Reading Level: Grade 4 Interest Level: Grades 3 – 8
In Thailand, history and beauty collide! Beyond its bustling cities, this scenic country features a lush landscape that houses many diverse wildlife species. At the center of it all, a rich cultural heritage lives on in Thailand’s many historic Buddhist temples. Young readers will be fascinated by this vibrant title about a unique country and its customs.
'Country Profiles explores the landscape, wildlife, people, customs, attractions and more in a concise format for upper elementary students. Each text begins with a well-known (tourist) attraction and then moves into specific information about the country. Each topic is a two-page spread that includes text, images, and photographs exploring the topic, along with bolded vocabulary to help students. The volumes end with a basic timeline of the nation, facts, glossary, and “To Learn More” section with additional texts and the factsurfer website. THOUGHTS: This is a nice series for teaching research because each volume follows the same structure.', Erin Bechdel, Beaver Area School District,'Another great book in the Blastoff Discovery geography series, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Thailand. Full of gorgeous color pictures, quick and interesting facts about the people, places, and customs of this Asian country, elementary aged readers will breeze through this nonfiction gem. Boldfaced vocabulary in the text can be found in the glossary, one of many resources available for use. Others include an index, historical timeline, contents page, additional resources (other books and a link with access code), and major facts page. I believe young readers will really enjoy the simple dessert recipe, small how-to-speak Thai pronunciation guide, and art craft directions. Although I found a couple of terms used in the text that had not previously introduced (or covered in the glossary), I am very impressed with this book series and wish to purchase the entire series for my campus library collection.', Jamika Jefferson, Arlington (TX) ISD
