(4) 4-6 STEM Trailblazer Bios series. Each volume details the life of a significant person in a STEM-related field. Emphasis is placed on the individual's childhood, education, and development of a specific interest, as well as notable contributions. The prose is stilted but informative, and many photographs are included alongside sidebars of related information and "Tech Talk" quotes by the featured trailblazer. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these STEM Trailblazer Bios titles: Google Cybersecurity Expert Parisa Tabriz, Astronaut and Physicist Sally Ride, Code-Breaker and Mathematician Alan Turing, NASA Astronomer Nancy Grace Roman, Science Educator and Advocate Bill Nye, and Environmental Activist Wangari Maathai.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 4-6 Space Discovery Guides series. These are informative accounts of the people and technologies of space exploration and objects of their study. Numerous recent examples along with historical details explain topics such as space junk, spacecraft missions, and private companies pursuing space tourism. Helpful diagrams and good captioned photographs of scientific work on Earth and in space are included. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Space Discovery Guides titles: Astronauts, Garbage in Space, Private Space Travel, Pluto, and Mars Missions.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 4-6 Space Discovery Guides series. These are informative accounts of the people and technologies of space exploration and objects of their study. Numerous recent examples along with historical details explain topics such as space junk, spacecraft missions, and private companies pursuing space tourism. Helpful diagrams and good captioned photographs of scientific work on Earth and in space are included. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Space Discovery Guides titles: Astronauts, Garbage in Space, Private Space Travel, Pluto, and Mars Missions.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 4-6 Space Discovery Guides series. These are informative accounts of the people and technologies of space exploration and objects of their study. Numerous recent examples along with historical details explain topics such as space junk, spacecraft missions, and private companies pursuing space tourism. Helpful diagrams and good captioned photographs of scientific work on Earth and in space are included. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Space Discovery Guides titles: Astronauts, Garbage in Space, Private Space Travel, Pluto, and Mars Missions.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) YA A tour of internet tinkering begins with innocently inventive cyber explorers and leads progressively into an overview of the latest destructive cyber crimes. The schemes of hackers and other troublemakers are described in detail. Topics such as the "darknet" (internet underworld) and the "digital cold war" raise serious timely questions about increasing surveillance in defense of our expanding cyber space. Reading list, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) YA Oil and natural gas are examined for their contributions to modern life, as well as for the consequences of environmental disasters and contributions to global warming. Thorough coverage of the use and development of petroleum, the politics and science of petrochemicals, and recent controversies are included. Color photographs and diagrams contribute to the discussion. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) YA USA Today's Debate: Voices and Perspectives series. This volume presents a chronological history of drug use (legal and illegal) and the hotly debated topic of legalization. While it doesn't come down on one side, the book does include several sections on drug abuse. Photographs, personal anecdotes, newspaper articles, graphs, and archival drawings provide additional information and perspectives, making the volume's small font and two-column, textbooklike design appear more approachable. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(4) 4-6 In America series. These volumes address various aspects of the immigrant experience, including religious, historical, political, and cultural factors affecting immigration on both sides of the ocean. Clearly written and well supplemented with photos and sidebars, the series is strongest when detailing and humanizing history but often resorts to overgeneralization to describe the featured population. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib, glos., ind. Review covers these In America titles: Japanese in America and Pakistanis in America.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(4) 4-6 Visual Geography series. Color photographs, maps, and sidebars combine with a dry but informative text to provide a comprehensive study of the geography, history, government, people, culture, and economy of the featured country. A website maintained by the publisher offers additional up-to-date information for the report-driven reader. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these titles: North Korea in Pictures, South Korea in Pictures, Turkey in Pictures, and Lebanon in Pictures.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(3) 4-6 In America series. Short chapters highlight the forces that led people from various countries to consider emigration and discuss the challenges they faced in America. Sidebars supply additional nuggets of information and plugs for an enhanced website. Photographs and archival illustrations break up the texts. Each book concludes with a few pages of famous immigrants, past and present. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these In America titles: Chinese in America, Italians in America, Mexicans in America, Vietnamese in America, Irish in America, and Puerto Ricans in America.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(4) 4-6 Visual Geography series. Color photographs, maps, and sidebars combine with a dry but informative text to introduce the geography, history, government, people, cultural life, and economy of Cambodia. The book is intended to be used with a designated website with up-to-date information for the report-driven reader. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) 4-6 Chronicle of America's Wars series. Feldman does an adequate job of detailing the activities that led to World War I, as well as the war itself, but Goldstein is less successful with World War II, where some minor errors add confusion. "Eyewitness quotes," photographs, and maps help break up the sometimes dense text. Occasional double-page spreads focus on topics including weapons and uniforms. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Chronicle of America's Wars titles: World War I and World War II--Europe.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(4) K-3 Our Universe series. Illustrated with color photos, each of these small, square books presents basic facts about a particular body in the solar system (or, in the case of Solar System, the nine planets). Independent readers would be much better served by Seymour Simon's series on the planets, but these brief volumes provide encyclopedia-style information in an easy-to-digest manner. There are seven other fall 2003 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Our Universe titles: Jupiter, Mars, The Moon, Pluto, Saturn, and The Solar System.]

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Our Universe series. Illustrated with color photos, each of these small, square books presents basic facts about a particular body in the solar system (or, in the case of Solar System, the nine planets). Independent readers would be much better served by Seymour Simon's series on the planets, but these brief volumes provide encyclopedia-style information in an easy-to-digest manner. There are seven other fall 2003 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Our Universe titles: Jupiter, Mars, The Moon, Pluto, Saturn, and The Solar System.]

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Our Universe series. Illustrated with color photos, each of these small, square books presents basic facts about a particular body in the solar system (or, in the case of Solar System, the nine planets). Independent readers would be much better served by Seymour Simon's series on the planets, but these brief volumes provide encyclopedia-style information in an easy-to-digest manner. There are seven other fall 2003 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Our Universe titles: Jupiter, Mars, The Moon, Pluto, Saturn, and The Solar System.]

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Our Universe series. Illustrated with color photos, each of these small, square books presents basic facts about a particular body in the solar system (or, in the case of Solar System, the nine planets). Independent readers would be much better served by Seymour Simon's series on the planets, but these brief volumes provide encyclopedia-style information in an easy-to-digest manner. There are seven other fall 2003 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Our Universe titles: Jupiter, Mars, The Moon, Pluto, Saturn, and The Solar System.]

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Our Universe series. Illustrated with color photos, each of these small, square books presents basic facts about a particular body in the solar system (or, in the case of Solar System, the nine planets). Independent readers would be much better served by Seymour Simon's series on the planets, but these brief volumes provide encyclopedia-style information in an easy-to-digest manner. There are seven other fall 2003 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Our Universe titles: Jupiter, Mars, The Moon, Pluto, Saturn, and The Solar System.]

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Our Universe series. Illustrated with color photos, each of these small, square books presents basic facts about a particular body in the solar system (or, in the case of Solar System, the nine planets). Independent readers would be much better served by Seymour Simon's series on the planets, but these brief volumes provide encyclopedia-style information in an easy-to-digest manner. There are seven other fall 2003 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Our Universe titles: Jupiter, Mars, The Moon, Pluto, Saturn, and The Solar System.]

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) 4-6 Visual Geography series. A dry but informative text introduces the geography, history, government, culture, and economy of the featured country. In a textbook-like design, color photographs and maps offer a comprehensive resource for report-driven readers. The books are intended to be used with a designated website. Directory, reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Visual Geography titles: Israel in Pictures, Iran in Pictures, Iraq in Pictures, and Thailand in Pictures.]

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale