Lithuania: The Nation That Would Be Free
Grade 4-7-A personal look at the spirit of a nation that presents the history of Lithuania's struggle to become and remain independent. The third-person narrative offers a record of Chicoine's impressions of the country and its people, based on the friendships he made during an extended visit following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The use of personal stories to illustrate points is a very effective technique that makes the narrative accessible and interesting and gives substance to what might otherwise be a surface look at the subject. The Vilnius protest, concerns about nuclear-power plants and other environmental issues, and the Lithuanian basketball team and the 1992 Olympics are all discussed. The fine, full-color photographs correspond nicely to the text and serve to emphasize the more intimate and engaging level of the book. Collections looking for traditional research support would probably do better with Lithuania (Lerner, 1992); however, Chicoine and Ashabranner's offering would make a good additional purchase to provide texture and substance to such titles.Linda Greengrass, Bank Street College Library, New York CityCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.