(3) YA People's History series. This informative and entertaining volume recounts the history of American teenagerdom. Originally considered to be "young vagabonds," American teens defined the culture of their times, from the 1920s Jazz Age to the Digital Age of the 1980s and 1990s. The text celebrates the vulnerability and passions of America's youth and its ability to implement change. Well-chosen photographs enhance the presentation. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Ashleigh Finn

(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

(3) YA Civil Rights Struggles Around the World series. These series entries address three struggles in the worldwide history of civil rights. Strong texts provide readers with essential background information on such topics as the ILGWU, apartheid, and Chinese government oppression; the activist movements' beginnings, confrontations, results, and significance within their nations' histories are then discussed. Many dynamic photographs illustrate the information-rich (if dense) volumes. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Civil Rights Struggles Around the World titles: We Stand as One, Open the Jail Doors--We Want to Enter, and Who Will Shout If Not Us?

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) YA People's History series. This book examines the history of incarceration from colonial times to the present. Types and severity of crimes, society's changing attitudes toward treatment of criminals, and construction of and conditions in prisons are discussed. The coherent, readable text adequately presents the pros and cons of prisons and prison reform. Archival photographs and illustrations enhance the book. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(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

(4) 4-6 People to Know Today series. All five of these biographers write about their subjects in glowing terms. With the exception of Frost, the books offer limited, anecdote-heavy information. Many photographs, sidebars, and pull-out quotes support the texts, and their clean design makes the chronologies easy to follow. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these People to Know Today titles: Laura Bush, J.K. Rowling, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Frost, and George W. Bush.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(3) YA Lerner Biographies series. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs, the book charts Carnegie's rise from an ignoble childhood spent working in a cotton mill and as a messenger boy to his glory days as railway and steel mogul. The clear text also addresses the contradictory aspects of Carnegie's psyche, acknowledging both his ruthlessness in business and his philanthropy to schools and libraries. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 How It Was series. Following lengthy introductions that provide factual information, the volumes shift into fictional accounts to provide readers with a picture of a day spent at these locations in their prime. The prose has little literary value, but the scenarios offer a personalized glimpse at the past. Informational sidebars and color photos accompany the texts. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Anne St. John