(4) K-3 Illustrated by Karen A. Jerome. Taking a fresh (if overly purposeful) approach to the subject, McMahon tells her daughter, Claire, about her adoption from China while assembling a scrapbook about the journey. The conversational tone lends intimacy, while her son's journal entries offer the perspective of a new big brother. The watercolor illustrations show an engaging mix of photos, souvenirs, and scenes from the narrative.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Photographs by John Godt. Dancing Wheels is a dance troupe for all ages comprising both "sit-down" dancers, or those in wheelchairs, and "stand-up" dancers. Through text and color photos, the author and photographer reveal the history of the troupe and its founders and follow several of its dancers from practice through a final performance. Jumps back and forth in sequence and overwhelming detail mar an otherwise informative photo-essay.

Reviewer: CHristine Sarrazin

(3) 4-6 Photographs by Alan O'Connor. This slice-of-life photo essay follows eleven-year-old Liam as he attends school, spends time with his family, and intensely prepares for a boxing match. That Liam is a Catholic boy living in a city long divided by "the Troubles" is evident throughout the present-tense text and in the sharp color photos, but the book's emphasis is on how normal childhood activities abide, even when restricted and somewhat shaped by social conflict.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta