(3) 4-6 Dog Chronicles series. Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery. Leo, a tough ratting dog aboard Magellan's ship Trinidad, tells the harrowing tale of the quest to sail around the world. Details of the filth, hunger, vermin, mutinies, cruelty, and death that plague the expedition create a vivid picture of Magellan's voyage. Human characters include scribe Antonio Pigafetta, whose scrupulously recorded notes remain today. End notes add context. Reading list. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(3) 4-6 Dog Chronicles series. Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery. Set in 1909 Illinois, this suspenseful tale is told by Finder, a failed hunting dog. Desperate to keep his dog, fourteen-year-old Thomas, recently sent to work in the mines, teaches Finder to pull a coal cart underground. When fire breaks out, Thomas and Finder become heroes. Scratchlike illustrations appear throughout. True events behind the story are detailed in an appendix. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(3) 4-6 Dog Chronicles series. Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery. After escaping a cruel owner, Alaskan sled dog Murphy finds a home with eleven-year-old Sally and her mother. Though he's emotionally scarred from past abuse, Murphy proves his bravery when he accompanies Sally on her lone search for gold. This charming dog's-eye-view adventure set in 1900 will please dog lovers and historical fiction fans alike. Appended historical background supplements the narrative. Reading list. Bib.

Reviewer: April Mazza

(3) 4-6 Dog Chronicles series. Illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery. It's 1917 in Cosham, England, and a family's pet collie, Darling, becomes a Red Cross mercy dog, seeking out wounded soldiers in need. In tense first-person narration, Darling relates her journey from England to France as she goes from reluctant helper to WWI hero. Light sketches further evoke time and place. Appended historical background supplements the narrative. Reading list, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: April Mazza

(3) 1-3 Horse Diaries series. Illustrated by Ruth Sanderson. A Thoroughbred colt in Depression-era California, Chance has the spirit to be a winning racehorse but he won't obey his trainers. With the right trainer and jockey he becomes a champion--until an injury throws him out of contention. Chance's compelling narrative voice and his special connection with his jockey's daughter make this a particularly sympathetic series entry.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 In 1852 Emma and her mother board the steamboat Sally May. For headstrong Emma, a forbidden trip to visit her pony, Twist, on the main deck reveals a new world full of danger and unlikely friendships. Hart's diverting historical adventure includes authentic period details and an informative afterword on the history of riverboat travel.

Reviewer: Pearl Higgins

(2) 1-3 Horse Diaries series. Illustrated by Ruth Sanderson. In Elska, a silver dapple Icelandic horse living in Iceland in 1000 CE, tells about her life. The Morgan colt in Bell's Star carries a runaway slave to Canada and learns about freedom. This straight-from-the-horses'-mouths series, though overly emotional and anthropomorphic for adults, is perfect for its primary-grade horse-loving audience. Occasional black-and-white illustrations and fact-filled appendices add much to both stories. Review covers these Horse Diaries titles: Elska and Bell's Star.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2009

(4) 4-6 In this final book in the Civil War–era trilogy, Gabriel (Gabriel's Horses, Gabriel's Triumph) leaves his comfortable life as a jockey to join his father in Kentucky as part of the Fifth U.S. Colored Cavalry. Though some of the characters are two-dimensional, Gabriel remains a compelling hero, as his romanticized vision of war quickly changes based on what he witnesses. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) 4-6 Newly freed former slave Gabriel Alexander (Gabriel's Horses) begins to realize his dream of becoming a famous jockey. However, a trip to race at the well-known Saratoga racecourse shows Gabriel that freedom doesn't insulate him from racial prejudice, even in the North. Though some of the characters are wooden, Gabriel's journey is compelling. Historical notes give more information. Bib.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) 4-6 Set in 1864, this book introduces Gabriel, a young slave whose free father, a horse trainer, joins the Union soldiers. Left behind, Gabriel must prove himself to his master in order to protect the horses he loves. Though the relationship between master and slaves seems idealized at times, Gabriel's story is compelling. A historical note is included. Bib.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) 4-6 History Mysteries series. In each book, a fatherless twelve-year-old uses her wits and courage to protect a sibling and solve a mystery: Rose Taylor risks being shot in Levi Frontier's Wild West Show in 1886, while Emily Scott spies on gang leaders in a 1925 Jersey Shore hotel. Both books are quick paced and exciting despite some underdeveloped characters. Each book ends with "A Peek into the Past." [Review covers these History Mysteries titles: Gangsters at the Grand Atlantic and Danger at the Wild West Show.]

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(4) 4-6 Photographs by Dennis Sutton. Short, punchy chapters trace a hostage-taking at a bank from the first 911 call through its resolution. Sidebars contain intriguing supplemental information on police equipment and procedures. While the incident depicted is fictional, the use of real names from a specific Virginia police department, along with the accompanying black-and-white documentary photographs, make the book an uneasy hybrid of fact and fiction.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 An assault conviction lands thirteen-year-old Jas in foster care at Second Chance Farm. Determined to prove that the man she attacked killed her favorite horse, Jas teams up with Chase, a teenager hired as summer help. Quick-witted sleuthing and a lucky coincidence reveal that Jas's horse was switched with a look-alike that was poisoned for insurance money. The well-drawn setting and believable subplots add depth to the story.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger