(3) 4-6 Worst-Case Scenario Ultimate Adventure series. Illustrated by Yancey Labat. With Ed Stafford. Readers are given a chance to experience the danger, thrill, and wild adventures of a six-month journey in the Amazon. Twenty-six different options provide a variety of paths and challenges in the rainforest. Survival is key, and learning about the environment, its natural beauty, and perils is enhanced with black-and-white cartoon drawings.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) 4-6 Worst-Case Scenario Ultimate Adventure series. Illustrated by Yancey Labat. With Mike Perham. This Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-style installment, filled with fast-paced action, offers kids a front-row seat on a sailing trip around the world. As in the others, readers are asked what the characters should do at critical points in the story; repeat readings are invited, as few will guess right upon first reading. An "Expedition File" section provides necessary background. Black-and-white illustrations increase the energy.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Yancey Labat. When asked how many jelly beans they would like, Emma and Aiden both start off small--then each one-ups the other, naming progressively higher numbers until they amusingly stop at one million (depicted in a poster-size gatefold). Labat's clean digital illustrations, featuring black-and-white figures and colorful candies, break down conceptually challenging large numbers by arranging them in creative ways.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) 4-6 Worst-Case Scenario Ultimate Adventure series. Illustrated by Yancey Labat. With Robert Zubrin. In this Choose-Your-Own-Adventure-style book, readers join an international crew on a journey to Mars. The mission is "Help prepare Mars Base I for its first wave of permanent settlers" then return safely to Earth. Organization is spotty: the appended "Mars Expedition File" should be read before takeoff, as it provides maps, diagrams, and lifesaving information. Comic-style black-and-white illustrations enhance the interactive adventure.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan