(4) YA Special Reports series. These volumes offer balanced explorations of social problems facing American citizens today. Each book examines the topic's past and current history, outlines the issues involved, and discusses possible solutions. Statistical data is included when relevant, but much of the information will be quickly dated; photographs and sidebars (many with tiny type) extend the texts. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Special Reports titles: Hate Crimes in America, Gun Control and the Second Amendment, The Gender Wage Gap, and The War on Poverty.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Special Reports series. Authors present background and some analysis of contemporary issues using anecdotes, data, and news reports. Ebola provides grounding on the topic and information to help understand future epidemics. Vaccination presents the pros and cons of vaccinating children. Stock photographs and frequent sidebars contribute to the choppy layouts. Both volumes offer serviceable if uninspired fodder for report writers. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Special Reports titles: Ebola Outbreak and The Vaccination Debate.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 4-6 Spark of Invention series. These books examine the history and technological underpinnings of these modern machines. Each volume hits on a few key people and events critical to the creation of the technology as well as to the products' broad popularity. The books are quite short, though, and don't provide much more than basic information about these technologies. There are four other spring 2016 books in this series. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Spark of Invention titles: Inventing the Internet, Inventing the Television, Inventing the Cell Phone, and Inventing the Hybrid Car.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) YA Essential Library of the Information Age series. Who owns and can regulate the internet? How has social networking affected privacy? How can kids evaluate the legitimacy of what they read? These questions and more are examined in this series that addresses weighty issues raised by internet technologies of our information age. Color photos and informative sidebars complement the straightforward and balanced narratives. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Essential Library of the Information Age titles: Big Data and Privacy Rights, Net Neutrality, Content Ownership and Copyright, Book Banning and Other Forms of Censorship, Information Literacy in the Digital Age, and Online Identity.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) YA Essential Library of the Information Age series. Who owns and can regulate the internet? How has social networking affected privacy? How can kids evaluate the legitimacy of what they read? These questions and more are examined in this series that addresses weighty issues raised by internet technologies of our information age. Color photos and informative sidebars complement the straightforward and balanced narratives. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Essential Library of the Information Age titles: Big Data and Privacy Rights, Net Neutrality, Content Ownership and Copyright, Book Banning and Other Forms of Censorship, Information Literacy in the Digital Age, and Online Identity.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) 4-6 Food Matters series. These accessibly designed titles provide information about different aspects of food, from ethical consideration in production and growing to nutrition and safety. While their focus on Common Core standards encourages worthy skills such as comparing sources or finding textual evidence backing a point, few students will appreciate the built-in assignments (e.g., "write a short essay..."). Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Food Matters titles: Eating Ethically, Food Safety Basics, Gluten-Free and Other Special Diets, Nutrition Basics, Eating Organic, Genetically Modified Food, and Processed Foods.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey