Review Detail

“Where Kids Go to School Around the World” by Stepanka Sekaninova and Helena Harastova, illustrated by Michaela Bergannova, depicts a wide variety of children, from all races, cultures, and countries. Readers learn that children start school in different places at different ages. Questions that are answered include information about whether all children go to school, how there are schools in the rainforest, as well as sports schools, ballet schools, schools in refugee camps, boarding schools, schools in hospitals, and so many other types.

Each country and/or type of school represented is introduced by a child who tells more about the pages that relate to their type of school. These same children are represented on a map at the beginning of the book that shows where they are students.

While some schools have no grades, others are not co-educational, and they have girls and boys come at different times of day. While schools in America often have fire drills and tornado drills, schools in Japan prepare for earthquakes, as they are common in that country. Some schools cost money while others are free to attend. There are so many differences and lots of similarities as well among the vast variety of schools throughout the world. Learning more about what each offers and how they work will only serve to enhance one’s knowledge of the world and its many people and cultures.