Charles J. Shields

An introduction to Venezuela, discussing the history, geography, economy, people, and society of the South American country, and including a calendar of Venezuelan festivals, recipes, a glossary, project and report ideas, a chronology, and resources.

Discusses the land, the history, the economy, the people, and the festivals of Chile.

An introduction to Panama, discussing the history, geography, economy, people, and culture of the Central American country, and including a look at the Carnaval festival, recipes, a glossary, project and report ideas, a chronology, and resources.

With more than 15 million residents, Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America. It is bordered to the north by Mexico, and to the east by Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras. In Guatemala the ruins of ancient Mayan temples rise above jungle vegetation, and churches and forts from the Spanish colonial period stand next to modern architecture in cities like Guatemala City, Mixco, and Villa Nueva. From 1960 until 1996, Guatemala was torn...

Nicaragua is the largest Central American country by area, covering more than 50,000 square miles (130,000 sq. km). It is a land of beaches lapped by sparkling seawater, deep forests, long winding rivers, colonial cities, ancient Amerindian temples and cities, and a huge freshwater lake - the only lake in the world with sharks in it! From the 1920s until 1979, Nicaragua was ruled by the corrupt Somoza family, which was supported by the United States....

Honduras is located in the heart of Central America. It is bordered to the south by Nicaragua and El Salvador, and to the west by Guatemala. Once a center for the Mayan civilization, Honduras was colonized by Spain during the 16th century. Three centuries of colonial rule produced a civilization that blended Spanish and native customs and culture. Since gaining independence from Spain in 1821, Honduras has experienced a great deal of political instability,...

An introduction to Costa Rica, discussing the history, geography, economy, people, and society of the Central American country, and including a calendar of Costa Rican festivals, recipes, a glossary, project and report ideas, a chronology, and resources.

"Written when she was just twenty-eight, Lorraine Hansberry's landmark A Raisin in the Sun is listed by the National Theatre as one of the hundred most significant works of the twentieth century. Hansberry was the first Black woman to have a play performed on Broadway, and the first Black and youngest American playwright to win a New York Critics' Circle Award. Charles J. Shields's authoritative biography of one of the twentieth century's most admired...