(4) K-3 Sports Stars Who Care series. These books touch on the philanthropic efforts of the title sports stars, in some cases greatly padded by biographical information and career stats (Albert Pujols started a foundation for kids with Down syndrome, which his daughter has, making his efforts seem more personal). Beyond the do-gooder hook there's nothing much new, but reluctant readers will appreciate the accessible writing style and sports photographs. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Sports Stars Who Care titles: Derek Jeter, Lionel Messi, Tim Tebow, Dwight Howard, Shaun White, Eli Manning, and [Albert Pujols.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) 4-6 African-American Collective Biographies series. These volumes profile eminent African American figures from various cultural fields. Each icon has his or her own chapter offering basic biographical information, archival photographs (some appear doctored), career highlights, and a timeline. This series is suitable for introductions but not in-depth research. Readers may be distracted by a hodgepodge of graphics and borders. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these African-American Collective Biographies titles: Awesome African-American Rock and Soul Musicians, Incredible African-American Jazz Musicians, Inspring African-American Civil Rights Leaders, Celebrated African-American Novelists, Extraordinary African-American Poets, and Amazing African-American Actors.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(3) YA Xtreme Athletes series. These volumes detail the athletic achievements of the title champions of golf (Wie), speed skating (Ohno), and mixed martial arts (Lesnar and Ortiz); the texts also mention their personal and professional challenges and how they overcame them. Quotes and sidebars enhance the accessible volumes. Clear photographs depict sporting victories and special events in the subjects' lives. Timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Xtreme Athletes titles: Apolo Ohno, Brock Lesnar, Tito Ortiz, and Michelle Wie.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(4) 4-6 Checkerboard Adventure Library: Adrenaline Adventure series. This series briefly examines four different sports/adventure activities. Each book contains a description of the sport, the equipment used, safety instructions, and suggestions for beginners. Famous participants are briefly mentioned. Aspiring practitioners may find the information too limited, but they will likely be pleased with the many colorful action photos and included sidebars. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Adventure Library: Adrenaline Adventure titles: Belaying the Line, Dropping the Flag, Leading the Pack, and Pulling the Rip Cord.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Checkerboard Adventure Library: Adrenaline Adventure series. This series briefly examines four different sports/adventure activities. Each book contains a description of the sport, the equipment used, safety instructions, and suggestions for beginners. Famous participants are briefly mentioned. Aspiring practitioners may find the information too limited, but they will likely be pleased with the many colorful action photos and included sidebars. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Adventure Library: Adrenaline Adventure titles: Belaying the Line, Dropping the Flag, Leading the Pack, and Pulling the Rip Cord.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Checkerboard Adventure Library: Adrenaline Adventure series. This series briefly examines four different sports/adventure activities. Each book contains a description of the sport, the equipment used, safety instructions, and suggestions for beginners. Famous participants are briefly mentioned. Aspiring practitioners may find the information too limited, but they will likely be pleased with the many colorful action photos and included sidebars. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Adventure Library: Adrenaline Adventure titles: Belaying the Line, Dropping the Flag, Leading the Pack, and Pulling the Rip Cord.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Checkerboard Adventure Library: Adrenaline Adventure series. This series briefly examines four different sports/adventure activities. Each book contains a description of the sport, the equipment used, safety instructions, and suggestions for beginners. Famous participants are briefly mentioned. Aspiring practitioners may find the information too limited, but they will likely be pleased with the many colorful action photos and included sidebars. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Adventure Library: Adrenaline Adventure titles: Belaying the Line, Dropping the Flag, Leading the Pack, and Pulling the Rip Cord.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 True Rescue Stories series. Each volume in this well-organized series describes several true-life rescue stories. The books' layout is less engaging than the subject matter; there are no illustrations and the pages of text may be daunting for reluctant readers. The writing, while accessible, is sometimes awkward in its melodrama (Jessica McClure: "a curious eighteen-month-old toddler with a near fatal attraction to an abandoned well"). Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these True Rescue Stories titles: True Ocean Rescue Stories, True Wilderness Rescue Stories, True Mountain Rescue Stories, and True Underground Rescue Stories.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) YA Political Profiles series. These three uneven political biographies cover their subjects' childhoods, important life events, and present-day careers. Though the texts are marred by occasional inaccuracies (e.g, Lewis incorrectly states that Martin Luther King Jr. went to Boston College instead of Boston University), they could appeal to budding politicians. Photographs, some without captions, help illuminate history and personalities. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Political Profiles titles: Sarah Palin, John Lewis, and Joe Biden.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(3) YA Great Explorers of the World series. These accounts of the lives of La Salle, Magellan, or De Soto, valiant but often cruel explorers of the new world, make interesting reading as well as solid report material. The books are accessibly written and supported with maps (just one in La Salle), photos, and archival pictures. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Great Explorers of the World titles: La Salle, Magellan, and Hernando de Soto.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(3) YA Great Explorers of the World series. Going above and beyond biographical information about its subject, each book offers readers a glimpse of the historical times, events leading up to and surrounding the men's travels, and the impact of their explorations on the world. The volumes are well illustrated with photos, archival art, and maps. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Great Explorers of the World titles: Columbus, Marco Polo, and Henry Hudson.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) YA Political Profiles series. These profiles focus on their subjects' childhoods, backgrounds, and the forces that shaped them into today's leaders. Though largely laudatory, both books also touch on foibles and scandals (e.g., Chappaquiddick). Some of the information is already out of date. Obama gives little insight into Michelle's life before Barack. Photographs help break up the texts, which will be useful for basic information. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Political Profiles titles: Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(4) YA Xtreme Athletes series. A snowboarder's youthful enthusiasm is captured in White. Slater details the popular surfer's swift ascent in his sport. Beckham chronicles the very public soccer star's career. Each title includes the subject's successes and failures, but these are laudatory tributes to these impressive athletes. Stock photographs accompany the texts. Informative sidebars often interrupt the narrative flow. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Xtreme Athletes titles: David Beckham, Kelly Slater, and Shaun White.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) YA Xtreme Athletes series. A snowboarder's youthful enthusiasm is captured in White. Slater details the popular surfer's swift ascent in his sport. Beckham chronicles the very public soccer star's career. Each title includes the subject's successes and failures, but these are laudatory tributes to these impressive athletes. Stock photographs accompany the texts. Informative sidebars often interrupt the narrative flow. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Xtreme Athletes titles: David Beckham, Kelly Slater, and Shaun White.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) YA Modern Role Models series. These biographies chronicle the subjects' rise to fame, major setbacks and accomplishments, and efforts toward helping others. The busy design includes photographs, bolded quotations, and many different-color fonts. Sports fans will appreciate the range of topics discussed in the series, from basketball to snowboarding, auto racing and professional wrestling. There are twelve other fall 2008 books in this series. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Modern Role Models titles: Danica Patrick, John Cena, Shaun White, Sheryl Swoopes, and Dwyane Wade.

Reviewer: Marika Jeffrey

(4) 4-6 Inventors Who Changed the World series. This series provides a basic overview of each subject's life and career, including successes as well as mistakes and controversies. The series's design features well-reproduced archival photos and distracting, cluttered screen shots. Some less motivated readers will appreciate the publisher's enhanced website. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Inventors Who Changed the World titles: Thomas Edison, Wilbur and Orville Wright, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Henry Ford.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Political Profiles series. These profiles of seven politicians currently in the spotlight are thorough, concentrating heavily on childhood, background, and the forces that shaped these leaders. The volumes will quickly be dated (especially in the four on presidential candidates); Gore ends before his Nobel Peace Prize award. Photographs help break up the dense pages. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Political Profiles titles: Al Gore, Barack Obama, Rudy Giuliani, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) YA American Workers series. This thorough, well-documented biography recounts Chávez's progression from fieldworker in California to activist, union organizer, and civil rights advocate. Chávez's untiring efforts, extremely modest salary, refusal to back down, hunger strikes, and growing awareness of political process are emphasized, with the United Farm Workers Union as his crowning achievement. Considerable primary material is used, and captioned photographs illustrate the text. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) YA World Leaders series. Young briefly covers the history of Venezuela, Chavez's early years, and his service in the military before getting to the book's focus: Chavez's time as Venezuela's very controversial president. The text is supported by well-documented quotes from a variety of sources and some photographs. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) 4-6 Sensational Sports Teams series. Each of these uniform series volumes presents the history of a popular sports franchise. The team's legendary players and coaches, memorable games and championships, and stadiums and arenas are featured in the somewhat choppy texts. Many action photographs (some pixelated) accompany the standard layouts. Each book includes website screen shots, and the publisher keeps the sources current at its own site. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Sensational Sports Teams titles: Dodger Blue, Kings of the Court, Steel Tough and Burning Up the Court.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan