(3) 4-6 With Ali Fadhil. Eleven-year-old Ali lives with his Christian-Kurdish family in Basra, Iraq, during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Entranced with American television, comics, and video games, Ali is dismayed to be considered the "enemy"; why can't they just kill Saddam Hussein and leave Ali and his countrymen alone? Young Ali's engaging voice and perspective add appeal to this story based on contributor Fadhil's childhood in war-ravaged Iraq.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) 4-6 Back from their Hollywood trip (Double Feature), identical twins Emma and Payton aren't impressed with the new students, arrogant triplets Oliver, Dexter, and Asher. In addition to the usual hijinks of switching identities, the twins compete against the triplets at the Multipalooza festival and prepare for their first middle school dance. The large cast of characters overpowers this fifth book's thin plot.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(4) 4-6 Twins Emma and Payton are back, and this time they find themselves heading to Hollywood to star in a shampoo commercial. Their excitement wanes when they encounter Payton's enemy, Ashlynn, who is also cast in the commercial. As they did in Trading Faces; Take Two; and Times Squared, the twins inevitably swap places, creating entertaining confusion in this predictable but jovial story.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(4) 4-6 Eleven-year-old Claire travels to London to be a bridesmaid in the wedding of her cousin, Belle, and the prince of England. Though excited, Claire wonders if they are right for each other--and worries that an alleged curse will ruin the wedding. Royal enthusiasts will enjoy the parallels to the Kate-William wedding in this contrived but timely story.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(4) 4-6 This third book about twins Payton and Emma (Trading Faces, Take Two) finds the girls on a school trip to New York. They've sworn not to trade places anymore, but of course they do (there's no story otherwise). There's not a lot of substance here and more than a little formula, but fans of the series will continue to enjoy the girls' exploits.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(4) YA Sharpen Your Writing Skills series. These volumes present clear advice for developing writing skills in the title areas. The hints are practical and good-humored, and there are a range of examples, which will make this useful to middle school and high school writers. The page design is accessible if dull; the cartoony writing-implement characters are dorky. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Sharpen Your Writing Skills titles: Sharpen Your Business Letter Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Debate and Speech Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Essay Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Good Grammar Skills, Sharpen Your Report Writing Skills, and Sharpen Your Story or Narrative Writing Skills.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(4) YA Sharpen Your Writing Skills series. These volumes present clear advice for developing writing skills in the title areas. The hints are practical and good-humored, and there are a range of examples, which will make this useful to middle school and high school writers. The page design is accessible if dull; the cartoony writing-implement characters are dorky. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Sharpen Your Writing Skills titles: Sharpen Your Business Letter Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Debate and Speech Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Essay Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Good Grammar Skills, Sharpen Your Report Writing Skills, and Sharpen Your Story or Narrative Writing Skills.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(4) YA Sharpen Your Writing Skills series. These volumes present clear advice for developing writing skills in the title areas. The hints are practical and good-humored, and there are a range of examples, which will make this useful to middle school and high school writers. The page design is accessible if dull; the cartoony writing-implement characters are dorky. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Sharpen Your Writing Skills titles: Sharpen Your Business Letter Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Debate and Speech Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Essay Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Good Grammar Skills, Sharpen Your Report Writing Skills, and Sharpen Your Story or Narrative Writing Skills.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(4) YA Sharpen Your Writing Skills series. These volumes present clear advice for developing writing skills in the title areas. The hints are practical and good-humored, and there are a range of examples, which will make this useful to middle school and high school writers. The page design is accessible if dull; the cartoony writing-implement characters are dorky. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Sharpen Your Writing Skills titles: Sharpen Your Business Letter Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Debate and Speech Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Essay Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Good Grammar Skills, Sharpen Your Report Writing Skills, and Sharpen Your Story or Narrative Writing Skills.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(4) YA Sharpen Your Writing Skills series. These volumes present clear advice for developing writing skills in the title areas. The hints are practical and good-humored, and there are a range of examples, which will make this useful to middle school and high school writers. The page design is accessible if dull; the cartoony writing-implement characters are dorky. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Sharpen Your Writing Skills titles: Sharpen Your Business Letter Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Debate and Speech Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Essay Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Good Grammar Skills, Sharpen Your Report Writing Skills, and Sharpen Your Story or Narrative Writing Skills.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(4) YA Sharpen Your Writing Skills series. These volumes present clear advice for developing writing skills in the title areas. The hints are practical and good-humored, and there are a range of examples, which will make this useful to middle school and high school writers. The page design is accessible if dull; the cartoony writing-implement characters are dorky. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Sharpen Your Writing Skills titles: Sharpen Your Business Letter Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Debate and Speech Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Essay Writing Skills, Sharpen Your Good Grammar Skills, Sharpen Your Report Writing Skills, and Sharpen Your Story or Narrative Writing Skills.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(3) 4-6 After getting in trouble for swapping identities in Trading Faces, identical twins Emma and Payton continue to shake up life at their middle school. Now taking care of lively eight-year-old twin boys, the sisters also cope with mean girls, cute guys, and school pressures while getting a dose of their own medicine from their charges. Embarrassing episodes abound in this lighthearted tale.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(2) YA Fourteen-year-old "genius" Nathaniel, who has Asperger's syndrome, is taking a gap year between college and graduate school. His life mostly works well for him--until a teen party triggers a breakdown, marking the novel's turning point. Roy succeeds in presenting a unique and human perspective that allows readers to laugh at her character's quirks while engaging with him wholeheartedly.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2010

(4) 4-6 After Payton humiliates herself at school, her twin, Emma, suggests they swap identities. Emma figures she'll do some damage control and they'll switch back, but trading places proves more appealing than they'd anticipated, and the sisters learn useful, if unsurprising, lessons while in each other's shoes. The plot is unoriginal, but the girls' very different personalities broaden the story's appeal.

Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor

(4) 4-6 You Can Write series. Grammar discusses parts of speech, punctuation, and proofreading. A list of "Common Grammar Goofs" is appended. Essay defines what one is, covers different forms, provides information on research and writing, and includes a sample essay. Students will find these serviceably written books useful, but the dull layout is off-putting and a joking cartoon pencil is annoying. Reading list, websites. Review covers these You Can Write titles: You can Write Using Good Grammar and You Can Write an Essay.

Reviewer: Kate Murphy

(3) 4-6 Health Alert series. A fictional case study of a person suffering from each disorder introduces typical symptoms to readers. Three subsequent chapters describe the disease's biology and progress, its history, and ways to treat and cope with it as both a patient and a support for a patient. Clear archival black-and-white and color photos and photomicrographs support and extend the text. Directory, reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Health Alert titles: Asthma, Alzheimer's Disease, Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Juvenile Diabetes, and Depression.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) 4-6 You Can Write series. Grammar discusses parts of speech, punctuation, and proofreading. A list of "Common Grammar Goofs" is appended. Essay defines what one is, covers different forms, provides information on research and writing, and includes a sample essay. Students will find these serviceably written books useful, but the dull layout is off-putting and a joking cartoon pencil is annoying. Reading list, websites. Review covers these You Can Write titles: You can Write Using Good Grammar and You Can Write an Essay.

Reviewer: Kate Murphy

(3) 4-6 Discovering Cultures series. Engaging photographs, maps, and a simply written text present an overview of each featured country's geography, history, and culture, including clothing, language, food, education, and holidays. Recipes and brief highlights of traditional activities help make these useful resources. Information on currency, the flag, and notable citizens is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Discovering Cultures titles: Dominican Republic and Jamaica.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) YA You Can Write series. Report discusses how to choose a topic, do research, and make an outline, and it also includes tips on writing and editing. Story describes writing genres, touches on such topics as plotting and characterization, and offers information on editing and publishing. Although their prose is unexciting, these books contain solid material for those writing either out of necessity or desire. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these You Can Write titles: You Can Write a Report and You Can Write a Story or Narrative.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA You Can Write series. Report discusses how to choose a topic, do research, and make an outline, and it also includes tips on writing and editing. Story describes writing genres, touches on such topics as plotting and characterization, and offers information on editing and publishing. Although their prose is unexciting, these books contain solid material for those writing either out of necessity or desire. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these You Can Write titles: You Can Write a Report and You Can Write a Story or Narrative.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta