(4) 4-6 Cultures of the World series. These in-depth country studies cover everything from geography, history, the environment, and government to food, lifestyles, and the people living in each of these Balkan countries. The wooden prose may turn off casual readers, but report writers will find plenty of information and many clear photographs. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Cultures of the World titles: Slovakia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Albania, and Macedonia.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(4) 4-6 Cultures of the World series. These in-depth country studies cover everything from geography, history, the environment, and government to food, lifestyles, and the people living in each of these Balkan countries. The wooden prose may turn off casual readers, but report writers will find plenty of information and many clear photographs. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Cultures of the World titles: Slovakia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Albania, and Macedonia.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(3) YA Drugs series. In these compelling books, facts about drugs are augmented by a look at the sociology of users and anecdotes about individuals in whose lives drugs have featured for one reason or another. Relevant images, straightforward charts, and interesting sidebars (as about temperance lecturer Carrie Nation, who used a hatchet to destroy saloons) appear throughout. Each book contains a bibliography and/or a reading list. Websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Drugs titles: The Facts about Alcohol, The Facts about Marijuana, The Facts about Ectasy, The Facts about Steroids, and The Facts about Inhalants.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) YA Drugs series. In these compelling books, facts about drugs are augmented by a look at the sociology of users and anecdotes about individuals in whose lives drugs have featured for one reason or another. Relevant images, straightforward charts, and interesting sidebars (as about temperance lecturer Carrie Nation, who used a hatchet to destroy saloons) appear throughout. Each book contains a bibliography and/or a reading list. Websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Drugs titles: The Facts about Alcohol, The Facts about Marijuana, The Facts about Ectasy, The Facts about Steroids, and The Facts about Inhalants.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) YA Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union series. Illustrated by Melanie Reim. Gottfried adds to his series with these two volumes. Fatherland details how WWII and its aftermath affected the Soviet people. Cold War concentrates on Soviet politics after Stalin and how American foreign policy adapted during the post-Stalin era. The informative, clearly documented narrative is complemented by black-and-white photos and a strong design. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union titles: The Cold War and The Great Fatherland War.]

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) YA Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union series. Illustrated by Melanie Reim. Gottfried adds to his series with these two volumes. Fatherland details how WWII and its aftermath affected the Soviet people. Cold War concentrates on Soviet politics after Stalin and how American foreign policy adapted during the post-Stalin era. The informative, clearly documented narrative is complemented by black-and-white photos and a strong design. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union titles: The Cold War and The Great Fatherland War.]

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) YA This exceptionally evenhanded discussion of capital punishment cites famous cases and includes the perspectives of death row inmates, victims' families, politicians, and judges. Illustrated with black-and-white photos, the clearly written text also addresses the issue of racial bias in sentencing. The final chapter graphically explains the methodology of execution. A timeline is included. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Headliners series. Gottfried does a reasonable job making the complex history of the conflict in Northern Ireland understandable for middle school readers. However, the dry text outlines the issues but never makes them personal and the textbook style layout also keeps readers at a distance from the subject. This serviceable book ends with a chronology. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 4-6 Headliners series. The campaign, election-night confusion, and long court battles over hand-counting ballots in the 2000 presidential election are described in strong narrative prose, illustrated with sometimes blurry color photos. A chapter on the history of the electoral college is helpful but could have been more clearly organized. Minor errors aside, this version of events (with timeline) generally captures the situation. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) YA Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union series. Illustrated by Melanie Reim. In Communism, Gottfried calls Communism "a dream that failed..." and traces the complex history of the Russian Empire, the fall of the Tsarist regime, and the beginning of Communist rule with fairness and a clear eye for detail. Stalinist paints a vivid picture of Stalin's political pathology and his hunger for power. Archival photos, a map, and text boxes extend the well-written narrative. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union titles: The Road to Communism and The Stalinist Empire.]

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) YA Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union series. Illustrated by Melanie Reim. In Communism, Gottfried calls Communism "a dream that failed..." and traces the complex history of the Russian Empire, the fall of the Tsarist regime, and the beginning of Communist rule with fairness and a clear eye for detail. Stalinist paints a vivid picture of Stalin's political pathology and his hunger for power. Archival photos, a map, and text boxes extend the well-written narrative. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union titles: The Road to Communism and The Stalinist Empire.]

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) YA Holocaust series. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. These are well-written historical surveys documented by excerpts from primary sources. Heroes focuses on the Jews and Gentiles who risked their lives to save others. Nazi Germany recounts the events that led to World War II and the Nazi conquest of Europe. Martyrs and Children focus on the victims. Stark black-and-white drawings and archival photos illustrate the texts. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) YA Holocaust series. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. These are well-written historical surveys documented by excerpts from primary sources. Heroes focuses on the Jews and Gentiles who risked their lives to save others. Nazi Germany recounts the events that led to World War II and the Nazi conquest of Europe. Martyrs and Children focus on the victims. Stark black-and-white drawings and archival photos illustrate the texts. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) YA Quoting teens who have fathered children and citing case studies, Gottfried debunks commonly held myths to paint a picture of the reality these young dads face. Coverage includes how teen fathers-to-be should prepare for fatherhood, how they can deal with the financial pressures of supporting a family, and support groups teens can turn to. Fuzzy black-and-white photos add little to the narrative. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) YA Holocaust series. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. Similar in design and format to the four previous titles in this series, these two books cover postwar events. Deniers makes clear that the one common strain in all Holocaust revisionism is anti-Semitism and discusses the cases of David Irving, Willis Carto, and the far right in France and Austria. Displaced Persons dramatically illustrates the unjust treatment surviving Jews received at the hands of the Allies and, sketchily, the formation of Israel. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Holocaust titles: Deniers of the Holocaust and Displaced Persons.]

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) YA Holocaust series. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. Similar in design and format to the four previous titles in this series, these two books cover postwar events. Deniers makes clear that the one common strain in all Holocaust revisionism is anti-Semitism and discusses the cases of David Irving, Willis Carto, and the far right in France and Austria. Displaced Persons dramatically illustrates the unjust treatment surviving Jews received at the hands of the Allies and, sketchily, the formation of Israel. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Holocaust titles: Deniers of the Holocaust and Displaced Persons.]

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) YA The two sides of the legalization debate are intelligently explored in separate chapters, with the rest of the volume devoted to the history of drug abuse, the war on drugs, and other related topics. The text is frequently broken by intrusive subheadings, giving the book a choppy quality. The accompanying black-and-white photographs are often too dark. A chronology is included. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) YA Holocaust series. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. These are well-written historical surveys documented by excerpts from primary sources. Heroes focuses on the Jews and Gentiles who risked their lives to save others. Nazi Germany recounts the events that led to World War II and the Nazi conquest of Europe. Martyrs and Children focus on the victims. Stark black-and-white drawings and archival photos illustrate the texts. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) YA Holocaust series. Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. These are well-written historical surveys documented by excerpts from primary sources. Heroes focuses on the Jews and Gentiles who risked their lives to save others. Nazi Germany recounts the events that led to World War II and the Nazi conquest of Europe. Martyrs and Children focus on the victims. Stark black-and-white drawings and archival photos illustrate the texts. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) YA Headliners series. Although continuing developments in the Middle East belie the book's cautiously optimistic tone, students can learn the history behind the conflict between Israeli Jews and Palestinians in this evenhanded volume. From 1500 B.C.E. to May 2000, the factions, leaders, wars, and peace negotiations are described in clear prose. Black-and-white and color photos and a time line are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam