(3) YA Odysseys in Government series. Designed for advanced middle-school readers and up, this series focusing on four well-known government systems aims to increase understanding of the basic concepts on which each ideology is based. Readers are encouraged to compare and contrast policies and practices and acquire information about important leaders. Glossy photographs and art, a roomy page layout, and inserts on related topics increase interest. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Odysseys in Government titles: Communism, Dictatorship, Monarchy, and Democracy.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) YA Odysseys in Government series. Designed for advanced middle-school readers and up, this series focusing on four well-known government systems aims to increase understanding of the basic concepts on which each ideology is based. Readers are encouraged to compare and contrast policies and practices and acquire information about important leaders. Glossy photographs and art, a roomy page layout, and inserts on related topics increase interest. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Odysseys in Government titles: Communism, Dictatorship, Monarchy, and Democracy.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) YA Odysseys in Government series. Designed for advanced middle-school readers and up, this series focusing on four well-known government systems aims to increase understanding of the basic concepts on which each ideology is based. Readers are encouraged to compare and contrast policies and practices and acquire information about important leaders. Glossy photographs and art, a roomy page layout, and inserts on related topics increase interest. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Odysseys in Government titles: Communism, Dictatorship, Monarchy, and Democracy.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) YA Odysseys in Artistry series. Compiled from primary sources, these artist biographies provide a wealth of information, including detailed descriptions about the subjects' lives and major works. Expansive "In His Words" concluding chapters contain the artists' own writings with contextualizing introductions. Exceptionally wide margins create a clean, straightforward format, and helpful captions accompany frequent full-page paintings and/or photographs. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Odysseys in Artistry titles: Vincent van Gogh, Frank Lloyd Wright, Pablo Picasso, and Michelangelo.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(3) YA Odysseys in Artistry series. Compiled from primary sources, these artist biographies provide a wealth of information, including detailed descriptions about the subjects' lives and major works. Expansive "In His Words" concluding chapters contain the artists' own writings with contextualizing introductions. Exceptionally wide margins create a clean, straightforward format, and helpful captions accompany frequent full-page paintings and/or photographs. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Odysseys in Artistry titles: Vincent van Gogh, Frank Lloyd Wright, Pablo Picasso, and Michelangelo.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(4) YA Voices in Poetry series. Illustrated by Marcel Imsand. In these revised editions, excerpts from each poet's work alternate with biographical passages describing major influences or periods in the artist's life. The arty design calls attention to itself; every page is decorated with a photograph (in Shakespeare's case, a drawing) or a themed illustration: flowers for Dickinson, historical postal stamps for Hughes, leaves for Whitman, etc. The tiny type may put off some readers. Ind. Review covers these Voices in Poetry titles: E. E. Cummings, Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, William Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, and Walt Whitman.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) K-3 Active Sports series. Impressive photographs are the cornerstones of a series powered by its glossy design. Easy-to-read sentences provide very simple introductions to each sport, though the information can be misleading or imprecise, (e.g., after the statement "Wearing a helmet is important in rock climbing," the remainder of that book shows climbers without helmets). Glos., ind. Review covers these Active Sports titles: Bicycling, Rock Climbing, Skateboarding, and Snowboarding.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) K-3 Active Sports series. Impressive photographs are the cornerstones of a series powered by its glossy design. Easy-to-read sentences provide very simple introductions to each sport, though the information can be misleading or imprecise, (e.g., after the statement "Wearing a helmet is important in rock climbing," the remainder of that book shows climbers without helmets). Glos., ind. Review covers these Active Sports titles: Bicycling, Rock Climbing, Skateboarding, and Snowboarding.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) K-3 Active Sports series. Impressive photographs are the cornerstones of a series powered by its glossy design. Easy-to-read sentences provide very simple introductions to each sport, though the information can be misleading or imprecise, (e.g., after the statement "Wearing a helmet is important in rock climbing," the remainder of that book shows climbers without helmets). Glos., ind. Review covers these Active Sports titles: Bicycling, Rock Climbing, Skateboarding, and Snowboarding.