(3) K-3 Illustrated by Cosei Kawa. Instead of wearing heavy iron braces for her weak legs, the doctor lets young Lily Marks take dance lessons to strengthen them. Thus begins the ascent of the first Jewish prima ballerina assoluta, later known as Alicia Markova. Goddu tells the true story with elegant simplicity; an afterword offers more straightforward biography. Kawa's ornately detailed, stylized illustrations capture the wonder and magic of ballet.

Reviewer: Mariko Turk

(4) 4-6 Monster Mania series. A wide-range of legendary "monsters" are discussed in this series. Each volume focuses on a specific category and details stories from ancient times up through modern pop culture. Color illustrations and photographs feature various depictions of the creatures. The occasionally crammed paragraphs and hurried texts still provide lots of information for curious readers. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Monster Mania titles: Sea Monsters, Beastly Monsters, Magic Monsters, and Undead Monsters.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Monster Mania series. This series volume focuses on monsters from films, notably Godzilla, Frankenstein's monster, and King Kong. The narrative explores their depictions from early cinema to the present, briefly discusses marketing ventures, and looks at how modern scientific advances mimic how Frankenstein's monster was created. The hurried text is a downside, but many photographs and movie stills bring these creatures to life. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) K-3 Cub Reporter Meets Famous Americans series. Illustrated by Doug Jones. Cub Reporter "interviews" American figures who overcame challenges to achieve their goals. Each subject responds to simplistic questions about his or her complicated life (e.g., "What did you think about being a slave?" in Douglass) in a hokey first-person voice. Cartoons of a microphone-holding bear cub alternate with captioned photos or illustrations that extend information. The premise may work for reluctant readers. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Cub Reporter Meets Famous Americans titles: What's Your Story, Amelia Earhart?, What's Your Story, Paul Revere?, What's Your Story, Susan B. Anthony?, and What's Your Story, Frederick Douglass?.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) K-3 Cub Reporter Meets Famous Americans series. Illustrated by Doug Jones. Cub Reporter "interviews" the legendary African American sprinter and Olympic gold medalist. Rudolph responds to simplistic questions about her complicated life in her own hokey "voice" ("Yes, and I was so proud!"). Cartoons of a microphone-holding bear cub alternate with captioned photos that extend information. The premise may work for reluctant readers. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) K-3 Cub Reporter Meets Famous Americans series. Illustrated by Doug Jones. Cub Reporter "interviews" American figures who overcame challenges to achieve their goals. Each subject responds to simplistic questions about his or her complicated life (e.g., "What did you think about being a slave?" in Douglass) in a hokey first-person voice. Cartoons of a microphone-holding bear cub alternate with captioned photos or illustrations that extend information. The premise may work for reluctant readers. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Cub Reporter Meets Famous Americans titles: What's Your Story, Amelia Earhart?, What's Your Story, Paul Revere?, What's Your Story, Susan B. Anthony?, and What's Your Story, Frederick Douglass?.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) YA Presidential Powerhouses series. Through these significant presidencies, this thorough series examines crucial periods in America's history: the birth of a fledgling nation, the War of 1812, the Great Depression and WWII, and the dawn of America's "New Frontier." Each president's early life, administration milestones, and ultimate legacy are discussed in detailed chapters filled with maps and period photos or illustrations. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Presidential Powerhouses titles: Franklin D. Roosevelt's Presidency, George Washington's Presidency, John F. Kennedy's Presidency, and James Madison's Presidency.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) YA This thorough biography limns the life of the acclaimed Jazz Age poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, from her poverty-stricken childhood in Maine to her celebrity as the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. A path-breaking feminist, Vincent had an irrepressible, bohemian spirit that sparks this volume. Photographs and poems further illuminate the story of an extraordinary life. Reading list, timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) 4-6 North American Indian Nations series. These titles introduce Native American peoples living in each geographic area, discussing traditional way of life, spirituality, arts, changes after European influences, and modern times; each concludes with notable Native Americans from the region. The broad texts, covering many native nations within each book, are fractured in their focus but illustrated with helpful maps, photos, and tables. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following North American Indian Nations titles: Native Peoples of the Great Basin, Native Peoples of the Plateau, Native Peoples of the Arctic, Native Peoples of the Subarctic, Native Peoples of California, Native Peoples of the Plains, Native Peoples of the Southwest, and Native Peoples of the Northeast.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) 4-6 North American Indian Nations series. These titles introduce Native American peoples living in each geographic area, discussing traditional way of life, spirituality, arts, changes after European influences, and modern times; each concludes with notable Native Americans from the region. The broad texts, covering many native nations within each book, are fractured in their focus but illustrated with helpful maps, photos, and tables. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following North American Indian Nations titles: Native Peoples of the Great Basin, Native Peoples of the Plateau, Native Peoples of the Arctic, Native Peoples of the Subarctic, Native Peoples of California, Native Peoples of the Plains, Native Peoples of the Southwest, and Native Peoples of the Northeast.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) 4-6 Fact Finders: Primary Source History series. Clear double-page spreads feature a variety of visual elements including charts, graphs, and maps; reproduced photographs and documents; and sidebars with critical-thinking questions. The series purports to promote the importance of primary source material, though the direct quotes in red font are injected rather unnaturally into the narratives. Still, these are adequate starting points for American history research. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Fact Finders: Primary Source History titles: A Primary Source History of U.S. Independence and A Primary Source History of Slavery in the United States.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) 4-6 Short chapters introduce readers to several notable women whose contributions have changed the world of doll making--from nineteenth-century fabric dolls stuffed with sawdust to contemporary plastic dolls. The biographical features will appeal to those who want to learn about the women behind the toys. Directory, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Lauren Rizzuto