(3) 4-6 Way-Too-Real Aliens series. Illustrated by Mike Gorman. In this second installment, Josh and his younger sister, Maggie, use alien technology to transport themselves to a planet he dreams up--but terrifying unicorns, hideous mermaids, and other scary surprises await them. Over-the-top silly and brimming with cliffhangers, the fast-paced sibling adventure demonstrates problem-solving, kindness, and teamwork. The kids and monsters look amusingly similar in Gorman's black-and-white art.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) 4-6 Way-Too-Real Aliens series. Illustrated by Mike Gorman. After the last two troubling adventures, Josh and his sister Maggie vowed to never use their alien gizmo that allows them to visit other worlds again. But when Josh's favorite fantasy author comes to town they are tempted to try one more excursion--with predictably dire consequences. Familiar plot devices are becoming creaky, but this third volume continues to be entertaining.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(4) 4-6 Alien Agent series. Illustrated by Mike Gorman. Undercover alien Zack is just trying to enjoy Halloween. But trouble's brewing, and Zack and his friends (human and alien) are needed. Zack, evading old enemies, must travel through space to secure Earth's place in the Galactic Union. Like the preceding five episodes, this volume's convoluted but lighthearted adventures have enough humor and action to satisfy fans.

Reviewer: Betsy Murray

(3) 4-6 Way-Too-Real Aliens series. Illustrated by Mike Gorman. This first book in a new series by the Alien Agent team is still about extraterrestrials, but with a different twist. Young (human) Josh has been writing stories about an imaginary planet, Yastol, and its alien occupants. Now those creatures have become real, and they want to bring Josh to their planet. Funny, quirky, and action-filled, the story will hold reluctant readers' attention.

Reviewer: Betsy Murray

(4) 4-6 Alien Agent series. Illustrated by Mike Gorman. Zack is recalled to duty when his boss, Sorn, goes missing. With his parents' blessing, along with the support of a flying alien cat and a new human friend, Zack must evade enemy aliens and Homeland Security, find Sorn, and keep humanity from realizing aliens exist. The author manages to keep Zack's fast-paced adventures relatively fresh in this fifth installment.

Reviewer: Betsy Murray

(4) 4-6 Alien Agent series. Illustrated by Mike Gorman. More alien assignments await Zack in this fourth series installment. This time he's, fittingly, off to Roswell, New Mexico, to locate a young alien who's searching for his father, a suspected survivor of the Roswell crash. Danger mounts when Zack's own father is kidnapped. Similar to its predecessors in plotting and humor (sometimes forced), this volume remains light, intergalactic fun.

Reviewer: Betsy Murray

(4) 4-6 Alien Agent series. Illustrated by Mike Gorman. Alien-in-disguise Zack (My Cousin, the Alien) is looking forward to a normal, human-kid summer camp experience. But things get complicated when the Galactic Patrol calls on him to help retrieve one hundred stolen Duthwi eggs. Despite some flat characters, the story's humor and fast-paced action, shown in black-and-white cartoon illustrations, will entertain readers.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) 4-6 Alien Agent series. Illustrated by Mike Gorman. It's aliens versus...other aliens in this third book in the series. Undercover boy/alien Zack is sent with his parents to Mongolia to help fellow alien-agent Vraj. Vraj's colleagues have been searching for fossils from creatures they believe to be their original ancestors, captured by enemy aliens, the Kiapa Kapa Syndicate. Oddities abound in this convoluted but humorous adventure.

Reviewer: Betsy Murray

(4) 4-6 Alien Agent series. Illustrated by Mike Gorman. Zack's cousin Ethan--who thinks himself an alien--moves to town. Zack tries to humor his odd relative and keep him from getting beaten up at school. Despite some two-dimensional characters, shown in similarly flat caricature illustrations, the story holds a surprise or two (aliens aren't real, are they?), moves at a brisk pace, and portrays a complex friendship between the cousins.

Reviewer: Betsy Murray

(4) 4-6 Merlin and companions Welly and Troll enlist a dragon to rescue Merlin's fiancée, Heather, from his old nemesis Morgan. After preventing Heather's sacrifice to Kali, the foursome (and dragon) tour magical belief systems across the nuclear-devastated globe, facing Morgan down in a Native American spirit war. Despite the jumble of myths and shallow characters, the original post-apocalyptic conceit may lure readers.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) 4-6 This volume includes Winter of Magic's Return (1987) and Tomorrow's Magic (1985), set in Britain five hundred years after a nuclear war. Two students discover their new classmate is really Merlin, who must reawaken King Arthur and save the world from the forces of Morgan La Fay. Service has done a terrific job melding futuristic science fiction with ancient Arthurian legend.

Reviewer: Terri Schmitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1985; January, 1988

(3) 4-6 Around the World In... series. Each book in this series sketches events in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Anecdotes, modern-day references, and an emphasis on daily life in the historical period keep the text interesting. Maps, archival reproductions, and color photos illustrate the pages. This crosscultural approach makes these overviews useful resources. A list of related Internet sites is included. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Around the World In... titles: 800, 1200, and300 B.C..]

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(3) 4-6 Around the World In... series. Each book in this series sketches events in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Anecdotes, modern-day references, and an emphasis on daily life in the historical period keep the text interesting. Maps, archival reproductions, and color photos illustrate the pages. This crosscultural approach makes these overviews useful resources. A list of related Internet sites is included. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Around the World In... titles: 800, 1200, and300 B.C..]

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(3) 4-6 Cultures of the Past series. These tightly focused books provide historical overviews of each ancient society and discuss their religious beliefs and cultural achievements. Excerpts from sacred books, charts comparing the childhood experiences for boys and girls living in those eras, and plentiful color reproductions enhance reader interest. Each volume concludes with a chapter exploring the enduring legacies of the cultures. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta