(4) 4-6 Science in Focus series. Woodford provides a useful, accessible dissection of the complex world of digital information technology. His descriptions of the mathematical and electronic underpinnings of our binary-based digital gadgetry (cell phones, DVDs, etc.) are thorough and clear. Photos and illustrations lighten the technicality of the text. Thoughtful evaluation of the "rights and wrongs" of the digital revolution is encouraged. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) 4-6 Elements series. These four accounts discuss the discovery (if known), the sources, the properties, and the uses of common elements. Each series book begins with a short description of atomic structure and ends with an explanation of the periodic table and of balancing chemical equations. The well-selected photographs and diagrams are appropriate to the text. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Elements titles: Noble Gases, Silver, Potassium, and Titanium.]

Reviewer: Harry Clement Stubbs

(3) 4-6 Elements series. These four accounts discuss the discovery (if known), the sources, the properties, and the uses of common elements. Each series book begins with a short description of atomic structure and ends with an explanation of the periodic table and of balancing chemical equations. The well-selected photographs and diagrams are appropriate to the text. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Elements titles: Noble Gases, Silver, Potassium, and Titanium.]

Reviewer: Harry Clement Stubbs

(4) 4-6 Biomes Atlases series. Each book begins with a biome map and a description of the biomes of the world, then describes the climate, plants, animals, and cultures specific to the featured biome; geographic examples are interspersed. Packed with information and colorful illustrative material, the format is a well-organized if visually overwhelming cross between textbook and encyclopedia. There are seven other new books in this series. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Biomes Atlases titles: Deserts and Semideserts, Oceans and Beaches, Taiga, Tropical Grasslands, and Arctic Tundra and Polar Deserts.]

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(4) 4-6 Science Fact Files series. Double-page spreads touch on many aspects of forensic science, including collecting evidence, fingerprint analysis, ballistics, and toxicology. Though the information is compelling, the writing style is somewhat bland. The pages are busy with "fact files," information boxes spotlighting historical crimes, and banal, often fuzzy color photographs. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta