(4) K-3 Blends series. Each dull but serviceable easy-reader text repeats a particular blend at least once per spread (e.g., in CR, "I use crayons to make crafts"), providing opportunities for new readers to practice reading the featured letter combination. Bright, relevant photos enliven the spreads. A list of words featuring each blend is appended. Effective if not very enthralling companions to classroom reading lessons. Review covers these Blends titles: Crazy Crayons: The Sound of CR, What Do I Bring?: The Sound of BR, Shoes: the Sound of SH, I Am Glad: The Sound of GL, My Flower Garden: The Sound of FL, and What and Where: The Sound of WH.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Blends series. Each dull but serviceable easy-reader text repeats a particular blend at least once per spread (e.g., in CR, "I use crayons to make crafts"), providing opportunities for new readers to practice reading the featured letter combination. Bright, relevant photos enliven the spreads. A list of words featuring each blend is appended. Effective if not very enthralling companions to classroom reading lessons. Review covers these Blends titles: Crazy Crayons: The Sound of CR, What Do I Bring?: The Sound of BR, Shoes: the Sound of SH, I Am Glad: The Sound of GL, My Flower Garden: The Sound of FL, and What and Where: The Sound of WH.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Consonants series. With no preamble beyond its subtitle (e.g., "The Sound of Hard C"), each volume provides a collection of uninspired, loosely connected easy-reader sentences that feature a particular consonant sound: "At the cabin, I wear my cap. / At the cabin, I call my cat." Bright, full-page stock photos add visual appeal to these dull but serviceable literacy-development supplements. Review covers these Consonants titles: Boxes for Max, A Day with George, Malls, The Cabin, Vets, and Wish and Win.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) 4-6 This text is more comprehensive than many books on the subject, trying to cover all types of libraries, library resources (including DVDs and online resources), the Dewey decimal system, library staffing, and typical activities at school and public libraries. Unfortunately, the page format is distracting, and screen shots of websites and web addresses are hard to decipher. A time line is included. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Our Neighborhood series. Photographs by Romie Flanagan. Color photographs and large print make for accessible introductions to four different occupations. The photos vary in quality, but the simple texts clearly describe the typical activities involved in each job and the roles various family members take to complete the work. Mrs. Scott's Beautiful Art features an artist of Native American descent.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Our Neighborhood series. Photographs by Romie Flanagan. Color photographs and large print make for accessible introductions to four different occupations. The photos vary in quality, but the simple texts clearly describe the typical activities involved in each job and the roles various family members take to complete the work. Mrs. Scott's Beautiful Art features an artist of Native American descent.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Our Neighborhood series. Photographs by Romie Flanagan. Color photographs and large print make for accessible introductions to four different occupations. The photos vary in quality, but the simple texts clearly describe the typical activities involved in each job and the roles various family members take to complete the work. Mrs. Scott's Beautiful Art features an artist of Native American descent.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Our Neighborhood series. Photographs by Romie Flanagan. Color photographs and large print make for accessible introductions to four different occupations. The photos vary in quality, but the simple texts clearly describe the typical activities involved in each job and the roles various family members take to complete the work. Mrs. Scott's Beautiful Art features an artist of Native American descent.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) K-3 Our Neighborhood series. Photographs by Christine Osinski. Full-color photographs and large print make these volumes accessible introductions to different paid and volunteer jobs: soccer coach, mail carrier, police officer, school bus driver, and farmer. Simple texts describe the typical activities involved in each job. Officer Brown features an African-American main character.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Our Neighborhood series. Photographs by Christine Osinski. Full-color photographs and large print make these volumes accessible introductions to different paid and volunteer jobs: soccer coach, mail carrier, police officer, school bus driver, and farmer. Simple texts describe the typical activities involved in each job. Officer Brown features an African-American main character.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Our Neighborhood series. Photographs by Christine Osinski. Full-color photographs and large print make these volumes accessible introductions to different paid and volunteer jobs: soccer coach, mail carrier, police officer, school bus driver, and farmer. Simple texts describe the typical activities involved in each job. Officer Brown features an African-American main character.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Our Neighborhood series. Photographs by Christine Osinski. Full-color photographs and large print make these volumes accessible introductions to different paid and volunteer jobs: soccer coach, mail carrier, police officer, school bus driver, and farmer. Simple texts describe the typical activities involved in each job. Officer Brown features an African-American main character.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) 4-6 Encyclopedia of First Ladies series. Illustrated with black-and-white and color photographs, these biographies emphasize each subject's strengths and contributions to this country. Brief period anecdotes and historic highlights peppered throughout the books place each life within the broader context of her times. Readers will gain a sense how each of these women helped shape her husband's presidency. Time lines are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Mary Burkey

(4) K-3 Our Neighborhood series. Photographs by Christine Osinski. Full-color photographs and large print make these volumes accessible introductions to different paid and volunteer jobs: soccer coach, mail carrier, police officer, school bus driver, and farmer. Simple texts describe the typical activities involved in each job. Officer Brown features an African-American main character.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Our Neighborhood series. Photographs by Romie Flanagan. These books are simple, informative introductions to different occupations: pet store manager, optician, kindergarten teacher, baker, and auto mechanic. Posed, full-color photographs show the daily activities involved in each career. While the volumes fail to bend gender stereotypes (the kindergarten teacher is a woman, and the mechanic is a man), they do feature men and women of different ethnicities.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) K-3 Our Neighborhood series. Photographs by Romie Flanagan. These books are simple, informative introductions to different occupations: pet store manager, optician, kindergarten teacher, baker, and auto mechanic. Posed, full-color photographs show the daily activities involved in each career. While the volumes fail to bend gender stereotypes (the kindergarten teacher is a woman, and the mechanic is a man), they do feature men and women of different ethnicities.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) K-3 Our Neighborhood series. Photographs by Romie Flanagan. These books are simple, informative introductions to different occupations: pet store manager, optician, kindergarten teacher, baker, and auto mechanic. Posed, full-color photographs show the daily activities involved in each career. While the volumes fail to bend gender stereotypes (the kindergarten teacher is a woman, and the mechanic is a man), they do feature men and women of different ethnicities.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) K-3 Our Neighborhood series. Photographs by Romie Flanagan. These books are simple, informative introductions to different occupations: pet store manager, optician, kindergarten teacher, baker, and auto mechanic. Posed, full-color photographs show the daily activities involved in each career. While the volumes fail to bend gender stereotypes (the kindergarten teacher is a woman, and the mechanic is a man), they do feature men and women of different ethnicities.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) K-3 Our Neighborhood series. Photographs by Romie Flanagan. These books are simple, informative introductions to different occupations: pet store manager, optician, kindergarten teacher, baker, and auto mechanic. Posed, full-color photographs show the daily activities involved in each career. While the volumes fail to bend gender stereotypes (the kindergarten teacher is a woman, and the mechanic is a man), they do feature men and women of different ethnicities.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(3) K-3 True Book series. Large-print texts and color photographs make these slim volumes accessible introductions to various Native peoples. Brief chapters provide basic information on family life, food, homes, and religion. The books are particularly helpful in comparing and contrasting historical and contemporary perspectives on many of these topics. Lists of related online websites are included. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.