(4) K-3 Dive into Reading series. Illustrated by Shirley Ng-Benitez. Follow finds map-loving Pablo leading his pals on a day trip to Coney Island via city bus and subway. In Buddy, Padma helps decorate a "buddy bench" for classmates in need of friends. The story lines are somewhat bland, but the always-helpful group of friends, illustrated with a variety of skin tones in Ng-Benitez's cheery digitally altered watercolor pictures, is warmly portrayed. Review covers these Dive into Reading titles: The Buddy Bench and Follow That Map!

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Dive into Reading series. Illustrated by Shirley Ng-Benitez. Garden finds Lily and friends helping out at the public garden. In Gift, Mei doesn't know what to get her baby brother for his traditional one-hundred days celebration. The small conflicts and friendly city setting, shown in cheery watercolor and digital illustrations, support the easy-reader series' mission to "inspire young readers to imagine a diverse world...in which they can see themselves as the heroes of their own stories." Review covers these Dive into Reading titles: The Garden and The Perfect Gift.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Dive into Reading series. Illustrated by Shirley Ng-Benitez. In Block Party, Padma worries that her neighbors will not like the soup her mother learned to make in India. In Music Time, Henry wants to practice his drums, but his mother needs quiet. Solutions to both problems come with too much ease, but Ng-Benitez's illustrations portray a refreshingly multicultural circle of city-neighborhood friends, and Block Party addresses concerns rarely tackled in easy readers. Review covers these Dive Into Reading! titles: Block Party and Music Time.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Dive into Reading series. Illustrated by Shirley Ng-Benitez. In Block Party, Padma worries that her neighbors will not like the soup her mother learned to make in India. In Music Time, Henry wants to practice his drums, but his mother needs quiet. Solutions to both problems come with too much ease, but Ng-Benitez's illustrations portray a refreshingly multicultural circle of city-neighborhood friends, and Block Party addresses concerns rarely tackled in easy readers. Review covers these Dive Into Reading! titles: Block Party and Music Time.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Colin Bootman. Hooks cogently sketches the life and medical contributions of Vivien Thomas, best known for his successful treatment of tetralogy of Fallot, or "blue baby syndrome." An African American, Thomas faced much prejudice in his career, a theme that is deftly balanced with the clear exposition of the surgical procedure Thomas invented. Watercolor illustrations are staid but competent.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton