(4) 4-6 Cold Whispers series. Illustrated by Jose Emroca Flores. This not-too-creepy series for reluctant readers concerns evil vampires at camp, a cursed home, a zombie-infested cemetery, and a trip in time to ancient Egypt. The stories are mildly entertaining; the illustrators' styles vary in quality, but all tend toward a generic comic-book look featuring the white male protagonists with their diverse groups of friends. "What Do You Think?" questions are appended. There are four other spring 2016 books in this series. Glos. Review covers these Cold Whispers titles: The Horror in the Cave, Curse of the Haunted House, Beware the Pharaoh's Tomb!, and Night of the Gravediggers.

Reviewer: Sian Gaetano

(4) 4-6 Cold Whispers series. Illustrated by Juan Manuel Moreno. This not-too-creepy series for reluctant readers concerns evil vampires at camp, a cursed home, a zombie-infested cemetery, and a trip in time to ancient Egypt. The stories are mildly entertaining; the illustrators' styles vary in quality, but all tend toward a generic comic-book look featuring the white male protagonists with their diverse groups of friends. "What Do You Think?" questions are appended. There are four other spring 2016 books in this series. Glos. Review covers these Cold Whispers titles: The Horror in the Cave, Curse of the Haunted House, Beware the Pharaoh's Tomb!, and Night of the Gravediggers.

Reviewer: Sian Gaetano

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jannie Ho. Cheerful Halloween-themed knock-knock jokes appear on every spread, often with a flap to lift in between setup and punch line. Some of the jokes and puns are surprising, others less so, but these groaners may be just the right addition to a Halloween routine. The cartoony illustrations are more humorous than creepy.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) 4-6 Sterling Biographies series. Opinionated yet informative, these latest additions to the series blend anecdotes, quotations, and facts to create engaging portraits of six of America's greatest sports stars. With some of the subject matter overlapping, these biographies focus on their athletes' careers, but also offer insight into the social and political realities of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Photographs and sidebars are incorporated into the reader-friendly designs. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Sterling Biography titles: Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Jesse Owens, Jim Thorpe, Jackie Robinson, and Muhammad Ali.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(4) 4-6 Blogger Jason retells fifty "based on true events" paranormal stories, one from each state. The adventures could happen anywhere; the geographical framework supplies little flavor or context to these tales of aliens, ghosts, and Bigfoot. The end result is an entertaining but disconnected jumble of supernatural short stories.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(4) 4-6 Mighty Military Machines series. This series discusses five types of military vehicles or equipment used in combat. Each book provides information about the machine, including its description, history, operation, and uses. Though the text can be awkwardly worded, it's made more personal by inclusion of vignettes featuring men and women engaged in situations that illustrate use of the equipment. Photographs and sidebars are included. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Mighty Military Machines titles: Fighter Planes, Helicopters, Military Rifles, Humvees, and Submarines.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Mighty Military Machines series. This series discusses five types of military vehicles or equipment used in combat. Each book provides information about the machine, including its description, history, operation, and uses. Though the text can be awkwardly worded, it's made more personal by inclusion of vignettes featuring men and women engaged in situations that illustrate use of the equipment. Photographs and sidebars are included. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Mighty Military Machines titles: Fighter Planes, Helicopters, Military Rifles, Humvees, and Submarines.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 1-3 Dorling Kindersley Readers series. Kids who enjoyed the live action film but are unfamiliar with the comic-book series will appreciate these introductory volumes. The books, although somewhat redundant, explain how high school student Peter Parker became Spider-Man and describe the various superhuman skills he possesses. The busy format, jammed with text, color illustrations from the comics, and supplemental marginalia, may confuse early readers. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta