(4) YA Sometimes funny, sometimes serious, but always irreverent, this compendium of information about issues affecting contemporary American life will be most appreciated by those who already have some knowledge of government, religion, history, and current events. Readers can browse through the text, documentary photos, and cartoons to engage intellectually with the many questions the authors bring to the fore. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 4-6 While investigating her DNA for a school project, middle-school gambler Samara Brooks is shocked to learn that some people think her genetic code is proof of alien life. The story, told through three alternating viewpoints, deftly packs in lots to think about in terms of God, aliens, and intelligent design. The mystery-investigation element is less successful, with an out-of-left-field ending.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) YA In this quirky comedy, Henry "Hen" Birnbaum is having a trying few months. His ex-girlfriend fires him from their band, he's trying to solve the mystery of why his college-grad sister disappeared for a year, and his only stability seems to be his best friend Emma. The premise becomes less than plausible, but the book is enjoyable to read nonetheless.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) YA Hoping to make a connection with crush Celeste Fanucci, New York teen Dave Rosen begins writing an advice column for the school paper under a female pseudonym. Predictable romantic-comedy complications ensue (Dave transfers his affections to one of his anonymous letter writers only to discover it's Celeste) in a volume that's the literary equivalent of a TV sitcom or teen movie: amusing but slick.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 An illness that causes dogs to turn vicious is becoming an epidemic. As the canine population dwindles and the disease begins spreading to humans, fourteen-year-old Logan tries to protect his own pet, Jack, from those who want to quarantine or kill all dogs. Though the narrative is choppy and the conclusion hinges on a rather unlikely coincidence, the novel effectively builds suspense.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Techies series. These run-of-the mill biographies trace the personal and professional lives of three leaders in the computer technology revolution: Jobs of Apple Computer, Andreessen of Netscape, and Bezos of Amazon.com. Jobs is the best of the three with its balanced description of the visionary taskmaster; Bezos is the weakest, due to choppy writing. Bland stock photos add little to the volumes. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) 4-6 Techies series. Although the books in this series include biographical information, their strength is the clear way they present computer history and technology and highlight their subjects' contributions to it. Torvalds's operating system Linux, Ellison's relational database Oracle, and Yang and Filo's Yahoo! search engine are discussed in journalistic prose illustrated with bland, sometimes tangential stock black-and-white photos. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Techies titles: Linus Torvalds, Larry Ellison, Jerry Yang and David Filo.]

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian