(3) 4-6 Men whose backs are covered with colorful and elaborate tattoos resembling maps, are turning up dead or are in danger. In their sixth thrilling adventure set in eighteenth-century feudal Japan, Seikei and Judge Ooka embark on a dangerous mission to find out the truth behind the tattoos while discovering plots against the Emperor.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Seikei (The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn), now sixteen and a full-fledged samurai, is sent back to his hometown on an errand for his adopted father, Judge Ooka. While there, Seikei becomes caught up in a smuggling drama and murder at the puppet theater. Details of the culture and mores of early-eighteenth-century Japan are well integrated into a fast-paced, satisfying mystery.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) 4-6 When the well-guarded Lord Inaba is murdered in his sleep, all suspect a ninja; so why does Judge Ooka assign one to accompany his crime-solving assistant, Seikei, the fourteen-year-old apprentice samurai from The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn and The Demon in the Teahouse? Fascinating details of eighteenth-century Japan are again woven seamlessly into an enjoyable mystery.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) 4-6 This survey begins with prehistoric-era immigrants, then examines the New England colonies, the nineteenth century's mass-migrations, the anti-foreign sentiment of the early twentieth century, and the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965. Black-and-white photos, reproductions, and sidebars explore how immigrants endured prejudice, celebrated homeland traditions, and adjusted to new jobs, schools, and neighborhoods. Reading list. Ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. In another installment of the multigenerational saga, Lucy Vivanti's family clashes when one cousin volunteers for service in Vietnam and another becomes a war protester. Meanwhile, Sam, a descendent of the Aldrich family, lives in a commune with his mother. Sam's story feels particularly superficial in a volume that, despite its photographic reproductions, doesn't seem to be rooted in its specific era as well as the previous entries were.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. In Earthsong, some friends fight pollution and start a band to promote their cause. In Families, despite fears associated with Y2K, the Aldriches reunite on New Year's Eve to celebrate a family member's centennial. The characterizations are superficial and the stories feel rushed, but the ten-volume series remains strong. Black-and-white photos of cultural artifacts enhance the nostalgic mood. [Review covers these Century Kids titles: The 1980's and The 1990's.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. In Earthsong, some friends fight pollution and start a band to promote their cause. In Families, despite fears associated with Y2K, the Aldriches reunite on New Year's Eve to celebrate a family member's centennial. The characterizations are superficial and the stories feel rushed, but the ten-volume series remains strong. Black-and-white photos of cultural artifacts enhance the nostalgic mood. [Review covers these Century Kids titles: The 1980's and The 1990's.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(2) 4-6 The sequel to The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn finds Seikei (now adopted by the Sherlock Holmes of Japan, Judge Ooka) solving another case, this one involving mysterious fires and deaths, all of which seem to lead to a famous geisha. Details of Shogun-era Japan are seamlessly woven into a gripping story. Though the resolution is less satisfying than in the first book, the fast-moving plot and a perfectly evoked setting easily carry the novel.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2001

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. As the multigenerational family saga continues, the focus shifts to Gabriella, supervising a crusade to send mail to GIs overseas; Esther, whose parents are secretly working on the atomic bomb; and Japanese-American Ben Tamura, now living at the family's homestead in Maine. The story line is diffuse and several of the subplots peter out, but the historical content (aided by photographic reproductions) remains intriguing.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. The series, tracing the lives of several families through the twentieth century, moves into the 1950s as siblings Matthew and Carol create an integrated rock 'n' roll band with their friends Ronnie and Michelle. The 1960s are represented by African-American Sojie, who participates in a drugstore sit-in, and Chuck, who starts an underground newspaper at school. The prose is facile, though the series concept remains intriguing. [Review covers these Century Kids titles: The 1950s and The 1960s.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. The series, tracing the lives of several families through the twentieth century, moves into the 1950s as siblings Matthew and Carol create an integrated rock 'n' roll band with their friends Ronnie and Michelle. The 1960s are represented by African-American Sojie, who participates in a drugstore sit-in, and Chuck, who starts an underground newspaper at school. The prose is facile, though the series concept remains intriguing. [Review covers these Century Kids titles: The 1950s and The 1960s.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA Covering clothing styles, cosmetics, body shapes, and fitness, this direct, clearly written volume explains American fashions and their historical contexts from 1607 until the present, with an eye to contextualizing current fashion messages. African-American fashions and concerns receive consideration throughout. The black-and-white photos and reproductions, though fascinating, are too skimpy for such a visually based topic. Ind.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. A multigenerational theatrical family is introduced in the first two volumes of a series that follows the Aldriches through each decade of the twentieth century. The group rings in New Year 1900, races Oldsmobiles, and loses relatives on the Titanic. The diffuse plots touch on issues such as women's suffrage and child labor, and while the books' premise is intriguing, the execution is somewhat superficial.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. A multigenerational theatrical family is introduced in the first two volumes of a series that follows the Aldriches through each decade of the twentieth century. The group rings in New Year 1900, races Oldsmobiles, and loses relatives on the Titanic. The diffuse plots touch on issues such as women's suffrage and child labor, and while the books' premise is intriguing, the execution is somewhat superficial.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. Illustrated by Alain Picard. As the century progresses, the now-grown Aldrich children have found careers that too-neatly parallel their childhood interests. The emphasis shifts to Lorraine, an African-American girl living in 1920s Chicago, Tony, who rides the rails during the Depression, and an Aldrich grandson living in Hitler's Germany. Historical figures such as Amelia Earhart appear in these colorful but emotionally limited volumes.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. As the century progresses, the now-grown Aldrich children have found careers that too-neatly parallel their childhood interests. The emphasis shifts to Lorraine, an African-American girl living in 1920s Chicago, Tony, who rides the rails during the Depression, and an Aldrich grandson living in Hitler's Germany. Historical figures such as Amelia Earhart appear in these colorful but emotionally limited volumes.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 In Japan in 1735, Seikei dreams of becoming a samurai--impossible since he's a merchant's son. But after a ruby theft at the Tokaido Inn, samurai Judge Ooka calls on Seikei for help catching the thief, requiring him to infiltrate a kabuki troupe and witness the tragic end of a clan feud. Values of bravery, honor, and respect pervade this thrilling adventure.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Six first-person accounts of girl's lives from the mid-eighteenth to the mid-twentieth century reveal what everyday life was like for girls in a variety of socio-economic circumstances. Underscoring the universalities of feelings and experiences, the girls write about friends, school, family, boys, and other concerns that will resonate with contemporary females. Black-and-white photos illustrate the engaging volume.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute