(4) YA Deadliest Predators series. After general introductions, each book presents six chapters on individual types of snakes or other reptiles. Topics include appearance, habitat, hunting and capturing prey, and threat-level to humans; the text's tone is sometimes reassuring, sometimes gruesome. "At-a-Glance" sidebars are useful for comparison. The dense text is off-putting, but the many photos should fascinate reptile fans. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Deadliest Predators titles: Deadliest Reptiles and Deadliest Snakes.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA Deadliest Predators series. After general introductions, each book presents six chapters on individual types of snakes or other reptiles. Topics include appearance, habitat, hunting and capturing prey, and threat-level to humans; the text's tone is sometimes reassuring, sometimes gruesome. "At-a-Glance" sidebars are useful for comparison. The dense text is off-putting, but the many photos should fascinate reptile fans. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Deadliest Predators titles: Deadliest Reptiles and Deadliest Snakes.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA Deadliest Predators series. After a general introduction titled "Fodder for Phobias," six chapters cover individual types of spiders (black widow, Chilean recluse, etc.). Topics include appearance, habitat, hunting and capturing prey, and threat-level to humans; the text's tone is sometimes reassuring, sometimes gruesome. "At-a-Glance" sidebars are useful for comparison. The dense text is off-putting, but the many photos should fascinate spider fans. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA Library of Tattoos and Body Piercings series. This dense volume offers a balanced exploration of the debate surrounding body modification as art, first delving into the traditional artistic uses of tattooing and piercing in world cultures, then addressing the artistic value in contemporary practices. Blandly designed, text-heavy pages are broken up by striking (often provocative) photographs, "Did You Know?" sidebars, and inserts with primary source material. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) YA Monsters and Mythical Creatures series. Beginning with Mary Shelley's creation of the famous literary monster, this book traces the history of Dr. Frankenstein's creature through literature, film, and popular culture. While the layout is awkward and pictures often do not match the content on the surrounding pages, the resources, analysis, and overview of media adaptations will be useful for report-writers. "Did You Know?" boxes add interest. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Barratt Miller

(4) YA Monsters and Mythical Creatures series. Blurring fact and fiction, each volume begins with an overview of the historical and cultural origins of the featured creature, followed by an analysis of that monster in literature, film, and other media. Some of the many supporting pictures (photographs, illustrations, movies stills) are poorly placed. "Did You Know?" boxes add interest. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Monsters and Mythical Creatures titles: Medusa, The Mummy, and Trolls.

Reviewer: Barratt Miller

(4) YA Monsters and Mythical Creatures series. Blurring the line between fiction and nonfiction, each book uses sources to support detailed accounts of encounters with the featured creature. Demons presents legends from a variety of cultures, as well as information on exorcism. Aliens explores UFOs, extraterrestrials, and types of abductions. Color photographs and illustrations and "Did You Know?" boxes add interest. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Monsters and Mythical Creatures titles: Demons and Aliens.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(4) 4-6 Great Idea series. These volumes explore inventions that allow for invisibility, pilotless flight, high-definition television signals, and animal-behavior imitation by robots. "Did You Know?" facts and other sidebars, while interesting, often interrupt the flow of the texts. Captioned photographs support and clarify the science behind the inventions. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Great Idea titles: Becoming Invisible, HDTV, Pilotless Planes, and SCRATCHBot.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) YA Vampire Library series. REVIEW MISSING

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(4) 4-6 Great Idea series. These books introduce the creation, development, and significance of each product. A diagram of the hydraulic system, personal stories, and pictures of rescue operations enhance Life. LEGO's role in education and team-building skills and its contribution to the "system of play" are discussed in Toys. Though the subjects will be of interest to readers, babyish book design may deter them. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Great Idea titles: The Jaws of Life and LEGO Toys.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(4) 4-6 Innovators series. This unremittingly positive biography offers readers a chance to learn more about the artistic as well as technological considerations of computer and gadget design. Stock photos and sidebars of related information help break up the overly adulatory text. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin