(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Tom Shefelman. Young Wolf is proud of his new colt and furious when his best friend, Little Big Mouth, teases the animal with a quirt. The conflict between the two boys escalates, resulting in a serious accident that Young Wolf can only remedy if he makes a great personal sacrifice. The moving story is briskly paced and copiously illustrated with pleasing black-and-white artwork.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 This accessible biography of Andrew Payne, winner of the 1928 "First Annual International Trans-Continental Foot Race," a 3,423-mile race from Los Angeles to New York City, focuses on Payne's strength of character as well as his physical endurance. Griffis's conversational narrative provides insight, and young runners may be inspired by this little-known American hero.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) 4-6 Adulatory prose traces Bush's life from prep school student and World War II hero through his years as congressman, CIA director, and president of the United States. Illustrated with black-and-white photos, the volume provides more depth and detail than George H. W. Bush by Michael A. Schuman, also reviewed in this issue. Directory, timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 In this sequel to The Rachel Resistance, fifth-grader John Alan Feester continues adjusting to life in Oklahoma after moving from California. Set during World War II and filled with period detail, the story meanders as John Alan befriends a silent classmate and declares a truce with his former enemy Rachel. The novel's glossary seems unnecessary, especially since many of the included terms are already defined in the text.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Beginning her aviation career in 1912, Katherine Stinson was responsible for a lot of firsts, including originating several aerial stunts, carrying airmail, and skywriting. Although this biography, illustrated with a number of archival black-and-white photos, doesn't document sources for conversations and quotes, the narration is fluid, engaging, and well organized. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Schaub MacKay. In this book based on a true story, a beached baby dolphin is separated from its mother during a storm, injured in a shark attack, and rescued by the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network and nursed back to health. Illustrated with blotchy color artwork and two slightly blurry photos of the real Stormy, the text also gives information about dolphins in the wild. An appended list of dolphin facts includes vocabulary words.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) YA Profiling the number of important journalists who were either born in Texas (Dan Rather, Linda Ellerbee) or raised there (Walter Cronkite, Molly Ivins), the book presents a series of chapter-length biographies. The adulatory pieces are written in an uneven style and contain omissions but will encourage further biographical research. Black-and-white photographs illustrate the volume. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Tom Shefelman. A fictional account based on actual encounters between Comanches and Texans in 1840, the story concerns Tsena, the son of a peace chief who witnesses his father's death at the hands of the tejanos. Escaping from captivity, he is aided by a white family before returning to his people and seeking vengeance against the Texans. This balanced portrait of the conflict is well paced and gracefully written.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA The life and career of the famed pitcher are recounted in a chronological presentation that takes Ryan from his youth in small-town Texas, through his nearly thirty years in the major leagues, to his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Illustrated with a section of black-and-white plates, the wordy text is overly detailed, especially in describing specific ball games that Ryan played. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta