(3) YA USA Today Lifeline Biographies series. Using USA Today articles, websites, interviews, and other sources, these laudatory biographies provide overviews of the lives and careers of Johnny Depp and the Beatles. Readers will come away not only with a greater knowledge of the subjects, but also with an understanding of their places in their respective industries. Relevant images and engaging sidebars enhance the presentation. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these USA Today Lifeline Biographies titles: Johnny Depp and The Beatles.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(4) YA USA Today Lifeline Biographies series. Using some excerpts from USA Today articles, this book describes Woods's life, from child golf prodigy to top professional. Insight into Woods's personal nature is revealed through his relationship with his father, his philanthropic endeavors, and his recognition of those who paved the way for him. Though the book's design is busy, its many photographs and sidebars add interest. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(4) 4-6 U.S. Armed Forces series. Young people considering military service will find these formulaic but thorough volumes helpful. Each includes a historical overview, explains rules for enlistment and advancement, discusses training procedures, and describes what life is like for an active member of that service branch. The books feature color photos and reproductions. There are four other fall 2004 books in this series. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these U.S. Armed Forces titles: The U.S. Army, U.S. Naval Special Warfare Forces, U.S. Air Force Special Operations, and The U.S. Navy.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA Presidential Leaders series. These generally informative biographies of six American presidents are marred by some misleading information and jarring transitions. Black-and-white captioned photographs of the subjects and sidebars on relevant people and events extend the text. Report writers will find the basic facts here but will need to look elsewhere for more comprehensive coverage. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Presidential Leaders titles: John Adams, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington.]

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(4) YA Presidential Leaders series. These generally informative biographies of six American presidents are marred by some misleading information and jarring transitions. Black-and-white captioned photographs of the subjects and sidebars on relevant people and events extend the text. Report writers will find the basic facts here but will need to look elsewhere for more comprehensive coverage. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Presidential Leaders titles: John Adams, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington.]

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(4) YA Presidential Leaders series. The books in this series briefly chronicle the lives and achievements of five former presidents. Each volume attempts to portray the subject and the events surrounding his presidency honestly and openly, but the broad overview allows for little depth. Well-captioned photos enhance a bland design. Reading list, source notes, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Presidential Leaders titles: Woodrow Wilson, Harry S. Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.]

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA A & E Biography series. Although his athletic achievements (and rare disappointments) are duly noted, this biography of the golfing great also touches on his personality, family relationships, and lucrative endorsement contracts, making for a well-rounded portrait. Accompanied by standard color photographs, the text has a rushed quality and contains supplemental boxed information on golfing basics and other players. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA A & E Biography series. Though centuries may separate the subjects of the volumes in this series, all have played prominent political or cultural roles. Their life stories are relayed in sometimes rushed prose, but these books will make acceptable starting points for those seeking basic biographical information. The texts are accompanied by average-quality photos and historical reproductions in black and white and in color. Bib., ind. [Review covers these titles: William Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth I, Oprah Winfrey, George W. Bush, The Beatles, Benjamin Franklin.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) YA How History Is Invented series. Roberts examines the differences between the few facts known about the historical king and the voluminous legends built around him. Young fans of Arthurian lore will find the information fascinating. Archival illustrations and snippets from early writings about Arthur supplement the text, which provides a welcome overview of the way that historians piece together information about the past. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) YA A & E Biography series. Spanning two millennia, this unlikely trio of female notables is featured in volumes that adequately cover their lives in uninspired prose. The texts occasionally detour to include brief information boxes containing background material. The books are illustrated with serviceable photos--in both black and white and color--and reproductions. Cleopatra includes a time line; Estefan has a discography. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Holocaust Biographies series. Offering considerable information about the people they portray, these books strive for and attain a measure of objectivity, even though their subjects played vastly different roles in the Holocaust. The quality of the writing is uneven, ranging from fluent to choppy. The black-and-white photos are cited, but little textual material is. Each book contains a time line. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 Holocaust Biographies series. Offering considerable information about the people they portray, these books strive for and attain a measure of objectivity, even though their subjects played vastly different roles in the Holocaust. The quality of the writing is uneven, ranging from fluent to choppy. The black-and-white photos are cited, but little textual material is. Each book contains a time line. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian