(4) 4-6 Wild World of Buck Bray series. Eleven-year-old Buck returns with the rest of his survivalist-father's TV crew (including cameraman's daughter Toni) for an adventure in Canyonlands National Park, Utah. But they find more than cool rock formations when Buck stumbles upon a crime: someone vandalizing and stealing ancient artifacts. The rugged setting is again the highlight of this second installment, a predictable caper with appeal for wilderness-adventure fans.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(4) 4-6 Wild World of Buck Bray series. In this high-interest series-starter, eleven-year-old Buck joins his famous survivalist father on his wilderness television show in Alaska. But when two bear cubs suddenly go missing, Buck gets more adventure than he bargained for. The well-drawn setting and focus on wilderness will delight animal lovers and future naturalists in spite of the story's repetitive, predictable outcomes and thin character development. Glos.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(3) 4-6 Kaden lives a spartan life with his eccentric grandmother in a set of cabins outside the small town of Promise. In his eleventh year, two big changes challenge Kaden's view of the world: a new friend moves to town and Kaden's father comes home from prison. Well-developed characters add richness to this middle-grade coming-of-age story.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Michael Glenn Monroe. Each two-page spread features a poem about an animal's sleeping spot, a large illustration of the animal in its natural setting, and information about the animal's habits and habitat. The poems rely on cutesy words ("black and bluey / See right throughy") for a consistent structure and rhyme scheme. The prose encourages participation by asking questions about readers' own sleep habits.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) K-3 Tales of the World series. Illustrated by Jim Madsen. Travelling with his father and his two tamarin friends into the rainforest to gather Brazil nuts, young Eduardo is the hero of this Ecuadorian adventure as he discovers animal traffickers and eventually foils their plot. Realistic details flesh out the captivating setting, as do the colorful illustrations, though their digitally enhanced look is glossy. An author's note discusses animal trafficking and rainforest interdependence.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Doris Ettlinger. The story begins with Cora's mother's death during childbirth along the Oregon Trail. Difficult decisions pioneers had to make aren't sugarcoated: Cora's father gives the baby, named Susan, to her aunt to raise. In a fairy-tale ending, little Susan appears in teacher Cora's classroom. There's a fair bit of sentimentality in the text and prairie-themed illustrations, but the story line is engaging.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Andrea Wesson. In this adult-centered story, aspiring author Mrs. Wright believes that a pet will help cure her loneliness. After a mynah bird, monkey, and others fail, a trusty canine, who happens to be an excellent writing companion (even fetching a dictionary and a thesaurus), supports the writer, and her story is accepted for publication. Patterned illustrations accented with cheery florals convey a homey setting.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Laura Francesca Filippucci. Join explorer Basil Bernard Barnswhitten as he travels the globe in search of creatures rare and unusual. Which will he find? Which are extinct? Which were only ever legend? Clues in the pictures and the clunky rhymed text help readers decide. Double-page spread illustrations evoke the inexplicable thrill of musty museums and forgotten spaces. Brief information about the creatures is appended.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Chris Ellison. In Riding, Janie goes with her father on a bus to hear Martin Luther King Jr. In Lucky, Ruth's school is closed during the Great Depression. Both stories purport to show a child's interpretation of a time in history, though their voices waver unconvincingly between naive and profound. The realistic-looking paintings, though stiff, make good use of light and shadow. Review covers these Tales of Young Americans titles: Riding to Washington and The Lucky Star.

Reviewer: Becky Levine