(2) YA New York Times Book series. One of the first students to desegregate an all-white college in the South looks at six pivotal years of the civil rights movement (1960–1965). Veteran journalist Hunter-Gault weaves her own experience into a larger history, going beyond well-known events to discuss some precursors. Period photographs and pages from the New York Times (articles appended) illustrate the gracefully written history. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2012

(1) 4-6 With an abundance of historical photographs and a characteristically lucid, well-organized text, Freedman documents the history of the First World War: from its tangled beginnings, through years of stalemate, to the collapse of empires and uneasy peace, and ending with a brief description of the rise of Hitler. Freedman's narrative, dedicated to his WWI veteran father, is dramatic and often heart-wrenching. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2010

(2) 4-6 George-Warren opens with a description of the lives of women in the Old West, using quotations from their writings. In topically organized chapters, the volume then discusses these outlaws, show girls, rodeo stars, etc., concluding with an overview of twenty-first-century cowgirls. Augmented with archival images and photographs, the book may spur horse-loving readers on to cowgirl careers of their own. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2010

(2) YA After her mother's death, Jameela's father takes her from her rural Afghan home to war-wracked Kabul, where he abandons her. Delivered to an orphanage, Jameela flourishes, making a family of her own. Readers will sympathize with the main character and rejoice in the story's ultimate outcome. Khan, a Pakistani-born Canadian, bases her novel on an actual child's experience. Glos.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2009

(2) 4-6 American Story series. Illustrated by Giulio Maestro. Betsy Maestro explains how the newly independent American states learned to work together, becoming a country able to govern and support itself while extending its territory; the text also makes note of the continuing discrimination against Native Americans. Smooth writing is complemented by Giulio Maestro's detailed illustrations, maps, and occasional full-page backgrounds. End matter includes relevant quotations. Timeline. Ind.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2009

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Matt Phelan. Rockwell's text describes a tall, shy boy who worked to conquer his diffidence and temper before becoming the first president of the United States. Phelan's soft pencil and gouache illustrations look almost tentative, stressing the boy in the man we know best as a great leader. This is an ideal introduction: nicely paced, admiring but not adulatory, and clear about Washington's historical importance. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2009

(2) 4-6 This volume goes beyond the usual mountain-climbing focus to also explore the lives of Sherpas who make Everest their home. An introduction explains the mountain's local names and locates it on several maps. Subsequent chapters cover Sherpa customs, the mountain's flora and fauna, environmental concerns, and Everest explorations. Sidebars provide further information about people and geology. Well-reproduced photographs support the text. Timeline, websites. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2009

(2) 4-6 Freedman again illuminates a piece of American history: here, the Revolutionary War, using the winter of 1777–78 as a focal point. His customary graceful prose, eye for the telling detail, and clear narrative arc make this a pleasure to read. Frequent quotations, including first-person reminiscences, and judiciously chosen artistic interpretations add to the appeal of this invitingly designed book. Maps, source notes, timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2009

(2) YA New York Times reporter Kaufman describes events behind the headlines shown in reproductions of the paper's front pages during the pivotal year of 1968. Providing both background and aftermath, Kaufman also enlivens his fluid, reportorial narrative with insider details of journalism. Black-and-white photographs, well-chosen quotations, and an appendix that includes the full text of each story add immediacy. Reading list, timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2009

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Eric Velasquez. In spare, poetic language, Weatherford tells the story of African American explorer Henson in eight-line stanzas. Until the climactic last page, each segment begins with a negative clause ("I did not sail to the tropics just to launder shirts..."), an effective device. Velasquez's striking pastels support the text nicely and, toward the end, heighten suspense. An author's note supplements the biographical information.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2008

(3) 4-6 Cooper bases his history mainly on John Smith's writings. The book's frequent illustrations are reproductions of Smith's own paintings or engravings based on them. Quotations are also carefully attributed in context and in source notes at the end (though the unfortunate repeated typo, "Croatian" for Croatoan, is worth noting). Cooper's straightforward narrative is occasionally enlivened with kid-friendly comparisons. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs

(1) 4-6 Freedman demonstrates how North and South America have been discovered and settled over and over since the Stone Age. In lively, graceful prose, he invites readers to ponder serious historical questions. Straightforward explanations of various historical theories include evidence for and against their validity. The book's design adds to its appeal, with plenty of color, ample white space, and carefully chosen illustrations. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2008

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Robert Byrd. This irreverent biography of the nineteenth-century German who rediscovered ancient Troy attempts to disentangle fact from Schliemann's autobiographical fiction. Cartoonlike illustrations add to the appeal of the gently humorous text, though some readers may struggle with the complex sentences and unfamiliar vocabulary. Engagingly told and well documented, this will be particularly welcome where students already have some familiarity with ancient history.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2006

(4) YA When thirteen-year-old Charlie and her younger brother, Jerry, join an investigation into their neighbor's murder, they begin to learn about evil in their Baltimore neighborhood: drug dealers who threaten Charlie's best friend's family and her own. Charlie's first-person voice is unconvincing, as is the unlikely outcome for the neighborhood, but sympathetic, quirky characters inhabit this lovingly described world.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs

(1) YA In this quiet, personal collection of more than seventy free-verse poems aimed especially at girls between twelve and seventeen, Nye captures the struggle of a young teen to connect with and understand her world. The small volume is attractively presented, with occasional small drawings on the poetry pages and colorful, girl-friendly double-page designs separating the sections. Ind.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2005

(2) K-3 Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. This carefully documented biography is informative, lively, and provides an appealing introduction to the man who had good reason to say, "I'm the greatest." Well-paced, the book ends with a short description of Ali's campaigns for human rights and international understanding in recent years. Bold illustrations appropriately emphasize the boxer's head and hands. Bib.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2005

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Brian Selznick. This movingly illustrated picture book biography focuses on the Civil War years. In well-crafted prose, Kerley stresses the poet's love of words and his compassion for the common people. Selznick extends the text with glorious colored-pencil drawings. The quoted lines are carefully chosen, and more complete versions of the poems are included in the back matter. Bib.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2004

(2) 4-6 Photographs by Richela Renkun. The author's rich, distinctive voice infuses this "book of memories" about growing up Indian under severe U.S. government restrictions in the early 1900s. In spite of the obvious hardships, Weber describes her experiences with warmth and affection in this unusually compelling memoir. Striking black-and-white photos illustrate each chapter and add to the book's appeal.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2005