(4) K-3 Illustrated by Peter McCarty. The tree outside Anne Frank's annex window observes her life there, taking on a central symbolic role as it relates the iconic story. With its focus on symbolism and lyricism and its strangely peaceful tone, this might serve as a gentle introduction to Holocaust history, but its vagueness is problematic. Sepia-toned ink illustrations suggest the sadness and distance of old photographs.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Peter McCarty. In Getz's second-person narrative, "you" are part of a Mars mission crew learning about space exploration, speculating on what's beneath the Martian crust, and calculating the costs of this venture. An added "Update" discusses President Bush's advocacy of future space explorations. Black-and-white photographs and drawings illustrate the text, which has a casual quality not altogether suited to the content. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Peter McCarty. Given an ancient Greek coin, Terpin Taft dreams that Socrates tells him to live according to his beliefs. So he stops telling lies, with disastrous social consequences, but his integrity leads him to become the youngest Supreme Court Chief justice ever. There's a heavy undercurrent of preachiness, but Terpin is engaging enough to carry the narrative. McCarty contributes a new frontispiece and an interior drawing, both in black and white.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Peter McCarty. The author of Frozen Man and Frozen Girl gets to continue his interest in mummified remains in this chapter book about the 1918 flu pandemic, preserved corpses from those who died in the Arctic providing the best opportunity to study the virus. Although the text is repetitive and inconclusive (sometimes necessarily, given the still incomplete knowledge about the virus), the book is a readable summary. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) 4-6 Redfeather Chapter Book series. A gripping, detailed text and scattered black-and-white photographs and illustrations tell of the discovery of a five-hundred-year-old mummy in the Andes Mountains. Now known as Juanita, the mummy has helped scholars answer many questions about Incan culture. The text is informative, but the small number of photos included makes the book less interesting than it could be. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(1) 4-6 Illustrated by Peter McCarty. Mary Breckinridge (1881-1965) founded the Frontier Nursing Service, gathering dedicated nurses to serve remote areas. Drawing details from Breckinridge's autobiography and basing her "true-to-life" characters on those in a 1930 film by Breckinridge's niece, Wells offers three compelling vignettes exemplifying and illuminating the work of the FNS in Kentucky's Appalachia.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1998