Monday, December 07, 2009

Through any eyes, genocide is an awful crime, but through the eyes of Javier Mendoza, genocide is unbearable. When a genocide curriculum is introduced to Javier's fifth grade class, Javier begins to see just exactly how genocide affects the human race. From an upset parent to a genocide victim, Javier is inspired to help stop genocide.

This very informative book covers different genocides from the last century and explores the roots of genocide. Any reader wishing to broaden their scope of global
understanding and human suffering would do well to pick this book and give it a read.
In the style of a journal, the horrors of genocide are explained in simple, easy to
understand words. I liked that this book gave a straight-forward approach to what genocide is, what causes it, and why it is awful. While maybe not a "for fun" read because of the content, I think this book would be excellent for any teacher teaching a curriculum on genocide. I think the most interesting section of this book is a conversation with a character known as Maker's dad and Javier. In this, I gained a new insight on genocide as Maker's dad reveals how he personally was affected by genocide. This book was definitely an eye-opener.

Adult guidance is recommended because the descriptions of genocide can become semi-
graphic.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, TX U.S.A