(4) 4-6 Starting with background about Jamaica, this social history moves into the development of island music styles and biographical sketches of their practitioners. Sometimes superficial, other times minutia-laden, the text tends to drop in quotes without attribution except for an endnote. Nevertheless, Haskins is mining an under-explored subject, one that sheds light on current musical styles in America. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Great Journeys series. Freedom's Star uses the stories of two escaped slaves, Harriet Jacobs and John P. Parker, as focal points in relating the history of the Underground Railroad. Border presents a broad picture of Mexican-American life from sixteenth-century Spanish exploration to the present. Both clearly written volumes in this series are accompanied by black-and-white reproductions and photos. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Great Journeys titles: Following Freedom's Star and North Across the Border.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) YA African-American Biographies series. Jackson has been the subject of many juvenile biographies, but books about humanitarian and educator Shabazz, the widow of Malcolm X, and author Giovanni, several of whose poems are included in the text, are particularly welcome. Though these profiles tend to be adulatory in tone, they are also well-researched and thorough in their coverage. Standard black-and-white photos accompany the texts. Time lines are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) YA Rap is explored as an art form that is rooted in the oral traditions of West Africa and that incorporated elements of gospel, jazz, blues, and soul before finding its voice in urban America. The well-documented volume identifies the different varieties of rap, introduces some of its best-known artists, and discusses its cultural importance. Song excerpts and black-and-white photographs supplement the text. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Great Journeys series. Four history-making migrations are documented through narrative text, testimony (song lyrics, verse, letters, diary entries), and a wealth of black-and-white images (maps, drawings, paintings, photos). These primers place particular emphasis on the humanity of both subject (in Darkness, two individuals are tracked over fifty years) and reader ("What do you feel when you see this picture?" asks one caption). Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. The book briefly discusses slavery practiced as the result of war or debts, but the major focus is the practice of slavery based on the race of the enslaved. The writing is crisp and is liberally punctuated with brief quotes from works by slave traders, slaves, and those whose lives came in contact with both. Historical prints and photographs and Cooper's paintings support and extend the text. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Deborah L. Thompson

(3) 4-6 Long before there were slave ships heading to the New World with human cargo from Africa, the continent was home to several advanced societies. Full-page illustrations accompany the brief, cogent selections about communities and kingdoms that flourished from 3800 B.C.E. to C.E. 1800, and were peopled with warriors, scientists, physicians, goldsmiths, and more. This introductory information will whet readers' interest. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.