When people think of Japan, they think of an ancient land with temples and rock gardens, with eternal Mount Fuji brooding above the islands. But they also think of VCR's, bullet trains, and the high-tech neon clutter of Tokyo. Which is the real Japan? They are both real, both very much a part of modem Japan.

A to Zen opens up a series of windows that show young readers the broad sweep of Japanese culture. As the title suggests, letters play a part in the structure of this book, but this is not merely an alphabet book about Japan. Writer Ruth Wells has used the Roman alphabet like an adventurer uses a compass: the letters point the way to new frontiers and unexplored territory.