(4) 4-6 Step into History series. Illustrated by Peter Dennis. In each volume, readers take on the responsibility of leadership during the given time period and are presented with "The Challenge" to complete. The volumes then instruct readers on how to accomplish the tasks and in so doing teach about that particular civilization. While the numerous illustrations combined with text are informative, the crowded layouts are difficult to follow. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Step into History titles: Conquest! and Siege!

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Step into History series. Illustrated by Peter Dennis. In each volume, readers take on the responsibility of leadership during the given time period and are presented with "The Challenge" to complete. The volumes then instruct readers on how to accomplish the tasks and in so doing teach about that particular civilization. While the numerous illustrations combined with text are informative, the crowded layouts are difficult to follow. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Step into History titles: Conquest! and Siege!

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Step into History series. Illustrated by Peter Dennis. In this volume, readers take on the position of captain of a sixteenth-century trading ship. They're presented with "The Challenge" (bring back goods to Europe) and instructed on how to accomplish the task; in so doing, the book teaches about the time period. While the numerous illustrations combined with text are informative, the crowded layouts are difficult to follow. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Step into History series. Illustrated by Peter Dennis. In this volume, readers assume the role of clan chief during the Stone Age. They're presented with "The Challenge" (lead people to safety as winter approaches) and instructed on how to accomplish the task; in so doing, the book teaches about the time period. While the numerous illustrations combined with text are informative, the crowded layouts are difficult to follow. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) K-3 Fast Forward series. Illustrated by Peter Dennis. Double-page spreads trace the evolution of a pyramid over time. With thumb tabs indicating the date of each activity, workers prepare a level site in 2500 B.C.E., lay blocks on stone in 2485 B.C.E., and entomb the pharaoh a dozen years later. Subsequent layouts depict the arrival of Europeans in 1789 and a look at the site today. The text is flat, but readers may appreciate the detail in the otherwise unexceptional color illustrations. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) K-3 Fast Forward series. Illustrated by Peter Dennis. In a bookish answer to hypertext, this volume features twelve double-page spreads, each accessible by a thumb index, that sequence events surrounding a Spanish ship, from its construction in the 1630s, through an attack and sinking by pirates, to its rediscovery by nineteenth-century divers, to the present-day display of its replica. Somewhat static but well-labeled illustrations add considerable detail to the brief text. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Fast Forward series. Illustrated by Peter Dennis. In a bookish answer to hypertext, the volumes in this series feature twelve double-page spreads, each accessible by a thumb index, that sequence events in Pompeii, Italy, before and after the 79 C.E. eruption of Vesuvius and in Castle, atop a European hill, where a succession of castles was built. Somewhat static but well-labeled illustrations add considerable detail to the brief text, which moves from prehistory to the present. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Fast Forward titles: Castle and Volcano.]

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Fast Forward series. Illustrated by Peter Dennis. In a bookish answer to hypertext, the volumes in this series feature twelve double-page spreads, each accessible by a thumb index, that sequence events in Pompeii, Italy, before and after the 79 C.E. eruption of Vesuvius and in Castle, atop a European hill, where a succession of castles was built. Somewhat static but well-labeled illustrations add considerable detail to the brief text, which moves from prehistory to the present. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Fast Forward titles: Castle and Volcano.]

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 Dorling Kindersley Discoveries series. Illustrated by Peter Dennis. Various topics are covered on two- or three-page spreads, with brief introductory text and detailed captions for each of the numerous maps, pictures, and photographs. The book design is crowded, but the information will fascinate young readers. One noteworthy feature is the small scroll on each page containing a primary source quote related to the topic. Ind.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(4) 4-6 Dorling Kindersley Discoveries series. Illustrated by Peter Dennis. This busily designed book emphasizes the insatiable ego, impulsive character, and military prowess of the larger-than-life King Alexander. Sidebars provide information on the culture, architecture, and art of the people he conquered. Though it glosses over Alexander's private life, this introduction is action-packed and informative. Ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Discoveries series. Illustrated by Peter Dennis. While Castle is based on a generic medieval fortress, the other two volumes trace specific historical events and include information on their later archaeological discovery and study. Illustrated with detailed color artwork, and one foldout per volume, the books contain intriguing information about each culture and a number of boxed quotes. Unfortunately, the cramped layouts make the presentations busy and overwhelming. Ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta