Greek people and are celebrated instead of birthdays. However, in general, these books have lively and interesting texts and excellent illustrations. It is well worth keeping up with the newest editions of this exemplary series, particularly the entry on the relatively newly formed Russian Federation.-Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LAα(c) Copyright 2011.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.