Liberia ANNOTATION
Provides an overview of the geography, history, government, people, arts, foods, and other aspects of life in Liberia.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Liberia was a colony for freed and freeborn African Americans for twenty-five years before becoming the first republic on the African continent in 1847. Today, Liberia is recovering from over twenty years of violence, which include seven years of civil war (1989-1996). From depleted iron ore mines to enviable diamond reserves, from indiscriminate logging to the world's largest rubber plantation, from the shrieking pepper bird to the docile pygmy hippopotamus, this book is a spirited investigation of the sharp contrasts that define the Liberian land and its people.
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature - Melissa A. Caudill
Part of the "Countries of the World" series, this book will inform readers of not only the geography, history and culture of the African nation of Liberia, but will provide insight into what it is like for its citizens to live there today. Written by an author who specializes in African titles, it will draw students in with the short, but information rich, two-page chapters that cover many of the diverse cultural and economic issues that face this struggling nation. Students will read about the diamond and mining controversies and how the United States is linked to the formation of this West African nation. In addition to the book's captivating photographs, students will be able to quickly access information within the table of contents, index and glossary along with finding additional information through suggested Web sites, books and videos. 2003, Gareth Stevens Publishing, Ages 12 up.