(3) 4-6 Natural Disaster True Survival Stories series. In a series about real-life disaster survival, these volumes focus on weather-related events in the U.S. In each book, a brief introduction describes the disaster and four or five chapters detail real individuals' involvement. Gripping, you-are-there narratives are supplemented with primary source quotations (footnoted and sourced); photos and other graphics (maps, graphs, diagrams, etc.) provide additional insight. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Natural Disaster True Survival Stories titles: California Wildfires, Hurricane Katrina, and Joplin Tornado.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 SportsZone: Inside Martial Arts series. Each book in this series presents the history, rules, vocabulary, techniques, and key personalities of its sport. While similarities among these sports exist, the authors emphasize how distinct purposes and procedures make each a unique form of martial arts. Aficionados will appreciate the colorful action photographs and the engaging play-by-play depictions of moves that accompany the readable texts. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following SportsZone: Inside Martial Arts titles: Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu,Karate, Aikido, Judo, and Mixed Martial Arts.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Amicus Readers: Be Prepared series. These books focus on how one can prepare for and stay safe during a disaster. In spite of the low reading level, the content covered is likely best used with a parent or teacher who can address concerns, use the additional suggestions, and offer regional specifics that are not included in these superficial overviews. The engaging design includes lots of photos. Websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Amicus Readers: Be Prepared titles: Surviving a Blizzard, Surviving a Fire, Surviving a Flood, Surviving a Hurricane, Surviving a Tornado, and Surviving an Earthquake.

Reviewer: April Spisak

(4) K-3 Amicus Readers: Be Prepared series. These books focus on how one can prepare for and stay safe during a disaster. In spite of the low reading level, the content covered is likely best used with a parent or teacher who can address concerns, use the additional suggestions, and offer regional specifics that are not included in these superficial overviews. The engaging design includes lots of photos. Websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Amicus Readers: Be Prepared titles: Surviving a Blizzard, Surviving a Fire, Surviving a Flood, Surviving a Hurricane, Surviving a Tornado, and Surviving an Earthquake.

Reviewer: April Spisak

(4) K-3 Amicus Readers: Be Prepared series. These books focus on how one can prepare for and stay safe during a disaster. In spite of the low reading level, the content covered is likely best used with a parent or teacher who can address concerns, use the additional suggestions, and offer regional specifics that are not included in these superficial overviews. The engaging design includes lots of photos. Websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Amicus Readers: Be Prepared titles: Surviving a Blizzard, Surviving a Fire, Surviving a Flood, Surviving a Hurricane, Surviving a Tornado, and Surviving an Earthquake.

Reviewer: April Spisak

(4) K-3 Amicus Readers: Be Prepared series. These books focus on how one can prepare for and stay safe during a disaster. In spite of the low reading level, the content covered is likely best used with a parent or teacher who can address concerns, use the additional suggestions, and offer regional specifics that are not included in these superficial overviews. The engaging design includes lots of photos. Websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Amicus Readers: Be Prepared titles: Surviving a Blizzard, Surviving a Fire, Surviving a Flood, Surviving a Hurricane, Surviving a Tornado, and Surviving an Earthquake.

Reviewer: April Spisak

(4) K-3 Amicus Readers: Be Prepared series. These books focus on how one can prepare for and stay safe during a disaster. In spite of the low reading level, the content covered is likely best used with a parent or teacher who can address concerns, use the additional suggestions, and offer regional specifics that are not included in these superficial overviews. The engaging design includes lots of photos. Websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Amicus Readers: Be Prepared titles: Surviving a Blizzard, Surviving a Fire, Surviving a Flood, Surviving a Hurricane, Surviving a Tornado, and Surviving an Earthquake.

Reviewer: April Spisak

(4) K-3 Amicus Readers: Be Prepared series. These books focus on how one can prepare for and stay safe during a disaster. In spite of the low reading level, the content covered is likely best used with a parent or teacher who can address concerns, use the additional suggestions, and offer regional specifics that are not included in these superficial overviews. The engaging design includes lots of photos. Websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Amicus Readers: Be Prepared titles: Surviving a Blizzard, Surviving a Fire, Surviving a Flood, Surviving a Hurricane, Surviving a Tornado, and Surviving an Earthquake.

Reviewer: April Spisak

(4) K-3 A+ Books Bilingüe: Mídelo / Measure It series. Length and Distance shows Sue measuring her pets, her plant, a truck, the depth of a pool, and her own height. Time explains time measurements as Ann's family prepares to go on vacation. Color photos and text are a little awkward in these otherwise helpful bilingual books. Interesting facts about measurement are appended. Websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these A+ Books Bilingüe: Mídelo / Measure It titles: ¿Cómo mides le tiempo? / How Do You Measure Time? and ¿Cómo mides la longitud y la distancia? / How Do You Meaure Length and Distance?.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(4) K-3 A+ Books Bilingüe: Mídelo / Measure It series. Length and Distance shows Sue measuring her pets, her plant, a truck, the depth of a pool, and her own height. Time explains time measurements as Ann's family prepares to go on vacation. Color photos and text are a little awkward in these otherwise helpful bilingual books. Interesting facts about measurement are appended. Websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these A+ Books Bilingüe: Mídelo / Measure It titles: ¿Cómo mides le tiempo? / How Do You Measure Time? and ¿Cómo mides la longitud y la distancia? / How Do You Meaure Length and Distance?.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(4) 4-6 You Choose series. In each of these Choose Your Own Adventure–style books, readers follow three unique perspectives. Both volumes engage reluctant readers in situations where they may experience success, failure, death, or survival depending on their selections. Though the writing style is simplistic and the information limited, readers will come away with a sense of the time periods. Reproductions of artworks enhance the texts. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these You Choose titles: Ancient Egypt and The Middle Ages.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) K-3 Pebble Plus: Life around the World series. This book, featuring photographs of smiling families from many cultures, succeeds in depicting a commonality of human experience. Though maps on every spread indicate where in the world the families are located, most of their activities provide no cultural context ("A family in Germany surfs on their vacation"). Inexplicably, China is featured twice. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) K-3 Pebble Plus: Life around the World series. Though the opening lines are ungrammatical and uninspiring ("Big or small. Flat or tall"), this book ultimately provides an adequate overview of dwelling places around the world. Vibrant large-scale photographs depict the homes within the context of their appropriate climates; world maps show each home's geographical location. A little more informative text on each page would have gone a long way. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) 4-6 Graphic Library: Inventions and Discovery series. Illustrated by Gordon Purcell & Al Milgrom. Darwin's life is split into four parts: childhood interest in nature, observations aboard the Beagle, theory development and writing of the Origin of Species, and reaction to his ideas then and now. The comic-book format, used to entice reluctant readers, provides narrative action and dialogue as well as facts but reduces the biography to a highlights-only tour. Additional information is appended. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford