Michael V. Uschan

Michael V. Uschan‘s The Fall of Saigon provides an observant look at the history of how the Vietnam War begins, unfolds, and ends. Unlike other books on this topic, Uschan begins with the fall of Saigon or the end of the war with one of the largest helicopter evacuations in history. Although many would argue this is a civil war between its northern and southern counterparts, this war occurred at a time when democratic governments were wary of the spread of communism.

There is a great mix of photos and text in the book to provide a simplified explanation of the war and all of its moving parts. It does touch upon the My Lai massacre and the deaths of innocent victims, but without the horrifying images that polarized many of those back home. To teach students about the war, this is an excellent edition, but for children reading about the war on their own, it may be a bit dry. However, photos often supplement the text and can provide a visual aid to kids.

Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2010/11/the-fall-of-saigon-by-michael-v-uschan.html… (mehr)

This non-fiction book, part of the biography series The 20th Century Most Influential Hispanics does a great job in stating the facts in the life of Che Guevara. Written with a Middle School audience in mind the book offers many photos and maps as it examines the important aspects of Guevara’s life in short chapters. The subtitles are clear and in simple language for those students who quickly need to find one piece of information about the life of this man. However, I am sure any student that browses this book will find Che Guevara's life so intriguing it will be difficult not to read the entire biography.… (mehr)