(3) YA People's History series. Imagine picnicking in the shade of a tall tree or snapping a photo of a smiling couple getting married--in a cemetery. Without a hint of morbidity, Greene walks with readers amongst ornately carved headstones and flat lawn plaques in this well-researched volume. Accessible writing, accompanied by sepia-toned photographs, explains how history, art, culture, and beliefs about death intersect in American cemeteries. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Laura A. Woollett

(4) YA Gallup Major Trends and Events series. Both books use data from Gallup polls taken in the last hundred years to explore Americans' views on the topics. The volume on health care includes chapters about cigarettes, euthanasia, public health threats, and aging. The writing is clear, but these complex issues tend to be oversimplified. Charts, graphs, and photographs (some stiffly staged) help support the text. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Gallup Major Trends and Events titles: Obesity and Health Care.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) 4-6 People's History series. Accompanied by sepia-toned images, this solidly written history presents a picture of bold ex-slaves and freedmen taking charge of their lives and their families, determined to not be returned to bondage. Excerpts from slave narratives add authenticity. Includes the text of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, and the 1875 Civil Rights Act. Reading list, source notes, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Deborah L. Thompson

(4) 4-6 Famous Figures of the Civil War Era series. Illustrated with reproductions of photos and a few other documents from the period, the books in this series capably introduce their subjects to young readers. Some complex topics are glossed over, but all the books offer a brief account of these men's lives up to the Civil War and considerably more detail about their involvement in it. An individual chronology and a timeline are appended. There are five other new books in this series. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these titles: George Gordon Meade, Stephen A. Douglas, John Brown, William Henry Seward, James Ewell Brown Stuart.]

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) YA Five notable sites, including New York City's Five Points neighborhood and the slave quarters at Monticello, are examined in well-documented narratives that show how contemporary archaeological studies can support or contradict historical records. Although the prose is sometimes flat and slowly paced, the material about archaeological methodology is fascinating. The book is illustrated with black-and-white photos. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Revolutionary War Leaders series. The books in this series profile such individuals as Kosciuszko, whose engineering genius enabled the American army to safely retreat from Fort Ticonderoga, and Burgoyne, who underestimated the enemy. Illustrated with black-and-white and color reproductions, the text is also broken up by sometimes irrelevant sidebars. There are five other new books in this series. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these titles: Baron von Steuben, Molly Pitcher, George Rogers Clark, Thaddeus Kosciuszko, John Burgoyne.]

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(4) 4-6 Ice Hockey Legends series. Each of the books begins with an action-packed chapter focusing on a decisive ice hockey game, then goes back to trace the athlete's journey from childhood to the NHL and, except for Kariya, an Olympic hockey team. Personal information is sometimes glossed over in favor of sports details, but fans probably won't mind. The accompanying black-and-white photographs are often mediocre. Time lines and player stats are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 In this commendable survey, Greene skillfully intersperses her clear, concise text with excerpts from slave narratives, diaries, and other archival sources. A note at the front of the book explains the development of the slave dialect contained in these quoted sources. Most of the sepia-toned photographs and illustrations inform the text well. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Deborah L. Thompson