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School Library Journal Review

Gr 8 Up-Ten selections-nine of which are nonfiction-by different authors. Seven of the pieces deal with aspects of the diaspora experience in the U.S., two in Brazil, and one is about how 20th-century European artists like Picasso appropriated the work of African artists. No connection is made between the two chapters about Yoruba-derived religious rituals in New York and Brazil, which are separated by the single fictional piece. And neither version of the Yoruba term for deities (Orisha, oriza) appears in the glossary. The black-and-white photographs in the chapters on Afro-Brazilian religion and 20th-century art are excellent. The concepts explored range in difficulty from excerpts from the 1950's diary of a young girl to an abstract Cornel West essay. Readers are unlikely to come away from this book with a clear idea of what the African diaspora is, as the editors do not explain it or clarify what aspects of it the selections illustrate. Nevertheless, many young people will find fascinating new information here that will enrich their understanding of the richness and diversity of Africa's influence on the world.-Loretta Kreider Andrews, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.