Zobel, Derek. Scotland.

Zobel, Derek.     Scotland.   Scholastic/Grolier      32p   $22.95      978-0531-120-696-6      elem        Series: Exploring Countries (Scholastic)  VG           

This title about Scotland is written for readers in grades 2-4 who are ready to read for information rather than learning to read.  The text covers the geography and culture of Scotland.  Great emphasis is placed on daily life, such as going to school, playing, food, and holidays.  These are topics of special interest to children.  They want to see how other children do things, but only the school photo includes children.  All the other photographs show only adults.

The text is enhanced with photographs and quick “Did you know” text blocks.  Additional information includes a page of fast facts about Scotland, a fairly extensive glossary, a brief list of resources and a brief index.

The text is quite straightforward and a bit dry, and the style is simply a list of the facts.  This is not terribly exciting for readers, but good for informational reports.      The Exploring Countries series covers most nations of the world, with text that covers geography briefly and many aspects of the culture.                                   --Joan Theal