(4) K-3 Pebble Plus: Holiday Histories series. Very simple texts describe the history of each holiday. Aimed at first graders, the books are easy to read ("It is December 25. Today is Christmas Day"), with two to four sentences per spread accompanied by a full-page illustration or photo. The information is basic and drily presented. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Pebble Plus: Holiday Histories titles: A Short History of Christmas and A Short History of Christmas.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) K-3 Pebble Plus: Holiday Histories series. Very simple texts describe the history of each holiday. Aimed at first graders, the books are easy to read ("It is December 25. Today is Christmas Day"), with two to four sentences per spread accompanied by a full-page illustration or photo. The information is basic and drily presented. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Pebble Plus: Holiday Histories titles: A Short History of Christmas and A Short History of Christmas.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) 4-6 Fact Finders: Scary Science series. Drinking vomit, performing your own appendectomy, inviting a snake bite--all in the name of science? This book looks at daring experiments, deadly research side-effects, and other "groundbreaking craziness." This high-interest topic will attract readers, even though there's not much depth to the actual information. The choppy text, which plays up the sensational, is supported by captioned photos and fact boxes. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) YA Latino Biography Library series. The contributions of three prominent Latino Americans--educator Escalante (of Stand and Deliver fame), actor Prinze, and actor/comedian Lopez--are covered in these serviceable biographies. The texts are choppy, but the information provided is fairly wide-ranging. Sidebars offer some historical perspective; average-quality photos round out the presentations. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these Latino Biography Library titles: George Lopez, Freddie Prince, Jr., and Jaime Escalante.

Reviewer: Alissa C. Salamone

(4) 4-6 People to Know Today series. These books profile well-known contemporary figures in business and popular culture. Each volume provides information about its subject's childhood; later career accomplishments are detailed in generally positive terms. Sidebars discuss such related topics as lawsuits and the savings and loan crisis. Stock photos accompany the dry but adequate treatments. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these People to Know Today titles: Sam Walton, Dr. Phil, and Bill Gates.

Reviewer:

(4) 4-6 People to Know Today series. All five of these biographers write about their subjects in glowing terms. With the exception of Frost, the books offer limited, anecdote-heavy information. Many photographs, sidebars, and pull-out quotes support the texts, and their clean design makes the chronologies easy to follow. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these People to Know Today titles: Laura Bush, J.K. Rowling, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Frost, and George W. Bush.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman