(3) 4-6 Goal! Latin Stars of Soccer series. The international soccer stars highlighted in these small-trim, quick biographical profiles have all overcome injuries, family pressures, and professional challenges to become world-class athletes. Supplemented with color photos and a listing of each star's career highlights and awards, the well-written narratives effectively weave subjects' personal stories and athletic achievements into bios that will inform and inspire young soccer fans. Websites. Ind. Review covers these Goal! Latin Stars of Soccer titles: Soccer Star André Iniesta, Soccer Star Kaká, Soccer Star Robinho, Soccer Star Cristiano Ronaldo, Soccer Star Lionel Messi, and Soccer Star Ronaldinho.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 Goal! Latin Stars of Soccer series. The international soccer stars highlighted in these small-trim, quick biographical profiles have all overcome injuries, family pressures, and professional challenges to become world-class athletes. Supplemented with color photos and a listing of each star's career highlights and awards, the well-written narratives effectively weave subjects' personal stories and athletic achievements into bios that will inform and inspire young soccer fans. Websites. Ind. Review covers these Goal! Latin Stars of Soccer titles: Soccer Star André Iniesta, Soccer Star Kaká, Soccer Star Robinho, Soccer Star Cristiano Ronaldo, Soccer Star Lionel Messi, and Soccer Star Ronaldinho.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) YA African-American Icons series. These biographies highlight contemporary African American singers and actors. The texts don't sugarcoat their subjects' lives (e.g., Jay-Z's drug dealing past is fair game, along with Oprah's criticism of his songs' use of the N-word). Many of the sound-bite-ish quotes come from pop-culture interviews ("According to People magazine..."; "...he later told Playboy magazine..."). Oddly, no photos or illustrations are included. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these African-American Icons titles: Jay-Z, Chris Rock, Tyler Perry, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Jennifer Hudson, and Beyoncé.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA African-American Biography Library series. Beginning with his historically significant accomplishments at the 1936 Olympics in Germany--"Hitler's Olympics"--this accessible (if somewhat superficial) biography provides basic information on the early life, career, and legacy of the great African American track-and-field star Owens. Numerous archival photographs and occasional sidebars provide historical context. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) 4-6 Hot Celebrity Biographies series. These adulatory biographies cover the rise to fame of some of today's most popular young stars in the music, television, and film industries. The high-interest texts, while superficial, are easy to read; sidebars provide trivia tidbits for fans. Ample publicity photographs and discographies or filmographies are included. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Hot Celebrity Biographies titles: Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Robert Pattinson, Selena Gomez, Taylor Lautner, and Taylor Swift.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(4) YA American Rebels series. These biographies introduce iconoclastic, boundary-pushing individuals, from Elvis and his dangerous-seeming sensuality to Malcolm X's militant approach to civil rights. Each volume begins with a scene from a turning point in the subject's life, then details his rise to fame, personal and professional hardships, and legacy. Photographs, sidebars, and pull-quotes help break up the dense texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these American Rebels titles: John Lennon, Malcolm X, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(4) YA Rebels of Rock series. These "unauthorized rockographies" are good starting points for rock-and-roll researchers (though they should take the super-stoked narration with a grain of salt). Each volume provides detailed descriptions of the title band's members, history, and career highs and lows. Clean design, including many photographs, makes the information easy to follow; photo captions tend to repeat rather than extend the texts. Discographies are included. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Rebels of Rock titles: Black Sabbath, The Clash, The Ramones, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, and The Rolling Stones.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 Americans--The Spirit of a Nation series. From heroes and heroines to bandits and beloved American icons, these balanced titles consistently sort fact from fiction and confirm each figure's place in history. First chapters successfully introduce the subjects and draw readers in by describing dynamic events. Archival photographs, maps, primary sources, and sidebars combine with dry but informative texts to complete these well-documented biographies. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Americans--The Spirit of a Nation titles: Jesse James, Dolley Madison, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, John Brown, Harriet Tubman, Billy the Kid, and Johnny Appleseed.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) YA Celebrities with Heart series. These celebrity biographies reflect on the philanthropic efforts of famous people. Each volume focuses on its subject's rise to fame and fortune, beginning with childhood and not shying away from difficult situations (e.g., McGraw's biological father, Winfrey's rape). The stock photos and choppy texts aren't all that inspiring, but the stories are. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these Celebrities with Heart titles: Avril Lavigne, Hilary Duff, Oprah Winfrey, Adam Sandler, Angelina Jolie, and Tim McGraw.

Reviewer: Ashleigh Finn

(4) YA American Rebels series. These biographies introduce iconoclastic, boundary-pushing individuals, from Elvis and his dangerous-seeming sensuality to Malcolm X's militant approach to civil rights. Each volume begins with a scene from a turning point in the subject's life, then details his rise to fame, personal and professional hardships, and legacy. Photographs, sidebars, and pull-quotes help break up the dense texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these American Rebels titles: John Lennon, Malcolm X, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(4) 4-6 People to Know Today series. Opening with a highlight or turning point in the subjects' lives, these generally laudatory biographies provide adequate (though generic) introductions to well-known personalities. Some of the accompanying photographs and sidebars are interesting, but others do little to enhance or elevate the texts. Hillary Clinton frequently shifts its focus to Bill. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these People to Know Today titles: Hillary Clinton, Steven Spielberg, and Bono.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(3) 4-6 Americans--The Spirit of a Nation series. Archival photographs, maps, primary sources, and well-documented citations combine with comprehensive texts to provide worthy biographies of two American icons. These titles sort fact from fiction and show the passionate determination that established Barton's and Poe's places in history. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Americans--The Spirit of a Nation titles: Edgar Allan Poe and Clara Barton.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) YA American Rebels series. The books offer accounts of the lives of these legendary musicians, writers, and actors. Although the authors spend considerable time on the subjects' early lives and career highlights, a concluding chapter in each book helps explain their lasting appeal and fame. The pull-quotes are well chosen, but more photos would have helped break up the dense-looking text. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these American Rebels titles: Kurt Cobain, James Dean, Jimi Hendrix, and Jack Kerouac.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang