(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. These level-two biographies (for "reading independently") provide chronological accounts of their subjects' lives and cursorily touch on obstacles faced by Douglass and Keller. "In Her/His Own Words" boxes spotlight quotes from the subjects themselves. Captioned photos and illustrations help break up the serviceable texts. In both, a several-page timeline footer, unaligned with the narrative, starts toward book's end. A quiz is appended. Glos. Review covers these National Geographic Readers titles: Helen Keller and Frederick Douglass.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) 4-6 Newsmakers series. This accessibly written series is notable for its clean layouts, including color photographs, sidebars, and charts. The mostly complimentary narratives are decent overviews of their subjects' early lives as well as career successes and failures, but with living subjects, the content will soon become outdated. A "Stop and Think" feature offers discussion questions that can be used for assignments. There are four other fall 2017 books in this series. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Newsmakers titles: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Julian Assange, Elon Musk, and Ellen DeGeneres.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. These level-three biographies for "fluent readers" use relatively simple sentence structure and unadorned writing styles to introduce readers to Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor and medieval Arab scholar and scientist Ibn al-Haytham. With various sidebars, text boxes, and visuals (photographs plus static illustrations in Ibn), the presentation is visually cluttered, but the material is solid. A quiz is appended. Glos., ind. Review covers these National Geographic Readers titles: Sonia Sotomayor and Ibn al-Haytham.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 National Geographic Kids Readers series. This leveled text geared toward "fluent readers" profiles the last queen of Egypt. Short chapters cover specific topics, including life in ancient Egypt, Cleopatra's early years, and political upheavals. The pages are crammed with text, archival reproductions, and photos. "Words to Know" and "That's a Fact!" boxes and sidebars with related information are part of the mix. A quiz is appended. Timeline. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. These beginning-reader biographies provide very basic outlines of their subjects' lives and importance. Readers will come away with enough background information to get a sense of how each subject has made an impact on the world. The photographs and sidebars are informative, but the overall layout is excessively busy. Timeline. Glos. Review covers these National Geographic Readers titles: Rosa Parks and Pope Francis.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. These leveled beginning-reader biographies are lively and filled with colorful photographs and illustrations. Energetically designed with many sidebars and graphics, each well-organized volume gives a sense of the time in which the person lived in addition to his or her life and accomplishments. Longer and at the highest reading level, Anne Frank contains an index. Timeline. Glos. Review covers these National Geographic Super Readers titles: Amelia Earhart, George Washington, Thomas Edison, and Anne Frank.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Short chapters with challenging but controlled vocabulary (Obama's text is simpler than Mandela's) track Obama's and Mandela's paths to becoming the first black presidents of their respective countries; pre-presidential civil rights work is emphasized more than presidential policy. "Words to Know" boxes and in-text transliteration support independent reading. Bright photographs, fact boxes, and pullout quotes increase accessibility. Mandela has an index. Timeline. Glos. Review covers these National Geographic Readers titles:Barack Obama and Nelson Mandela.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) YA African-American Icons series. These accessible, simplistic biographies trace the lives of contemporary African American leaders in the arts. The uncomplicated prose may appeal to report writers who are also reluctant readers. While the books' original design was uninspired, it did include plenty of photos--which these new editions have oddly omitted. Discography (Smith), filmography (Berry; Smith). Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these African-American Icons titles: Maya Angelou, Walter Dean Myers, Toni Morrison, Halle Berry, Will Smith, and Oprah Winfrey.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) YA Contemporary Lives series. Each of these shallow volumes traces its subject from childhood along his or her path to music stardom. The tone is mostly adulatory, with a few references to the subjects' missteps, such as Beyoncé's public falling-out with Destiny's Child. Heavily illustrated with stock photographs, each book also includes numerous sidebars about its subject's personal life, fashion choices, collaborations, and more. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Contemporary Lives titles: Beyoncé, Drake, Adele, and Cee Lo Green.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(3) K-3 Meeting Famous People series. These biographies will give young students personal information about two famous men of the twentieth century and some insight into their careers. Adult support may be needed to help less able readers with life stories that are more detailed and less choppy than many biographies written for the primary grades. The photographs are plentiful and appropriate. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Meeting Famous People titles: Walt Disney and Neil Armstrong.]

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) YA African-American Biographies series. These books chronicle the obstacles and accomplishments of the individuals and their contributions to America. All four provide adequate background information to establish an appropriate context; those of Drew and Terrell include frequent parenthetical definitions. The black-and-white illustrations enhance the easy-to-follow text (which may seem condescending to more accomplished readers). Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. [Review covers these African-American Biographies titles: Mahalia Jackson, Mary Church Terrell, Dr. Charles Drew, and Denzel Washington.]

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(3) YA African-American Biographies series. Competently written and illustrated with adequate black-and-white photos and reproductions, the books in this series pay tribute to five African Americans who received acclaim in various fields, while simultaneously advancing the cause of civil rights. The biographies of activists Hamer and Lewis are particularly welcome, filling a need for book-length profiles of these individuals. Timelines are included. Bib., ind. [Review covers these African-American Biographies titles: John Lewis, George Washington, Fannie Lou Hamer, Frederick Douglass,and Richard Wright.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA People to Know series. Keller, famous for her triumph over disability and her philanthropic work, and two-time Oscar winner Hanks are the subjects of these adequate biographies. The books trace professional achievements, although their personal lives are described in either a rushed fashion (Keller) or superficially (Hanks). Still, the volumes, illustrated with standard black-and-white photos, will be sufficient for those researching school reports. Time lines are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA People to Know series. Well-known Americans who have achieved success in government, the arts, and popular culture are the subjects of these clearly written biographies. The emphasis is on public success and career growth, never going much deeper to acknowledge idiosyncrasies or personal flaws. Still, the books will be sufficient for those seeking basic biographical information. Illustrated with average-quality black-and-white photos. Time lines are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA Collective Biographies series. Each volume profiles ten notable figures, some famous (Martin Luther King, Jr., Jesse Jackson, Judy Blume) and some less well known, such as activist Fannie Lou Hamer and author Bharati Mukherjee. The rushed entries, accompanied by standard black-and-white photographs, are too glib for the subjects' personalities to emerge, though the profiles may serve as good starting points for report writers. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA People to Know series. This admiring biography delivers a multifaceted portrait of Gore, touching on her life as a political wife and mother and as an activist in the areas of mental health and record rating systems. Although sufficiently informative, the book offers no deep insights into Gore's character. Adequate black-and-white photographs illustrate the text. A time line is included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 People to Know series. With the exception of Hemingway, the subjects of these books have rarely been showcased in juvenile biographies, despite being individuals young people may know and find interesting. Although sometimes superficial, the adequately written volumes emphasize the talent, ambition, and work ethic that made the subjects win laurels and legions of fans. Illustrated with adequate black-and-white photographs, each book includes a chronology. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Countdown to Space series. The seven astronauts profiled in these easy-to-read volumes all had pioneering roles in the space program, including the first African-American man and woman in space and the first person to walk on the moon. Although brief, the books provide sufficient biographical coverage as well as clear historical information. Black-and-white and color photos add interest. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(3) 4-6 Countdown to Space series. The seven astronauts profiled in these easy-to-read volumes all had pioneering roles in the space program, including the first African-American man and woman in space and the first person to walk on the moon. Although brief, the books provide sufficient biographical coverage as well as clear historical information. Black-and-white and color photos add interest. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.