(4) YA Contemporary Lives series. Each musical star is profiled in these adequate biographies, illustrated with frequent, middling-quality photos. The texts comprehensively, if dryly, cover the artists' professional accomplishments--hit songs, albums, tours, and awards--as well as personal achievements and struggles, including Pink's early drug use and Chris Brown's assault of Rihanna. Quotes by and about the musicians are thoroughly sourced. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Contemporary Lives titles: Rihanna, Pink, and Bruno Mars.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) YA Essential Lives series. These series entries, with straightforward writing and frequent sidebars and photos, are uneven in quality and interest level. Elizabeth I is particularly dry and requires background knowledge. Lucille Ball's colorful personality barely comes through in her volume (the pictures help), and the subtitle for Freud is odd (content is fine). Assange is current through 2011. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Sigmund Freud, Lucille Ball, Julian Assange, and Elizabeth I.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. These series entries, with straightforward writing and frequent sidebars, vary in quality. Hitler contains some startling generalizations (e.g., "European citizens were becoming indifferent to the plight of the Jews"); Guevara includes two stills from The Motorcycle Diaries, despite plenty of other available images. Rockefeller is bland but generally informative, and Dandridge's rather sensational life experiences are handled in a refreshingly matter-of-fact way. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Che Guevara, John D. Rockefeller, Dorothy Dandridge, and Adolf Hitler.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee