(4) 4-6 Cultures of the World series. These in-depth country studies cover everything from geography, history, the environment, and government to food, lifestyles, and the people living in each of these Balkan countries. The wooden prose may turn off casual readers, but report writers will find plenty of information and many clear photographs. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Cultures of the World titles: Slovakia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Albania, and Macedonia.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(4) 4-6 Cultures of the World series. These in-depth country studies cover everything from geography, history, the environment, and government to food, lifestyles, and the people living in each of these Balkan countries. The wooden prose may turn off casual readers, but report writers will find plenty of information and many clear photographs. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Cultures of the World titles: Slovakia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Albania, and Macedonia.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(4) 4-6 It's My State! series. Each of these books provides information students need for assignments on individual states (state flag, bird, animal, fossil, song, etc.). A chronology of important dates, famous residents, a recipe, and a craft are included. Though the format will appeal to children in third to fifth grades, the text is frequently written on a more challenging level. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these It's My State! titles: Montana, Arizona, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Kansas, and North Dakota.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) 4-6 It's My State! series. Each of these state overviews provides general information about its subject--plants and animals, history, people, government--as well as countless specifics, from the state's nickname to a representative dish (recipe provided). Despite the clean, photo-rich layouts, the dry texts won't likely lure anyone who is not a report writer or a resident. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these It's My State! titles: Alaska, New Hampshire, Delaware, Virginia, Idaho, and Missouri.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) 4-6 It's My State! series. Each of these state overviews provides general information about its subject--plants and animals, history, people, government--as well as countless specifics, from the state's nickname to a representative dish (recipe provided). Despite the clean, photo-rich layouts, the dry texts won't likely lure anyone who is not a report writer or a resident. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these It's My State! titles: Alaska, New Hampshire, Delaware, Virginia, Idaho, and Missouri.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) YA American Heritage American Voices series. This book on the Civil War and its aftermath features excerpts from primary source documents by known and relatively unknown Americans (former slaves, abolitionists, soldiers, novelists, politicians). Sidebars and archival illustrations highlight or summarize information in the main text. This loosely organized introduction for older readers is intended to spark further research. Sources. Ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Published with the Smithsonian Institution, this formidable compendium of facts about key events and cultural movements in American history bustles with text, photos, captions, maps, drawings, sidebars, charts, and heads and subheads. Fortunately, the barrage of information is somewhat tamed by a chronological (versus alphabetical) order. The book is organized into eighteen chapters and enlists a color-coding system. Ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 It's My State! series. These complete and well-organized state books have appealing covers, a clear inside design, colorful quote and fact bubbles, and photos with rounded edges and informative captions. The writing is dry and somewhat impersonal, but overall the books will be useful for report writers. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these It's My State! titles: Colorado, South Dakota, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Utah.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(3) 4-6 Civil War series. This series offers readable, factually sound biographies of Civil War-era leaders. Small, gray sidebars pop up occasionally to link the biography to events in the lives of other famous Americans of the period, specifically those featured in other books of the series. Archival photos, engravings, and a few color portraits, without bibliographic citations, serve as illustrations. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Civil War titles: Frederick Douglass, John Brown, Andrew Johnson, Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Abraham Lincoln.]

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(3) 4-6 Civil War series. This series offers readable, factually sound biographies of Civil War-era leaders. Small, gray sidebars pop up occasionally to link the biography to events in the lives of other famous Americans of the period, specifically those featured in other books of the series. Archival photos, engravings, and a few color portraits, without bibliographic citations, serve as illustrations. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Civil War titles: Frederick Douglass, John Brown, Andrew Johnson, Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Abraham Lincoln.]

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(3) 4-6 Civil War series. The books in this series consistently recount key Civil War battles in a readable text that makes judicious use of quotes from participants (though the sources of the quotes are not attributed). Supplemental information about notable figures, locations, and incidents is included in sidebars, while historical reproductions and occasional photographs add further accessibility to the brief books. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Civil War titles: The Battle of Antietam, The Battle of Gettysburg, The Battle of Vicksburg, The Battle of Bull Run.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Civil War series. The books in this series consistently recount key Civil War battles in a readable text that makes judicious use of quotes from participants (though the sources of the quotes are not attributed). Supplemental information about notable figures, locations, and incidents is included in sidebars, while historical reproductions and occasional photographs add further accessibility to the brief books. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Civil War titles: The Battle of Antietam, The Battle of Gettysburg, The Battle of Vicksburg, The Battle of Bull Run.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Battlefields across America series. Following the same format, each book begins with historical background about each war--the Civil War, the War of 1812, and the American Revolution--and moves on to a thorough examination of the titular battle, including biographical profiles, historical reproductions, and maps marking the progress of each military engagement. The final chapter contains tourist information for national parks and landmarks associated with these battlefields. Chronologies are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(3) 4-6 Battlefields across America series. Following the same format, each book begins with historical background about each war--the Civil War, the War of 1812, and the American Revolution--and moves on to a thorough examination of the titular battle, including biographical profiles, historical reproductions, and maps marking the progress of each military engagement. The final chapter contains tourist information for national parks and landmarks associated with these battlefields. Chronologies are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.