Genocide and the Bosnian War

November 1, 2008
Gr 9 Up-Though the writing in these books is suitable for middle schoolers, the content is more appropriate for high school students as it includes matter-of-fact discussions of rape and torture. Each brief introduction defines genocide; some ("Armenian", "Khmer Rouge", and "Bosnian") are more concise, thorough, and relevant than others. The books provide a geographical and political picture of the events leading to the horror, often opening with descriptions of the nation as a colony, and show the results of hatred based on racial, cultural, and religious prejudice. Oddly, "Darfur, " the only book dealing with a carnage still in progress, is alone in providing a chapter on the history of genocide rather than immediately setting up geographical context. The books feature a distracting graphic of a barbed-wire fence as an overlay on many of the interior photos, sometimes obscuring the content. While this topic is certainly important, this series may have trouble finding an audience.

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