(4) 4-6 Historical Fiction Adventures series. In Jesse, a boy's eagerness to join the Union fight is tempered by the brutality of war. In Hannah, a girl seeking revenge against the British for the murder of her family joins an American privateer ship disguised as a boy. Their adventures occasionally drag. Additional historical facts are appended. Reading list, websites. Review covers these Historical Fiction Adventures titles: Jesse Bowman and Hannah Pritchard.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) 4-6 America's Living History series. Beginning with Apollo 11's lunar landing, this accessible title presents key figures, scientific advances, and political history that fueled space exploration. The straightforward text describes NASA's founding in 1958 and the failures, setbacks, and successes that led to man walking on the moon and the eventual collaboration between the U.S. and Russia. Archival photographs and sidebars provide additional information. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) YA Rulers of the Middle Ages series. These volumes introduce four personalities of the Middle Ages, each of whom had a profound impact on his or her own time and on history. Decorative borders and some papers, maps, and reproductions reinforce the particular nature of the historical period. Plenty of subheads break the narrative into manageable chunks. The writing, though clear, is unexciting. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Rulers of the Middle Ages titles: William the Conqueror, Richard the Lionheart, Joan of Arc, and Saladin.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) 4-6 In American History series. Highlighting a specific time period, coverage in Thirteen Colonies and Revolutionary War is sketchy and overgeneralized in places. Roanoke Colony fares better with more thorough information and intriguing details. Black-and-white reproductions are sometimes blurry. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these In American History titles: The Mysterious Disappearance of Roanoke Colony in American History, The Thirteen Colonies from Founding to Revolution in American History, and The Revolutionary War and George Washington's Army in American History.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(4) 4-6 In American History series. Each book goes into some depth highlighting a short segment in American history. The use of details and a storytelling prose style lend interest to all three titles, which are on the whole better than other books in this series; Plymouth is especially compelling, as it includes a focus on the Pilgrims' daily life. Too small black-and-white photos appear infrequently throughout. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. [Review covers these In American History titles: The Plymouth Colony and the Pilgrim Adventure in American History, The Kansas-Nebraska Act and "Bleeding Kansas" in American History, and The Spanish-American War and Teddy Roosevelt in American History.]

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(4) 4-6 Military Might series. These two military histories in this series trace tactics and strategies used by soldiers of both Allied and Axis powers in World War II and in the Korean War. While accurate in military details, the books ignore the wars' larger issues--e.g., the Japanese invasion of China and the Nazi atrocities of World War II. Historical black-and-white photos, some of which are not clear, accompany the matter-of-fact text. Ind. [Review covers these Military Might titles: Assault from the Sea and Assault from the Sky.]

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Military Might series. These two military histories in this series trace tactics and strategies used by soldiers of both Allied and Axis powers in World War II and in the Korean War. While accurate in military details, the books ignore the wars' larger issues--e.g., the Japanese invasion of China and the Nazi atrocities of World War II. Historical black-and-white photos, some of which are not clear, accompany the matter-of-fact text. Ind. [Review covers these Military Might titles: Assault from the Sea and Assault from the Sky.]

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 In World History series. Though Otto von Bismarck is rightly credited with unifying the jumble of thirty-eight units that became modern Germany in 1871, his success rested on the Prussian expansion by Frederick the Great a century earlier. McGowen narrates responsibly, with endnotes, segments of primary documents and black-and-white illustrations, but the book contains many battle descriptions that sometimes seem to meld. A timeline is appended. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) YA Military Might series. After some history of military aircraft and aircraft carriers, the books look at how these machines became formidable weapons during World War II. The texts discuss individual battles and the ongoing bombing campaigns in Europe. The volumes are informative, but they give little human context to the drama, mentioning casualties merely as statistics. Black-and-white photos of bombers and of cities reduced to rubble accompany the texts. Ind.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) YA Military Might series. After some history of military aircraft and aircraft carriers, the books look at how these machines became formidable weapons during World War II. The texts discuss individual battles and the ongoing bombing campaigns in Europe. The volumes are informative, but they give little human context to the drama, mentioning casualties merely as statistics. Black-and-white photos of bombers and of cities reduced to rubble accompany the texts. Ind.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 4-6 In World History series. Though they have a sometimes unwieldy mix of history and biography, both books contain a lot of information about these historical periods. While da Vinci's life and works get more coverage, Robespierre contains proportionally little about its subject. Black-and-white photos and artwork illustrate the texts, which also contain boxed quotations from primary sources. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 This overview examines megaliths--giant stone structures--and earth mounds that were erected in the Stone Age and remain standing for modern society to ponder. Illustrated with clear color photographs, this volume describes monuments found around the world and presents speculative evidence that they were used as calendars, as computers, and for religious purposes. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Cornerstones of Freedom series. Mostly black-and-white archival photos support a well-written look at this decisive battle of World War II. Though brief, the text provides a good overview of the situation in the Pacific region and of the fighting that occurred between America and Japan on the island of Iwo Jima. A time line of important dates is included. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) 4-6 Military Might series. Germany's Lightning War focuses on that country's tank and air warfare tactics, while Sink the Bismarck traces the brief, intense history of the famed battleship. The tightly focused volumes will draw World War II aficionados; the sometimes dry texts and unexceptional black-and-white photographs may be off-putting to others. Ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Military Might series. Germany's Lightning War focuses on that country's tank and air warfare tactics, while Sink the Bismarck traces the brief, intense history of the famed battleship. The tightly focused volumes will draw World War II aficionados; the sometimes dry texts and unexceptional black-and-white photographs may be off-putting to others. Ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 The history of scientific development is traced from the earliest systems of writing in the Middle East through the beginning of the scientific revolution in Europe in the early 1600s. Both history and science buffs will appreciate the text's exploration of the ideas--and the people behind them--that preceded modern science as we know it. Color reproductions and photographs illustrate the text. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Elizabeth Howard

(3) 4-6 Cornerstones of Freedom series. Although the prison at Alcatraz should more properly qualify as a cornerstone of confinement, the five volumes in this series all deal with important episodes and places in American history. Written in simple language and illustrated with archival images, the books serve as solid introductions that contain intriguing historical vignettes without neglecting the overarching historical significance of the topics. Time lines are included. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta