Russia (Games People Play)

Grade 4-7. This book contains excellent-quality, full-color and black-and-white photographs of sports and leisure activities in Russia. Historical photos and many action shots of world-class athletes, especially those in Olympic competition, are featured, but children are shown at play as well. Unfortunately, the quality of the text does not always match that of the visuals. The historical background information on Russia and the Soviet Union contains some conspicuous errors. When the text focuses on sport, it has some gripping passages, although mistakes slip in, such as the false statement that "in the Soviet Union, no high school student could have graduated without proving that he or she could cover several kilometers of snow-covered terrain on skis in a certain time limit." Also, in several instances, paragraphs introduce too many disparate subjects. It is unfortunate that this attractive and high-interest presentation is not better written.?Elizabeth Talbot, University of Illinois, Champaign
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.