(4) YA Surviving Southside series. Lucy is looking forward to a bright future with her boyfriend Luke--until she gets pregnant. Now that future will include abortion, adoption, or keeping the baby; as Lucy acknowledges, "the choices all sucked." An ambiguous ending keeps readers guessing. The problem-novel text grows melodramatic, but reluctant readers may be drawn in by the high-interest (if simplistically treated) topic.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Richard Kolding. Amy and Martin beg their sitter, Liz, to take them sailing and raspberry picking in honor of the first day of summer. Although most of the berries accidentally end up in the lake, the kids, their friend Click the mouse, and readers learn a lot about sailing in this lengthy summer tale, accompanied by amiable cartoonlike illustrations. The characters are from a regular Click magazine feature.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) 4-6 Community Builders series. In these biographies the focus is on each individual's lasting impact on his or her community and world. Captioned black-and-white and color photographs and reproductions illustrate each brief text. Sidebars also provide world and national context for the lives and the work of the individuals. Time lines are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) K-3 Real Kids Readers series. Photographs by Dorothy Handelman. Written for different reading levels, from preschool to third grade, these three stories contain phonic guidelines to assist parents. Spots, about a girl who loves dots, has a cute resolution; My Pen Pal, Pat effectively presents a tale of mistaken identities; in The Good Bad Day, Pam's bad day turns into a good day. The weakest aspect of the books are the posed color photographs, which are often static in nature. There are nine other books in this series.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) K-3 Rookie Reader series. Illustrated by Gary Bialke. In this slight story, Sam, a rambunctious and clumsy mutt, serves as Rosie's show-and-tell at school. In his exuberant doggy style, Sam paints, sharpens pencils, sings, and wreaks havoc during snack time. After his visit, Sam ends up in school himself--obedience school. The color illustrations, dominated by blues and browns, depict a classroom demolished in Sam's reckless wake.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) 4-6 Community Builders series. Black-and-white and color photos and boxed sidebars of relevant information accompany texts that introduce these five influential Americans. Though the texts are often choppy, they adequately give a sense of events that shaped the subjects' lives and the times in which they lived. Time lines are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) 4-6 Community Builders series. These uneven, poorly designed biographies chronicle the lives of these four women from their growing-up years to their accomplishments as First Ladies. The depth of treatment of the political and social atmosphere of each woman's time varies with each volume; highlighted boxes provide further, and sometimes incidental, information. Black-and-white and color photos illustrate each volume. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(3) K-3 Rookie Reader series. Guarding the house and wrecking the house look a lot alike in this light, humorous picture book about a rambunctious dog who loves staying home alone. Loud and lively caricatured illustrations tell the real story behind the simple text, as they show that Sam's method of looking for burglars involves chewing books, digging in closets, and knocking down drapes.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.