(4) YA USA Today Lifeline Biographies series. Interspersed with related USA Today articles, these busily designed biographies look at singer Adele and rapper West's lives and careers. Each volume covers the subject's background, musical inspirations and innovations, rise to fame, and public-image blips; personal topics such as Adele's weight issues and West's self-confidence (often considered arrogance) are also touched on. Color photos add interest. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these USA Today Lifeline Biographies titles: Adele and Kanye West.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Events series. These books give overviews of two troubled periods in world events prior to and following World War II. Holocaust graphically depicts the atrocities inflicted upon Jews by the Nazis. Cold War chronicles the conflict between the USA and USSR leading to the dissolution of the Soviet Empire. Sidebars and archival photographs extend but also crowd the readable texts. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Events titles: The Holocaust and The Cold War.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Viewpoints series. Should marijuana use be legalized? Is the diamond trade an asset or a liability? Does legalized gambling increase revenue or social dangers? Brief introductions and histories of the featured debates are followed by thorough descriptions of key opposing positions. Dry but informative texts combine with photographs and detail-rich (but page-crowding) sidebars to offer balanced discussions. Appended "Essential Facts" bullets provide talking points. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Viewpoints titles: The Diamond Trade, Legalizing Marijuana, and Legalized Gambling.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) YA Publishing Pioneers series. Stretching across the centuries, from the first printed volumes (1400s) to today's realm of bookselling in cyberspace, these biographies portray the lives of achievers who have shaped the world of books. The writing is bland but accessible; students will come away with an appreciation of the far-reaching social impact of each individual's innovations. Sidebars, period illustrations, photographs, and maps augment the texts. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Publishing Pioneers titles: Barnes & Noble, Jeff Bezos, Randolph Caldecott, Melvil Dewey, and Johannes Gutenberg.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute