India, the Land

Lisa Arsenault is a high-school English teacher who is involved in
several ministry campaigns to increase literacy.

India: The Land and Tibet are two of the many books in Crabtree’s
Lands, Peoples, and Cultures series, which has been designed for
grade-school readers.

India: The Land, lavishly illustrated with color photographs, includes
information on the country’s population, geography, industry,
transportation, and wildlife. The book does not attempt to gloss over
unpleasant facts. It discusses exploitation and misuse of the land
through poor farming practices, pollution, poverty, and overhunting.
Terms perhaps unfamiliar to the young reader (such as “peninsula,”
“average population density,” and “poacher”) are defined.
Classroom activities for which the book can be used are also included.

The book on Tibet is fully illustrated; discusses the country’s
history, geography, daily life, religion, and culture; and presents some
information of a political nature: it reveals the Tibetans’
unfortunate living conditions (being denied self-government, freedom of
speech, and freedom of religion) as a result of Chinese rule. In
addition, it discusses the environmental destruction of Tibetan lands
through their misuse by the Chinese (dumping nuclear wastes, for
example).

Young readers will find this reference series very informative and
interesting, and some parts humorous.