(2) YA Between 1868 and 1898, Cuba fought three wars to gain independence. Engle uses these historical events to craft a powerful free-verse narrative told through soliloquies of various revolutionary characters, including folk heroine Rosa la Bayamesa, a former slave and healer. Engle's haunting poetry explores themes of oppression, war, and human rights through the lens of one woman's determination. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Jane Lopez-Santillana | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2008

(2) YA The one place Danny feels accepted is the baseball field. He imagines becoming a star, making his father proud enough to return from Mexico. This fast-paced baseball story is unique in its gritty realism, framed in the context of broken homes and bicultural pressures. De la Peña poignantly conveys the message that, despite obstacles, you must shape your own future.

Reviewer: Jane Lopez-Santillana | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2008

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. Fifty-one poems, many by well-known poets, capture the uniqueness of different parts of the country. Organized into geographical regions, each of which is introduced with a map and a page of state facts, this book is less than comprehensive: some states are represented by more than one poem, others aren't mentioned at all. Nevertheless, this collection does reflect America's diversity. Textured paintings illustrate each poem. Ind.

Reviewer: Jane Lopez-Santillana

(4) 4-6 Life in the Middle Ages series. Generously illustrated with archival artwork (and a few photographs), this series provides a relatively comprehensive look at the lives of men, women, and children in the Middle Ages. While the text itself is somewhat dry, additions such as songs, games, recipes, and literature excerpts make these books an enlightening if not entirely compelling read. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jane Lopez-Santillana

(4) 4-6 Life in the Middle Ages series. Generously illustrated with archival artwork (and a few photographs), this series provides a relatively comprehensive look at the lives of men, women, and children in the Middle Ages. While the text itself is somewhat dry, additions such as songs, games, recipes, and literature excerpts make these books an enlightening if not entirely compelling read. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jane Lopez-Santillana

(4) 4-6 Life in the Middle Ages series. Generously illustrated with archival artwork (and a few photographs), this series provides a relatively comprehensive look at the lives of men, women, and children in the Middle Ages. While the text itself is somewhat dry, additions such as songs, games, recipes, and literature excerpts make these books an enlightening if not entirely compelling read. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jane Lopez-Santillana

(4) 4-6 Life in the Middle Ages series. Generously illustrated with archival artwork (and a few photographs), this series provides a relatively comprehensive look at the lives of men, women, and children in the Middle Ages. While the text itself is somewhat dry, additions such as songs, games, recipes, and literature excerpts make these books an enlightening if not entirely compelling read. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jane Lopez-Santillana

(3) YA After her mother's death on her family's trip West in 1878, Lizzy's father leaves her at an all-girls' Catholic school in Santa Fe. Protestant Lizzy is at first resistant but later attempts to understand the conventions of this unfamiliar setting and faith. This novel features an eclectic collection of characters and a possible miracle based on an actual Santa Fe legend about St. Joseph, both of which will please historical fiction fans. Bib.

Reviewer: Jane Lopez-Santillana