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) 4-6 Forms of Government series. This series compares and contrasts four different forms of political leadership. A brief history of the origins, status, and characteristics of each type of government is presented, along with the principal countries and personalities involved in its evolution. Lengthy blocks of text may be off-putting to struggling readers. Inserts and photographs, both recent and archival, provide insight and interest. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Forms of Government titles: Communism, Dictatorship, Monarchy, and Democracy.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Forms of Government series. This series compares and contrasts four different forms of political leadership. A brief history of the origins, status, and characteristics of each type of government is presented, along with the principal countries and personalities involved in its evolution. Lengthy blocks of text may be off-putting to struggling readers. Inserts and photographs, both recent and archival, provide insight and interest. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Forms of Government titles: Communism, Dictatorship, Monarchy, and Democracy.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Forms of Government series. This series compares and contrasts four different forms of political leadership. A brief history of the origins, status, and characteristics of each type of government is presented, along with the principal countries and personalities involved in its evolution. Lengthy blocks of text may be off-putting to struggling readers. Inserts and photographs, both recent and archival, provide insight and interest. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Forms of Government titles: Communism, Dictatorship, Monarchy, and Democracy.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 What in the World? series. This book sets the scene during World War II, then focuses on atomic bomb developer Robert Oppenheimer. The many photographs and sidebars include tangential material that, intended to provide historical perspective, often diffuses focus (e.g., a full-page illustration explaining how the creators of Curious George escaped Europe during the war, but not its relevance). Small type is difficult to read. Timeline. Ind.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(4) 4-6 What in the World? series. What's unclear from the title is that this is primarily a historical overview of the British postage stamp. Though its depiction of colonialism tends toward the romantic, the book provides an unusual look at the importance of correspondence to the British Empire. This visually arresting title includes numerous period reproductions and sidebars, though the small type is hard to read. Timeline. Ind.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(3) 4-6 Modern Wonders of the World series. These informative introductions to manmade American landmarks address the historical background, building/sculpting process, and significance of each project. Challenges such as finding the right mountain to carve, adapting a bridge in an earthquake zone, and building an early skyscraper are highlighted. The accessible text is accented by strong photographs and appealing layouts. Maps, "Quick Facts." Glos., ind. Review covers these Modern Wonders of the World titles: Mount Rushmore, Golden Gate Bridge, and Empire State Building.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) 4-6 What in the World? series. This book details not only Beethoven's process composing his Fifth Symphony but also the historical context of nineteenth-century Vienna and the rest of the world (most notably, Africa and the Americas). Sidebar text also gives specific details about worldwide events, inventions, and discoveries. Although the small type may frustrate readers, the illustrations (mostly reproductions of period artwork) help tell the story. Timeline. Ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) 4-6 What in the World? series. For this crosscultural series, Fandel demonstrates both the egalitarianism that spurred the metric system's completion in 1799 and the painstaking surveys that astronomers Delambre and Méchain did. Events--both related and unrelated--in countries including the U.S., Benin, Japan, and Russia appear in both the text (though the small type may be troublesome to some) and compelling art reproductions. Timeline. Ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) 4-6 What in the World? series. This book discusses Edison's most famous invention culturally and chronologically. Carefully selected reproductions and the small-type text cover the nineteenth century in general, then narrow to Edison's life, work, and contemporaries. Fandel pays particular attention to what Edison accomplished with the light bulb and a system to distribute electricity. Timeline. Ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) YA Voices in Poetry series. Photographs by Marcel Imsand. These introductions to the work of Shakespeare and the American poet Williams combine skillfully distilled biographical information and excerpts from each writer's work with photos, illustrations, period reproductions, and facsimiles. There's probably not enough information here to use for full-blown reports, but these beautifully designed volumes will nonetheless appeal to readers. Ind. [Review covers these Voices in Poetry titles: William Carols Williams and William Shakespeare.]

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute