Nefertiti

March 1, 2009
Gr 6 Up-Nefertiti and Queen of Sheba present the historical and cultural context surrounding these ancient leaders. Credit is due to the authors of these volumes, as few primary historical sources pertaining to these women exist, and the relevant archaeological record is far from complete. Thus, the information deals less with the specifics of the respective leaders and more with their worlds and times, including religious and political issues. The authors use speculation, derived from both tradition and scholarship, as to who these ancient leaders may have been and how they might have governed. For instance, Queen of Sheba references various oral traditions from Europe, the Middle East, and Ethiopia to reveal aspects of the woman's personality. Classical paintings and full-color photographs of sculptures, landscapes, and archaeological finds complement the text; unfortunately, maps are not included. There are moments when the text is too general, as when Nefertiti states, "As with all religions, the Egyptians had creation stories that explained how life began." But overall, the texts are easily digestible and appropriate for the intended age group. Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., adds a scholarly hand to this series with the foreword, "On Leadership." These volumes shine some light onto important female rulers whose representations have been obscured by the passage of time.Jeff Meyer, Slater Public Library, IA

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