(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Secrets of American History series. Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti. The lively easy-reader series about American history continues to offer beginning readers entertaining and lesser-known facts surrounding popular topics. This edition covers monuments and landmarks, in particular the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, FDR's secret train station under the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and Mount Rushmore. Fabbretti's amusing illustrations add an extra level of kid-friendly interest. Facts and a quiz are appended.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Secrets of American History series. Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti. The lively easy-reader series about American history continues to offer beginning readers entertaining and lesser-known facts surrounding popular topics. This edition features stories about the Space Race; secret satellites; and early research about living in space and the effect of gravity on human bodies. Fabbretti's amusing cartoonlike illustrations add an extra level of kid-friendly interest. Facts and a quiz are appended.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 American Museum of Natural History series. These volumes highlight the science and technology of the International Space Station (Life in Space) and rover explorations of Mars (Mission to Mars). Clear texts explain why these missions have been undertaken and how findings contribute to our knowledge of planets and human endurance in space. Striking images show the surface of Mars, a variety of spacecraft, and astronauts at work. Ind. Review covers these titles: Mission to Mars and Life in Space.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Secrets of American History series. Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti. This engaging easy reader pairs accessible, level-appropriate prose with full-color kid-friendly illustrations to introduce exciting, lesser-known facts about World War I. Choctaw Indian code talkers, razzle dazzle painting on ships for camouflage, and the story of pilot Eugene Bullard are covered. Back matter includes further explanations, craft ideas, a section on animal heroes, and a quiz.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 American Museum of Natural History series. These volumes highlight the science and technology of the International Space Station (Life in Space) and rover explorations of Mars (Mission to Mars). Clear texts explain why these missions have been undertaken and how findings contribute to our knowledge of planets and human endurance in space. Striking images show the surface of Mars, a variety of spacecraft, and astronauts at work. Ind. Review covers these titles: Mission to Mars and Life in Space.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Secrets of American History series. Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti. This dip into history, accompanied by full-color cartoonlike illustrations, provides an engaging beginning-reader overview of World War II's lesser-known intrigues. After introducing the war, the focus shifts to the creation of shark repellent, using ghost armies, and a biographical sketch of American spy Virginia Hall. Additional details about sharks, measuring areas, and spies are appended, along with a quiz.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Secrets of American History series. Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti. Spy tactics and tricks of the founding fathers and their companions are revealed in this entertaining beginning-reader look at Revolutionary War history. Full-color cartoonlike illustrations accompany brief level-appropriate chapters providing a general overview of the war in addition to the more kid-friendly topics of secret messages, invisible ink, and codes. Activities and a quiz are appended.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Secrets of American History series. Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti. This beginning reader introduces unconventional, heroic spies of the Civil War. Lakin's engaging, accessible prose and Fabbretti's cartoonlike illustrations tell the stories of several African American former slaves who played important roles, including Harriet Tubman, Mary Elizabeth Bowser, and Robert Smalls. Brief biographies of female soldiers, an overview of the American flag, information about ciphers, and a quiz are appended.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) 4-6 See American History series. Illustrated by Mort Künstler. Axelrod (Revolutionary) and Robertson (Civil; West) describe major facets of two American wars and the exploration and "settlement" of the American west. Each spread contains an accurate, matter-of-factly written summary about an event, animated and informed by Künstler's color paintings and portraits, but there are inadequate textual transitions between sections. An appendix identifies "key people" who played important roles in these historical periods. Timeline. Review covers the following See American History titles: The Revolutionary War, The Civil War, and The Wild West.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 See American History series. Illustrated by Mort Künstler. Axelrod (Revolutionary) and Robertson (Civil; West) describe major facets of two American wars and the exploration and "settlement" of the American west. Each spread contains an accurate, matter-of-factly written summary about an event, animated and informed by Künstler's color paintings and portraits, but there are inadequate textual transitions between sections. An appendix identifies "key people" who played important roles in these historical periods. Timeline. Review covers the following See American History titles: The Revolutionary War, The Civil War, and The Wild West.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 See American History series. Illustrated by Mort Künstler. Robertson's straightforward, factual text--enhanced by Künstler's detail-driven color paintings and portraits--focuses on American military strategy and activity during WWII. Each spread accurately and succinctly summarizes a major war event, but with very little transition. Endpaper maps display the European and Pacific theaters. An appendix briefly describes the military and political leaders who played important roles in the war. Timeline.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 See American History series. Illustrated by Mort Künstler. Axelrod (Revolutionary) and Robertson (Civil; West) describe major facets of two American wars and the exploration and "settlement" of the American west. Each spread contains an accurate, matter-of-factly written summary about an event, animated and informed by Künstler's color paintings and portraits, but there are inadequate textual transitions between sections. An appendix identifies "key people" who played important roles in these historical periods. Timeline. Review covers the following See American History titles: The Revolutionary War, The Civil War, and The Wild West.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Fact Finders: Cause and Effect: American Indian History series. By clearly delineating their causes and effects, these books briefly recount two tragic events in U.S./Native American history: Custer's ill-fated attempt to bring Lakota tribes into submission (Last) and the Cherokee Nation's removal from the east to Indian Territory in Oklahoma (Forced). Illustrations, charts, and maps enhance the lackluster texts. Common Core critical thinking prompts are included. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Fact Finders: Cause and Effect: American Indian History titles: Last Stand and Forced Removal.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Fact Finders: Cause and Effect: American Indian History series. By clearly delineating their causes and effects, these books briefly recount two tragic events in U.S./Native American history: Custer's ill-fated attempt to bring Lakota tribes into submission (Last) and the Cherokee Nation's removal from the east to Indian Territory in Oklahoma (Forced). Illustrations, charts, and maps enhance the lackluster texts. Common Core critical thinking prompts are included. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Fact Finders: Cause and Effect: American Indian History titles: Last Stand and Forced Removal.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 African-American History series. These titles provide basic introductions to these concurrent and related movements, though both suffer from choppily written texts ("Martin Luther King Jr. disagreed. He thought peaceful protests were best"). The timeline goes to 1975 in Power and to 1968 in Civil Rights, which limits readers' ability to contextualize current events. Photos and sidebars supplement the information. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these African-American History titles: The Black Power Movement and The Civil Rights Movement.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(3) K-3 American Museum of Natural History Easy Readers series. From fastest runners and swimmers to deep-water and desert dwellers, these volumes present some extreme traits and habitats of animals ranging from the familiar (cheetahs, polar bears) to the unusual (giant tubeworms, microscopic water bears). The striking color photographs and astounding facts delivered via engaging prose ("It can grab an insect faster than you can blink your eyes") will captivate beginning readers. Review covers these American Museum of Natural History Easy Readers titles: Extreme Survivors and World's Fastest Animals.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 American Museum of Natural History Easy Readers series. From fastest runners and swimmers to deep-water and desert dwellers, these volumes present some extreme traits and habitats of animals ranging from the familiar (cheetahs, polar bears) to the unusual (giant tubeworms, microscopic water bears). The striking color photographs and astounding facts delivered via engaging prose ("It can grab an insect faster than you can blink your eyes") will captivate beginning readers. Review covers these American Museum of Natural History Easy Readers titles: Extreme Survivors and World's Fastest Animals.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) 4-6 African-American History series. These titles provide basic introductions to these concurrent and related movements, though both suffer from choppily written texts ("Martin Luther King Jr. disagreed. He thought peaceful protests were best"). The timeline goes to 1975 in Power and to 1968 in Civil Rights, which limits readers' ability to contextualize current events. Photos and sidebars supplement the information. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these African-American History titles: The Black Power Movement and The Civil Rights Movement.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(3) K-3 American Museum of Natural History Easy Readers series. Exceptionally beautiful color photographs grace the glossy pages of these succinct and engagingly written nonfiction titles. While the names of some of the animals, such as bombardier beetle or Lonomia caterpillar, may stymie some young readers at first encounter, they will delight in the facts they glean about the esoteric creatures. Review covers these American Museum of Natural History Easy Readers titles: Deadly and Dangerous and Strangest Animals.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) K-3 American Museum of Natural History Easy Readers series. Exceptionally beautiful color photographs grace the glossy pages of these succinct and engagingly written nonfiction titles. While the names of some of the animals, such as bombardier beetle or Lonomia caterpillar, may stymie some young readers at first encounter, they will delight in the facts they glean about the esoteric creatures. Review covers these American Museum of Natural History Easy Readers titles: Deadly and Dangerous and Strangest Animals.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin