Journey Of Life: Coming Of Age

Grade 5–8—These books highlight traditions and ceremonies as practised in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Buddhism. The authors also mention customs from several other cultures. The books are attractively illustrated with colour photos and drawings, and include short excerpts from sacred texts. Unfortunately, Levete and Randall assume readers have a basic religious background, particularly in the Christianity sections with unexplained references to Adam and Eve, accepting Jesus as one's saviour, the Messiah, and so on. The glossaries are abbreviated and incomplete, sometimes omitting crucial terms such as baptism, font, puberty, fasting, mitzvah, shroud, and crucifix (many words aren't in the index, either). Although the books contain helpful charts summarising religious practises, using them requires much flipping back and forth to recall what the specialised vocabulary means. In addition to surprising errors and omissions, there are discrepancies between some illustrations and the text, while other photos raise unanswered questions. Finally, Modern Debate boxes, featuring topics such as the hijab and circumcision, don't provide enough material for children unfamiliar with them. Despite these flaws, these titles represent a valiant effort and could be useful in classes on religion and society. Life stages are generally discussed (albeit briefly) in books about specific religions, but no other series for this age treats them individually.—Ann W. Moore, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
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