Englar,Mary. Benazir Bhutto:Pakistani Prime Minister and Activist.
Minneapolis, MN: Compass
Point Books, 2006. ISBN: 0-7565-1578-5. $31.93.
Biographies can be uninspiring and tedious, but Benizar Bhutto: Pakistani Prime Minister and Activist is an exception. The book takes the reader through the tragedies and obstacles in the prime minister’s life and allows us to see her personality and motivations. One can see the determination of Benizar
Bhutto as the author describes the events that surround her.
Maps, glossary and a timeline that correlate her personal life with world events make an excellent resource. Her life and family are placed accurately in historical context and explain the history of
Pakistan.
This book has significance to the study of Muslim countries and women in history. It is also a current topic in the news. This title is part of a series titled “Signature Lives”. It is most appropriate for grades five through nine.
Highly Recommended.
Possible SOL uses:
World History and Geography
WHII.13 The student will demonstrate knowledge of political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of independence movements and development efforts by a) describing the struggles for self-rule, including Gandhi’s leadership in India; b) describing Africa’s achievement of independence, including Kenyatta’s leadership of
Kenya; c) describing the end of the mandate system and the creation of states in the Middle
East.
WHII.14 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the influence of Judaism, Christianity,
Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism in the contemporary world by a) describing their beliefs, sacred writings, traditions, and customs; b) locating the geographic distribution of religions in the contemporary world.
WG.10 The student will analyze how the forces of conflict and cooperation affect the division and control of the Earth’s surface by b) explaining and analyzing the different spatial divisions at the national and international levels; c) analyzing ways cooperation occurs to solve problems and settle disputes.
Reviewed by Cheryl Myers Johnson, cmjohnson115@msn.com
, October 2007.