(3) 4-6 Great Building Feats series. Drawings and photographs illustrate how this amphitheater was constructed despite the many geographic and engineering challenges it presented. In addition to providing a comprehensive level-by-level description of the building itself, the clear, well-written chapters discuss the role the Colosseum played in politics and culture from its origins through modern times. Maps, reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(3) 4-6 Great Building Feats series. Color photos, architectural drawings, and archival illustrations contribute to this comprehensive overview of this famous tomb, a national landmark that has played a key role in Indian culture. In addition to documenting the construction of this world-renowned structure, the clear, well-organized text explains the rise and fall of the Mughal Empire. Maps, reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(3) 4-6 Great Building Feats series. The books in this series provide in-depth overviews of the need for, construction of, and modern usage of three architectural milestones. These generally well-written accounts, illustrated with reproductions and photos, should fascinate budding architects and historians. Maps, reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Great Building Feats titles: The Channel Tunnel, The Hoover Dam, and The New York Subways.]

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(3) 4-6 Great Building Feats series. DuTemple describes the Emperor Hadrian and his probable reasons for rebuilding the Pantheon (fire destroyed it several years earlier), the materials and designs involved in the construction, and what modern architects have discovered. This well-written account, illustrated with reproductions and modern photos, should fascinate budding architects and historians. Maps, reading list, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(3) 4-6 Great Building Feats series. DuTemple details the history of wall building in ancient China, Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi's tyrannical insistence on a "Great Wall," as well as what improvements, expansions, and deterioration subsequent rulers allowed. This well-written account, illustrated with reproductions and modern photos, should fascinate budding architects and historians. Maps, reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(3) 4-6 Great Building Feats series. The books in this series provide in-depth overviews of the need for, construction of, and modern usage of three architectural milestones. These generally well-written accounts, illustrated with reproductions and photos, should fascinate budding architects and historians. Maps, reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Great Building Feats titles: The Channel Tunnel, The Hoover Dam, and The New York Subways.]

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(4) 4-6 Great Building Feats series. This book gives an in-depth profile of the Panama Canal, from Christopher Columbus's exploration to the handing over of the canal to Panama in 1999. Although full of details about the construction, the book barely touches on the effects on the native population and plant and animal life. Maps, reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(4) YA A & E Biography series. These biographies offer straightforward information about their subjects in accurate, if adulatory, packages. Illustrated mostly with low-grade black-and-white photos, along with a few color photos, these books generally afford serviceable, well-documented introductions to their subjects. Crazy Horse, Cousteau, and Gandhi contain time lines; Gates, Sagan, and Gandhi contain glossaries. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) 4-6 Carolrhoda Nature Watch series. This clearly written text describes the differences between the four subspecies of moose living in North America (Alaskan, Shiras, northwestern, and eastern) and discusses predators, mating season, calves, adaptations to cold weather, and the effects of loss of habitat due to development. Crisp color photos illustrate this look at the largest member of the deer family. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) 4-6 Endangered Animals and Habitats series. Despite the somewhat drab black-and-white photos, these books contain a wealth of useful content for students working on school reports. Topics covered include pesticides and birds of prey, recreational threats to coral reefs, and rehabilitation of orangutans sold as pets. Each title includes a list of related organizations. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(4) YA Modern Nations of the World series. Dense texts and murky black-and-white photos impair the effectiveness of these three European country studies, which survey each nation's history (including the ancient era), contemporary culture, and prospects for the future. Information boxes contain supplemental information on significant people, places, and events but don't liven up the drab appearance of these books. Time lines are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Carolrhoda Nature Watch series. Clear, well-captioned, full-color photographs illustrate the information presented on each page. The accessible, if somewhat dry, texts cover cranes' and puffins' physical characteristics, diet, mating habits, care of young, and protection efforts. Cranes includes discussion on captive breeding programs and conservation work. Both books are good introductions to these birds. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) YA Overview series. These well-researched volumes, illustrated with small black-and-white photos, offer in-depth discussions. Spills examines both the highly publicized and little-seen ways oil enters the environment, its effects, and clean-up practices and preventive measures. Wilderness explores the environmental movement, the national park system, struggles between commercial and conservation groups, and the future of wilderness management. Spills contains a glossary. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(4) K-3 Early Bird Nature Books series. Photographs by Frank Staub. These introductions use simple, somewhat condescending language and numerous color photographs to discuss the lives and habitats of these mammals. Difficult words have pronunciations next to them, and the books begin with a list of relevant words, which readers are encouraged to look for in the text. A section for adults at the end of the books talks about reading with a child, offering questions for discussion. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) K-3 Early Bird Nature Books series. Photographs by William Munoz. These introductions use simple, somewhat condescending language and numerous color photographs to discuss the lives and habitats of these mammals. Difficult words have pronunciations next to them, and the books begin with a list of relevant words, which readers are encouraged to look for in the text. A section for adults at the end of the books talks about reading with a child, offering questions for discussion. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.