This kind of book is quite popular with Middle School students, especially the reluctant reader. It has beautiful illustrations and some information for a biography report. Students enjoy books like these that are kind of like a graphic novel since it has lots of pictures and not so much text. ( )

This book will be one that I willl share with my students because many of them may have endured many hardships in their lives and would enjoy hearing others' stories that are out of their own environment. The Dalai Lama is a very influential person that both students and adults should be exposed to. ( )

In the buddist religion the highest reglious authority is the Dalai Lama. When the thirteenth died in 1933 the other lamas went in search of the fourteenth. In the buddist religion they beleive in reincarination and that the new Dalai Lama would be reveiled through a series of visions and tests. They did find him in a small village at the age of two. Lhamo soon passed each test and fulfilled each vision that they named him the next Dalai Lama. He traveled back to Lhasa with his family and began education on various subjects in order for him to take over being the religious and political leader of Tibet. When he was fifteen he was finally named the leader but also that year the Chinese communist imposed control over Tibet. In nineteen fifty-nine he had to flee his own country to India in hopes of preserving some Tibetan culture. In nineteen-eighty-nine the Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts of peace and harmony on earth.

I felt this was a great introductory book on a different religion. It was simple and coverd the basics of the religion.

Some extra activities that a class could do would be to find Tibet and India on a map. And also look more into the detail where the Dalai Lama has traveled to spread his ideas of peace and harmony.