African Migrations; Chinese Migrations; Indian Migrations; Jewish Migrations

Whilst compiling the information books section of the recent BfK Multicultural Guide I became all too aware of the paucity of books for the 9-12 year old range that go beyond the 'saris and steel bands' approach. This set of books is a noble attempt to do just that and cover important topics but I wish I could be more enthusiastic about them. Like much non-fiction for this age group, these books attempt to be very comprehensive in their coverage within the strictly limited confines of 48 pages of fairly large print and so there's a consequent price to pay in terms of the overall cohesion of the text. Nevertheless, they are worthy additions to any library for young people, drawing thoughtfully on personal reminiscences and including many dramatic pictures and some useful maps. Each book has a rather short index, a glossary, an annotated bibliography and notes on the sources. Of the four I found the Jewish book the strongest with a particularly clear section on the Nazi persecution.