(4) 4-6 Gormley's admiring profile follows McCain through his childhood and the U.S. Naval Academy before detailing his resistance and resilience while imprisoned and tortured by the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. The remainder of the book, which ends too abruptly, deals with McCain's political career and terminal illness and how his strong character and erratic temperament affected his personal and political lives. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 Real-Life Story series. This in-depth biography examines the life of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who became Pope Francis in 2013, richly detailing his upbringing in Argentina and his progression from Jesuit novice. Bergoglio's humility, love for the poor, and dedication to social justice are emphasized alongside political and social upheavals in Argentina and within the Catholic Church. A well-rounded and -researched portrait. Timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Real-Life Story series. Tracing Mandela's personal and political journeys, this reliable biography tells of a boy from the Madiba clan who had the good fortune of being educated and who became a renowned figure of black South African leadership and international campaigns for justice. An eight-page black-and-white photo insert is well captioned. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(3) 4-6 Real-Life Story series. These well-researched biographies (accompanied by black-and-white photo inserts) detail the subjects' lives, starting with early childhood and moving thoughtfully through career highs and lows. Engaging, accessible descriptions of complicated issues in Bush and Obama balance the mostly complementary tone and provide a compelling introduction to the political process. Jobs respectfully traces the evolution of a sometimes challenging but visionary personality. Timeline. Bib., ind. Review covers these Real-Life Story titles: Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Steve Jobs.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Real-Life Story series. These well-researched biographies (accompanied by black-and-white photo inserts) detail the subjects' lives, starting with early childhood and moving thoughtfully through career highs and lows. Engaging, accessible descriptions of complicated issues in Bush and Obama balance the mostly complementary tone and provide a compelling introduction to the political process. Jobs respectfully traces the evolution of a sometimes challenging but visionary personality. Timeline. Bib., ind. Review covers these Real-Life Story titles: Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Steve Jobs.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) YA Gormley imagines the biblical characters of Mariamne from Magdala and Matthew the tax collector as young people struggling through a difficult adolescence to become followers of Rabbi Yeshua. Gormley's interpretation of Mari's demonic possession strikes a thoughtful balance between literal and symbolic explanations, just as she advocates subtly for a feminist understanding of women's roles and authority within Christianity.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) 4-6 Sterling Biographies series. Attractive layouts and well-chosen images including photographs, paintings, documents (e.g., the police report on Rosa Parks's arrest), etc. make for accessible, if adulatory, biographies of six noteworthy African Americans. Sidebars flesh out historical contexts and important contemporaries. Malcolm X is the most riveting, both because of the subject's criminal past and his controversial beliefs. Across the volumes, quotations aren't cited. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Sterling Biographies titles: Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Marian Anderson, and Frederick Douglass.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) YA When teenage Salome's power-hungry mother marries King Antipas, Salome must give up her calling (to serve the goddess Diana). Instead, she is ultimately manipulated into performing the notorious dance of the seven veils. The multitude of characters and political intrigues are dizzying, especially to those unfamiliar with the Bible story. But in Salome herself, the book builds a multidimensional, sympathetic character.

Reviewer: Karen Watts

(4) 4-6 This well-rounded biography traces Laura Bush's journey from shy Texas schoolgirl to first lady of the United States. Her professional accomplishments as a teacher and librarian and her daily life as a wife and mother are related in competent, if occasionally cloying, prose. The volume includes an insert of color photos showing Bush with her family and at public events. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta