April 1, 2011
Gr 5-7-Although Humanity covers human origins and the European slave trade in Africa, the series focus is on the African-American experience in the United States, describing the most important events of the centuries-long struggle for freedom and civil rights. The two- to four-page chapters are supplemented with sidebar biographies of important African Americans and large photos and reproductions, but the narratives, often consisting of only a few paragraphs per page, are short on background and context. These volumes provide the broadest of overviews, and given the large number of available alternatives about the topic, are supplemental for most collections.
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July 1, 2011
Ollhoff profiles individuals and events pivotal to African American history from the 1950s to today. Each topic has its own page and reads like its own article, with little continuity between subjects. Large historical photographs, mostly black and white, accompany the texts, which deal frankly with serious issues including violence, politics, and racism. Glos., ind.
(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)