(4) K-3 Illustrated by Roger Roth. Jack is afraid to ride the roller coaster with Grandpa, but after Grandma dies, Jack faces his fear--then gets angry when even this doesn't lift Grandpa's spirits. Catharsis comes when Jack (wisely) shirks his parents' advice: he talks about Grandma with Grandpa. This poignant tale suffers only from a too-tidy conclusion. The generally realistic art has occasional touches of caricature.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Roger Roth. Cassidy-Li, whose parents adopted her from China, is Star of the Week in kindergarten. She's making a poster with photos of the important people in her life, "but something is missing." What about her birth parents, whom she doesn't know? The author and artist, adoptive parents themselves, give their protagonist plenty of personality as they thoughtfully explore questions faced by adoptive families.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Roger Roth. Dino journeys across the Mediterranean with his ship's-cook father to the ancient port city of Alexandria; he can't wait to see the famous Pharos lighthouse. He serves as lookout during a storm and is the first to spy the awesome landmark. Well-detailed paintings add authenticity to the wordy tale. An author's note provides additional information.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Roger Roth. From Paul Revere's midnight ride to the raising of the flag at Iwo Jima, major moments throughout American history are described clearly and succinctly. Each essay ranges from two to four pages and features a storyteller's eye for detail and a historian's sense of inquiry. The book is divided into five sections and is copiously illustrated. A subject list is included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Roger Roth. "The only good tomato is a gone tomato," opines Annabelle as she confronts the giant pile of tomatoes she has been instructed to prepare for juicing while she and her misbehaving brother, Willie, are at Granny's farm. Sun-drenched art complements this engaging homespun narrative, in which Willie's encounter with a skunk generates an alternative use for all that juice.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Roger Roth. Children are encouraged to use their own reasoning powers to interpret the Salem witch trials of 1692. Each page includes historic information, the young detective-narrator's "notes" about the events, and important vocabulary words. The subdued palette of the illustrations reinforces the mystery's somber tone, and the careful detailing supports the book's interest in historical fact. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Roger Roth. The enigmatic disappearance of English settlers from their compound at Roanoke Island is this book's unsolved mystery. The authors tell the complicated story of dangerous trans-Atlantic voyages, alternating friendships and betrayal of and by native tribes with some clarity, though definitions and other sidebars are sometimes distracting. Careful illustrations aid in interpretation. Timeline.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Roger Roth. A girl detective leads readers through this "mystery from history": in the 1920s, an Indian missionary claimed that two girls in his orphanage had been raised by wolves. The informative text is accompanied by pencil and watercolor illustrations, word definitions on "Post-its," and research notes--which makes for a sometimes confusing layout. Readers are encouraged to decide for themselves whether the story is a hoax. Bib.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 1-3 Illustrated by Roger Roth. Zeta meets a merman on her tenth birthday and spends the early morning hours for almost two weeks (without her parents' knowledge, of course) with Marinus, who turns out to be the most remarkable of teachers. This pleasant, but not particularly original, diversion from an experienced yarnspinner contains large type, short chapters, and full-page illustrations.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Roger Roth. An unnamed girl detective leads readers through the real-life "history mystery" of an abandoned ship from 1872. Capable watercolors portraying shipboard scenes also include definitions of unfamiliar words and supplemental nautical information. Theories about what happened to the crew are presented at the end, while questions pointing to clues in the text encourage critical thinking. Bib.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 After Ape, a wealthy English gentleman, decides to have pets--hens in the living room, and rabbits and guinea pigs in the dining room--he is helped out by a Gypsy family. Although the story is told with King-Smith's typical humor, Ape is unrealistic. He is friendly and childlike, yet he ignored his own children, and he has no idea what will happen when he keeps male and female rabbits together.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.