(3) YA This fictionalized account of Union Army bugle boy Stephen's combat and prisoner-of-war experiences during the Civil War is unflinching in its depiction of the horrors he survives after enlisting at age thirteen. The tragic explosion of the steamboat Sultana, carrying thousands of Union soldiers home, provides the final calamity--one that's been overshadowed by Lincoln's assassination in most histories.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) PS Illustrated by Kent Culotta. With ready-made appeal for machine and tool lovers, this alphabet book shows a construction crew helping a family build an elaborate treehouse. Each letter introduces a tool or construction step with two rhyming couplets. Despite singsong tendencies, the text maintains alphabetic integrity without losing the work's flow. Soft-toned illustrations with rounded edges and smiling workers underscore the book's friendly vibe. Glos.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Victor Juhasz. Brief poems, a few of which impart usable information, are paired with sidebars that tell of ancient Roman history, customs, and culture. Crosshatched caricature illustrations display scenes of fighting, reclining, and learning, in addition to highlighting ancient Roman architecture.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) PS Illustrated by Teri Weidner. Baby Bear enjoys spending time one-on-one with different members of his family: Momma, Daddy, Brother, Aunt Grace, Uncle Roy, and Nana. Each night at bedtime he and a different relative share a specially inscribed book that touches on the day's activity. Cozy illustrations of affectionate bears accompany the pleasant, low-key story, which puts in a plug for reading together and for commemorating life's events with books.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen. In this alphabet book, every letter is represented by a style of house or by a word associated with dwellings, from apartments, to the Kilbourne home kit sold by Sears, Roebuck in the 1920s, to the White House. Short, informative paragraphs describe the structures, while attractive watercolor illustrations show the variety of architecture found around the United States.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley