Your Passport to Chile

Description: In an exciting introduction to Chile, readers will learn about the country's history, geography, traditions, food, landmarks, and celebrations.

Brief description: Golriz Golkar is the author of more than 40 nonfiction books for children. Inspired by her work as an elementary school teacher, she loves to write the kinds of books that students are excited to read. Golriz holds a B.A. in American literature and culture from UCLA and an Ed.M. in language and literacy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She loves to travel and study languages. Golriz lives in France with her husband and young daughter, Ariane. She thinks children are the very best teachers, and she loves learning from her daughter every day.

Review Quotes: A countries series with hands-on twists. Historical timelines and political histories are present, along with information about the climate, landforms, and animals of the country. In Chile, the Indigenous populations and colonization of the area is included. However, the big selling point of these titles is the hands-on activities. The section on culture has a local recipe that readers can try, and includes instructions on how to play a traditional game from that country. These additions make these books a wonderful option for classroom use, with tie-ins for presentations and projects. VERDICT A promising start to a new series, recommended especially for school libraries.--Jeri Murphy, Illinois Central College, Peoria, IL "School Library Journal"