(4) YA USA Today Health Reports: Diseases and Disorders series. In each volume, six or seven chapters cover the basics of each illness or disorder: definition, symptoms, treatment, and research. The scientific writing is serviceable; personal stories plus articles, interviews, graphs, and other archival material from USA Today provide real-life context. Accompanying photos are generic, but the photo-micrographs are clear and specific. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these USA Today Health Reports: Diseases and Disorders titles: Depression, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and AIDS.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) 4-6 Animal Secrets Revealed! series. How fast ants travel, how they form symbiotic relationships with trees, and how they teach each other to follow paths are some of the topics discussed. As much as it's about the study of insects itself, the book also explores the scientific method. Though the science can be vague or inconsistent, the book is a useful starting point for research. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) 4-6 Animal Secrets Revealed! series. The ways in which scientists came to understand how hagfish use slime to capture prey, flounder survive freezing cold, and other unusual traits of fish are detailed and supported by color photos and sidebars of additional information. Though the science can be vague or inconsistent, the book is a useful starting point for research. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) 4-6 Animal Secrets Revealed! series. From the titles and covers of these books, a quick catalog of unusual facts about animals' adaptation and survival skills might be expected. Instead, readers learn not just interesting facts but also how scientists approach their subjects and draw conclusions. Sidebars provide additional information. Though the science can be vague or inconsistent, the books are useful starting points for research. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Animal Secrets Revealed! titles: Secret of the Bloody Hippo--and More!, Secret of the Singing Mice--and More!, and Secret of the Sleepless Whale--and More!

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) 4-6 Animal Secrets Revealed! series. This book explores such subjects as how reptiles and birds manage to find prey and feed their young. The ways scientists approach their research makes for interesting reading, but facts are not always entirely accurate or clearly presented. With sidebars and vivid photographs, the book is a useful starting point for research. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) 4-6 Animal Secrets Revealed! series. REVIEW MISSING

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) 4-6 Animal Secrets Revealed! series. From the titles and covers of these books, a quick catalog of unusual facts about animals' adaptation and survival skills might be expected. Instead, readers learn not just interesting facts but also how scientists approach their subjects and draw conclusions. Sidebars provide additional information. Though the science can be vague or inconsistent, the books are useful starting points for research. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Animal Secrets Revealed! titles: Secret of the Bloody Hippo--and More!, Secret of the Singing Mice--and More!, and Secret of the Sleepless Whale--and More!

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) YA Brain Works series. Focusing mainly on neuropsychology (Love also delves into social psychology), this series gives an effective introduction to the brain's development and its functions. The writing is accessible, using examples geared toward teen life (though it occasionally misses the mark). Clear diagrams, illustrations, sidebars, and activities further elucidate these complex topics. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Brain Works titles: Inside Your Brain, How the Brain Grows, A Day in the Life of the Brain, The Brain and Love, and Seeing, Hearing, and Smelling the World.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith