(3) 4-6 Dubbed "leading ace" by the U.S. Navy, Vraciu was best known for shooting down six enemy dive-bombers in eight minutes. Through his story, readers follow WWII from the attack on Pearl Harbor to the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Black-and-white photographs and quotes from primary sources make this biography a credible and compelling account. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(4) 4-6 Southerner Sarah Caldwell considered the Underground Railroad to be criminal. After moving to Indiana, Sarah's attitude toward slavery shifts when she spends time with abolitionists and befriends a teenage slave girl. Primary sources including photographs, illustrations, and maps enhance the historical perspective, but they interrupt the flow of the story. An afterword provides more information about the Underground Railroad. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) 4-6 In the 1830s, orphan Joshua joins a road crew to earn money and save his farm. While traveling alone from Indiana to Michigan to obtain supplies, Joshua confronts his preconceived ideas about slavery and Native American rights and his definition of home. Based on true events, the story is interesting and enlightening, despite some overly convenient and expedient events toward the end. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(3) 4-6 This accessible volume tells of the life and work of suffragist and educator Mary Wright Sewall. The first chapter gives an overview of her life, drawing readers in, while the rest of the book focuses on her many accomplishments (e.g., opening a girls' school in Indianapolis, presiding over the International Council of Women). Archival black-and-white photos enhance the text. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 This comprehensive yet accessible book describes the life of the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who died while on assignment during World War II. Pyle's forte was writing about the common man, and several of his columns are reprinted; archival photographs also help humanize this historical figure while contextualizing his work. Extensive back matter includes Pyle historic sites and collections. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Collage art incorporating leaves illustrates this slight story about a girl who, after hearing her parents talk about a "family tree," examines all the trees in her yard, telling (and showing) why each reminds her of a different family member. The book never actually defines what a real family tree is, so further explanation may be needed for young readers.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Angela M. Gouge & Angela M. Gouge. After young Hugh relays that a new classmate is "from another country," his dad is inspired to tell him about the Hasler family's immigration from Switzerland to Indiana in the 1800s. This nonfiction account is entertaining but not as exciting as the author, a Hasler descendant, clearly thinks it is. In her charcoal drawings, Gouge gets the mood right, if not always the proportions.

Reviewer: Nell Beram