(4) YA Focusing on the years between the Civil War and the beginning of the twentieth century, this book covers the careers of the most significant photographers of the frontier as well as more obscure chroniclers of the American West. Considering the subject matter, the book contains disappointingly few photographs, although a surprisingly extensive "webography" does help round out the text. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(2) YA Donnelly ably presents Roosevelt the politician, the dedicated scholar, and the principled reformer. He includes familiar stories, and he tempers these accounts with a look at a political animal who shrewdly chose a career in public service. Donnelly connects national and international movements to Roosevelt's career and personal life. Black-and-white photos show Roosevelt at various stages of his life. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2003

(4) YA This introductory biography gives young readers a brief introduction to the life and work of Daisy Bates, a key activist in the integration of Little Rock's Central High School in 1957. While the dialogue is incompletely referenced, the text is otherwise sturdy. The book ncludes archival photographs, endnotes, and a reading list. Bib.

Reviewer: Deborah L. Thompson

(3) 4-6 Herpetologist Marty Crump brings her expertise to this well-researched, readable book. After introducing the unique characteristics of these creatures, using intriguing examples to further her points, Crump addresses population decline and conservation, making a well-reasoned case for changing our habits and policies. In addition to substantial supporting material, the book includes black-and-white photos and art. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) YA Extremely detailed and well-researched, this is the story of courageous women who flew transport planes, trained flight crews, and risked their lives testing old and new aircraft. Despite a lack of support from the military hierarchy, the WASPs were determined not to be limited by traditional gender roles and endured hazardous conditions and demanding schedules.Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 This biography of the nation's first commander in chief focuses on his stint as an officer in Virginia's colonial militia during the French and Indian War. Bland prose reveals some lesser-known information about Washington, such as how his arrogance and inexperience resulted in a massacre that was among the causes of the war. Dramatic art loosely illustrates the text. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(4) 4-6 McIntosh has smoothly retold twelve stories he collected from the Hausa people, crediting each of the original storytellers. Short fictionalized interludes about the marketplace introduce each story. Though stiff and artificial, these provide a better understanding of the context in which these stories are told. Black-and-white photos gives glimpses of the vibrant Hausa world. Glos.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Translated by Irma Molnar. Illustrated by Georgeta-Elena Enesel. Quite a few of these Hungarian folktales feature King Matthias, a very clever ruler modeled on a real-life king. Fresh, funny, and well timed, many of these stories will be new to American readers. The tales, illustrated with quirky black-and-white line drawings, are followed by notes expanding on the stories' historical background and sources. Bib.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Joseph F. Abboreno. The temptations and tribulations of Ho Yi, a famous archer god, make a fine saga. His story, told in several segments, is one of four complex tales, and there are three smaller stories interspersed among them. Fu's liberally adapted tellings draw on tales from the oral tradition that were set in writing during several periods of Chinese literary history. An exceptional bibliography is provided.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2001

(4) YA Five notable sites, including New York City's Five Points neighborhood and the slave quarters at Monticello, are examined in well-documented narratives that show how contemporary archaeological studies can support or contradict historical records. Although the prose is sometimes flat and slowly paced, the material about archaeological methodology is fascinating. The book is illustrated with black-and-white photos. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 A small but significant project of the New Deal was resettling carefully selected impoverished coal-mining families to the purpose-built community of Arthurdale. Based on documents and interviews, this book tells the story of Arthurdale and both the support and opposition it engendered with Mrs. Roosevelt as its stalwart patron. Black-and-white photos accompany the straightforward text. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) YA With excerpts from the women's journals, tape transcripts, color photos, and explanatory paragraphs, the authors describe the 1992-93 four-woman expedition to the South Pole. The primary sources make the account highly immediate, acquainting readers with the difficulties of Antarctic life and the emotional and physical challenges each woman faced. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) YA Covering the years from 1854, when settlers first arrived in the Kansas Territory, to 1861, when statehood was granted, this account traces the machinations of pro- and anti-slavery forces as they tried to influence the state. The text is dry and unengaging but enlivened by historical reproductions and occasional supplements that introduce notable figures and events or contain excerpts from primary sources. A time line is included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA The energy and passion for science held by Clark, an ichthyologist, shines through this upbeat, if a bit superficial, account of a very inspiring life. Clark's dedication to science--despite prejudice on account of her gender and ethnicity and the twists and turns of professional and family life--is a testimony to doing what you love. More photographs would have added appeal. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) YA This wide-ranging overview includes solid information and intriguing anecdotes about how various levels of society lived in fourteenth-century England. Religion, education, commerce, and daily life are discussed in cogent prose and illustrated with historical reproductions. However, the text makes frequent references to The Canterbury Tales, giving this work the feeling of a supplementary study guide instead of standing on its own merit. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(2) 4-6 This book thoroughly and evenhandedly discusses the complex relationships between human and animal inhabitants of the suburbs. Describing the range of animals in suburbia, Hodgkins considers the effects of urban sprawl on the environment and of the adaptation of animals to humans (and vice versa). Proposed solutions to animal population management are realistic. Decorative photos are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2000

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Michael Larson. Mystical strains and magical powers imbue some tales in this collection; others feature those foolish, kindly, greedy, or clever folk familiar from tales around the world. Each of the stories begins with introductory comments setting the stage, sometimes indicating the country of origin. The easy flow of the narrative, along with strains of humor and irony and the matter-of-fact acceptance of magic, will catch the ear of storytellers. Bib.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2000

(2) 4-6 Photographs by Jennifer Ashabranner. Ashabranner adds to his series of acclaimed books about immigration with this look at a perhaps less publicized and numerically small group, contemporary immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Following a concise summary of both the slave trade and larger immigration patterns throughout U.S. history, Ashabranner interviews subjects whose stories give faces and life to the statistics. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1999

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Maniam Selven. Clever, fierce, modest, beautiful, loving, or vengeful, the heroines in these eighteen tales, drawn from Hindu and Buddhist mythology, oral tradition, legends, and literary masterpieces, as well as Krishnaswami's own memory, provide a multifaceted view of Indian women. Selven's black-and-white line drawings are an understated complement to these well-told tales. Source notes are included. Glos.

Reviewer: Pamela McCuen

(4) 4-6 These forty-one retold or reprinted tales (including a couple of poems and an anecdote) about environmental conservation represent an impressively broad array of world cultures and are grouped by themes such as "Caring for Our Land," "The Folly of Human Greed," and "Many Voices Bring Results." An apt proverb juxtaposes each story, and many entries are formatted for easy storytelling. The tales, however, are hit-or-miss: many are slight or overly didactic. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli