(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: Exploring Our Universe series. Elementary facts about bodies in the solar system and throughout the universe are portioned out across multiple slim volumes. Each book includes broad descriptions of the featured astronomical topic; historical and current thinking about scientific features and composition; and the telescopes, probes, and spacecraft used to investigate them. Captioned photographs, diagrams, and sidebars effectively supplement the satisfactory texts. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: Exploring Our Universe titles: The Moon, Galaxies, The Sun, The Amazing Universe, Asteroids, Comets, and Meteoroids, Planets, and Stars.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: Exploring Our Universe series. Doudna skim-surveys the technologies employed to explore space, from the first visible-light tools used by Galileo to today's X-ray, radio, and infrared Earth and space telescopes. Also included are very brief descriptions of early NASA missions, the space shuttle, space stations, and farther-reaching spacecraft. Diagrams and photographs effectively portray the various machines and the scientists and astronauts who worked on them. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: History's Hotshots series. This volume of the series broadly looks at American cowboys. From their earliest days on the range to modern-day rodeo stardom, many aspects of their lives and duties are touched on. While treatments of individual topics are brief, the volume is decently informative overall. The layouts are bland, but photos, illustrations, and sidebars add extra information to the basic text. Timeline. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: History's Hotshots series. Each book takes a broad look at its titular warriors, exploring their historical beginnings, how they lived and fought, and even their place in modern pop culture. While treatments of individual topics are brief, the volumes are decently informative overall. The layouts are bland, but photos, illustrations, and sidebars add extra information to the basic texts. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: History's Hotshots titles: Ninjas!, Samurai!, and Vikings!.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: STEM Superstar Women series. Each volume provides a succinct overview of a trailblazing woman in STEM. The subjects' childhoods, education, numerous obstacles (many times because of their gender), and achievements are explained in readable prose. Archival photographs, sidebars, and fact boxes help to highlight each woman's importance in her field. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: STEM Superstar Women titles: Grace Hopper, Hedy Lamarr, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Katherine Johnson, Rosalind Franklin, and Ada Lovelace.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) K-3 Engineering Marvels series. These books provide brief accounts of major engineering feats--three transportation marvels and three iconic structures. Each book includes the project's purpose, how it was built, personnel involved, and physical challenges encountered. Archival and recent photographs give insight into the construction process. The lackluster texts are enhanced with sidebars providing statistical data and examples of similar projects. A short quiz is included in each title. Glos. Review covers these Engineering Marvels titles: Building Route 66, Building the Channel Tunnel, Building the Panama Canal, Building the Empire State Building, Building the Golden Gate Bridge, and Building the Hoover Dam.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Engineering Marvels series. These books provide brief accounts of major engineering feats--three transportation marvels and three iconic structures. Each book includes the project's purpose, how it was built, personnel involved, and physical challenges encountered. Archival and recent photographs give insight into the construction process. The lackluster texts are enhanced with sidebars providing statistical data and examples of similar projects. A short quiz is included in each title. Glos. Review covers these Engineering Marvels titles: Building Route 66, Building the Channel Tunnel, Building the Panama Canal, Building the Empire State Building, Building the Golden Gate Bridge, and Building the Hoover Dam.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Engineering Marvels series. These books provide brief accounts of major engineering feats--three transportation marvels and three iconic structures. Each book includes the project's purpose, how it was built, personnel involved, and physical challenges encountered. Archival and recent photographs give insight into the construction process. The lackluster texts are enhanced with sidebars providing statistical data and examples of similar projects. A short quiz is included in each title. Glos. Review covers these Engineering Marvels titles: Building Route 66, Building the Channel Tunnel, Building the Panama Canal, Building the Empire State Building, Building the Golden Gate Bridge, and Building the Hoover Dam.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) K-3 This or That? Weather series. Full-page photos and clear scientific explanations illustrate the differences between similar weather phenomena. For example, a blizzard is distinguished from a winter storm by its high winds; although both are composed of water droplets, a cloud forms in the air and fog forms near the ground. A summary of similarities and differences and a practical hands-on experiment are provided at the end of each book. Glos. Review covers the following This or That? Weather titles: Cloud or Fog?, Tidal Wave or Tsunami?, Winter Storm or Blizzard?, Hail or Freezing Rain?, Hurricane or Waterspout?, and Tornado or Dust Devil?

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 This or That? Weather series. Full-page photos and clear scientific explanations illustrate the differences between similar weather phenomena. For example, a blizzard is distinguished from a winter storm by its high winds; although both are composed of water droplets, a cloud forms in the air and fog forms near the ground. A summary of similarities and differences and a practical hands-on experiment are provided at the end of each book. Glos. Review covers the following This or That? Weather titles: Cloud or Fog?, Tidal Wave or Tsunami?, Winter Storm or Blizzard?, Hail or Freezing Rain?, Hurricane or Waterspout?, and Tornado or Dust Devil?

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 This or That? Weather series. Full-page photos and clear scientific explanations illustrate the differences between similar weather phenomena. For example, a blizzard is distinguished from a winter storm by its high winds; although both are composed of water droplets, a cloud forms in the air and fog forms near the ground. A summary of similarities and differences and a practical hands-on experiment are provided at the end of each book. Glos. Review covers the following This or That? Weather titles: Cloud or Fog?, Tidal Wave or Tsunami?, Winter Storm or Blizzard?, Hail or Freezing Rain?, Hurricane or Waterspout?, and Tornado or Dust Devil?

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Super SandCastle: Out of This World series. Each somewhat scattered volume presents facts and definitions that cover the basics of astronomy within and beyond the solar system, including the formation of the universe. Stargazing includes profiles of astronomers throughout history and the technologies of astronomical observation. Brightly colored images of planets, moons, galaxies, etc., shine from black backgrounds. Each book includes a quiz. Glos. Review covers these Super SandCastle: Out of this World titles: Moons, Planets, The Universe, and Stargazing.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 4-6 Super SandCastle: Super Simple Nature Crafts series. "Super simple" is a relative term; some projects are straightforward, and some are more involved and better suited to experienced crafters. Each book provides step-by-step instructions, helpfully illustrated with photos, for eight nature-inspired crafts; "Pro tip" and "Fun tip" features dispense useful advice. There's something for all skill levels--although Pressed Flower requires building a flower press before attempting the projects. Glos. Review covers these Super SandCastle: Super Simple Nature Crafts titles: Super Simple Ice Projects, Super Simple Leaf Projects, Super Simple Pinecone Projects, and Super Simple Pressed Flower Projects.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Super SandCastle: Super Simple Nature Crafts series. "Super simple" is a relative term; some projects are straightforward, and some are more involved and better suited to experienced crafters. Each book provides step-by-step instructions, helpfully illustrated with photos, for eight nature-inspired crafts; "Pro tip" and "Fun tip" features dispense useful advice. There's something for all skill levels--although Pressed Flower requires building a flower press before attempting the projects. Glos. Review covers these Super SandCastle: Super Simple Nature Crafts titles: Super Simple Ice Projects, Super Simple Leaf Projects, Super Simple Pinecone Projects, and Super Simple Pressed Flower Projects.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Super SandCastle: Super Simple Nature Crafts series. "Super simple" is a relative term; some projects are straightforward, and some are more involved and better suited to experienced crafters. Each book provides step-by-step instructions, helpfully illustrated with photos, for eight nature-inspired crafts; "Pro tip" and "Fun tip" features dispense useful advice. There's something for all skill levels--although Pressed Flower requires building a flower press before attempting the projects. Glos. Review covers these Super SandCastle: Super Simple Nature Crafts titles: Super Simple Ice Projects, Super Simple Leaf Projects, Super Simple Pinecone Projects, and Super Simple Pressed Flower Projects.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Super SandCastle: Super Simple Nature Crafts series. "Super simple" is a relative term; some projects are straightforward, and some are more involved and better suited to experienced crafters. Each book provides step-by-step instructions, helpfully illustrated with photos, for eight nature-inspired crafts; "Pro tip" and "Fun tip" features dispense useful advice. There's something for all skill levels--although Pressed Flower requires building a flower press before attempting the projects. Glos. Review covers these Super SandCastle: Super Simple Nature Crafts titles: Super Simple Ice Projects, Super Simple Leaf Projects, Super Simple Pinecone Projects, and Super Simple Pressed Flower Projects.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 SandCastle: Baby Australian Animals series. A clean, inviting design frames the text in this early reader series about Australian baby animals. Group names, special habits and features, diets, and predators are covered (though some explanations are confusing or otherwise unsatisfying). Occasional sidebars support the texts and/or the (mostly) clear photographs. "Vital Statistics" and "Fun Facts" pages are useful for making comparisons among the animals. Glos. Review covers these SandCastle: Baby Australian Animals titles: It's a Baby Kangaroo!, It's a Baby Australian Fur Seal!, It's a Baby Flying Fox!, It's a Baby Spiny Anteater!, and It's a Baby Tasmanian Devil!

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(4) K-3 SandCastle: Baby African Animals series. A clean, inviting design frames the text in this early reader series. Group names, special habits, diet, and predators are covered, though some explanations are unsatisfying and at times the facts seem too loosely strung together. Occasional sidebars support the text and/or the clear photographs. "Vital Statistics" and "Fun Facts" are useful for making comparisons among the animals. Glos. Review covers these SandCastle: Baby African Animals titles: It's a Baby Baboon!, It's a Baby Hippopotamus!, and It's a Baby Lion!

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(4) K-3 SandCastle: Baby African Animals series. A clean, inviting design frames the text in this early reader series. Group names, special habits, diet, and predators are covered, though some explanations are unsatisfying and at times the facts seem too loosely strung together. Occasional sidebars support the text and/or the clear photographs. "Vital Statistics" and "Fun Facts" are useful for making comparisons among the animals. Glos. Review covers these SandCastle: Baby African Animals titles: It's a Baby Baboon!, It's a Baby Hippopotamus!, and It's a Baby Lion!

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(4) K-3 SandCastle: Baby African Animals series. A clean, inviting design frames the text in this early reader series. Group names, special habits, diet, and predators are covered, though some explanations are unsatisfying and at times the facts seem too loosely strung together. Occasional sidebars support the text and/or the clear photographs. "Vital Statistics" and "Fun Facts" are useful for making comparisons among the animals. Glos. Review covers these SandCastle: Baby African Animals titles: It's a Baby Baboon!, It's a Baby Hippopotamus!, and It's a Baby Lion!

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi