(2) 4-6 An orphan from Massachusetts finds her long-lost mother, now a wealthy landowner, in San Francisco's hurly-burly Gold Rush days. Blos turns this romantic premise into a credible journey of self-discovery for thirteen-year-old Eldora, whose letters to her cousin Sallie convey a good sense of daily life and the diversity of the people thrown together during this historic period.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2007

(2) 4-6 Nobel Peace Prize winner Addams is remembered as a humanitarian, but she was despised as well as internationally admired during her lifetime. Illustrated with many photographs, this carefully documented and well developed account draws from Addams's own writings on the value of human life. The Fradins present a complex woman whose ideas are enduring and timely. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2006

(3) YA Emphasizing the battles, leaders, and treaties of the eighteenth century, this detailed account of the vanquishing of Native American nations by European newcomers begins with developments in the 1500s and concludes with twentieth-century political victories and rebuilding. Coverage of numerous events and familiar and lesser-known individuals makes this useful as research material. Historical photographs and extensive chapter notes are appended. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush

(2) YA Illustrated with a fine array of photos and prints, this handsome album offers a spirited social history through the childhood story of Maritcha Rémond Lyons, a freeborn black woman who produced a memoir late in life. While many actual details are unknown, Bolden speculates carefully in piecing together the history of Maritcha's family. Bib.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2005

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Erik Brooks. Smoothly adapted from a broad array of identified sources, these fourteen tales are organized into three sections: monkeys in Africa and Madagascar, monkeys in the Americas, and monkeys in Asia. Proverbs from several countries are scattered among the stories, which include fables, a myth, legends, and folktales. Brooks adds congenial humor and features many different monkeys in richly colored scenes. Bib.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2005

(1) YA Melding science and social history, Farrell offers intriguing insights into human dependence on microbes. Her enthusiastic account explores the numerous contributions of these tiny organisms as they "release oxygen into the air we breathe [and] rid the world of noxious mounds of dead plants and animals..." among many other functions. Captioned photos and drawings are informative. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2005

(4) 4-6 After detailed accounts of pre-Lewis and Clark expeditions, Jones reports on explorers in four more periods of discovery through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. There's a wealth of fascinating history, however, there are too many dates and explanations; places are not always clearly marked on maps; and the similarity of the hardships becomes repetitive. Well-captioned period illustrations and endnotes are included. Timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2005

(2) 4-6 McKendry's sepia-toned paintings resemble the archival photographs on which they're based and convey realistic views of the building of Boston's early subway system. His discussion neatly combines human interest elements with moderately technical explanations of engineering and construction activities. The design includes detailed diagrams, city maps, and reproductions of news stories.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2005

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Bruce Hiscock. In this simple account of the sea turtle's birth pilgrimage, spare prose and fine paintings emphasize the sequence of animal encounters that reduce one hundred eggs to one lone hatchling survivor. Though there's scant factual information about size, location, or life cycle, and Swinburne mentions the species name (loggerhead) only in his author's note, this is a compelling introduction. Reading list.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2005

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Holly Berry. Two villains spark the plot: a selfish old woman who advises a poor old man to be mean to his rooster, and a greedy nobleman who steals a small purse found by the rooster. Oversize, comic pictures expertly convey the action and the predictable reversal of fortunes in this robust battle of wits--a story based on a folktale told by nineteenth-century Romanian storyteller Ion Creanga.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2004

(2) YA In this well-researched and thoughtfully structured account, Adler dispels myth, explores many aspects of Washington's personality and character, and covers his evolving attitudes as a slaveholder. Though not really dominant in the book, the selected prints are useful, and a generous assortment of material is appended. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2005

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jane Chapman. In this simple natural history lesson on the tiger's physical characteristics and life cycle, handsome paintings and a dual track text highlight typical experiences of a tigress and her two cubs. Rich imagery fills the narrative describing the protective and hunting behavior of the mother and the playfulness and growth of her offspring. Simple nonfiction and good read-aloud fare.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2004

(2) 4-6 Landmark Books series. Corporate and personal greed, political corruption, and the backbreaking, dangerous labor of immigrants are recurring themes in Meltzer's ambitious exploration of the nineteenth-century rush to connect the North American continent by railroad. Illustrated with compelling photos, the hard-hitting account is impressively informative and thought-provoking. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2004

(2) K-3 Five Polynesian brothers sail to the Hawaiian Islands "some two thousand years ago." This sequel to The Island-below-the-Star recounts the friendship between the youngest brother and a seal. Watercolor scenes meld colors beautifully to suggest sea and sky and the island terrain, while humans and animals are broadly drawn and energetic. Appended is the text in Hawaiian.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2004

(1) K-3 This bilingual picture book tells how Sequoyah, a Cherokee, developed a syllabic system of writing for his nation. The simple story is a quick sketch, and Rumford clearly indicates the speculative nature of what is actually known. Textured full-page mixed-media illustrations feature strong figures and spare scenes. The handsome book concludes with the full syllabary, an author's note, and a timeline.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2004

(2) 4-6 In this attractive geographic history of the North and South Poles, nine chapters begin with the early history of Earth and continue with geographic features, seasons, the magnetic poles, human inhabitants of the Arctic, animals in the two regions, and a history of exploration. Well-chosen color photos enhance the clearly written text. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2005

(2) YA This deeply researched examination of the trials is a multilayered lesson in the study and understanding of history. While what actually happened in Salem is not easily discerned, Aronson offers plenty of discussion of possible motives and causes. Teachers may be this book's most apt audience, though teen readers will surely gain insight into the complexities of history itself. Extensive notes, timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2004

(2) YA This thoroughly researched biography covers Douglass's childhood and young adult years in slavery and his escape from Maryland to Massachusetts. Details of his adult life and concurrent larger events form a well-told story. Burchard sketches the complexities of Douglass's family life and important friendships with men and women. Photographs, prints, and endnotes augment the well-crafted narrative. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2003

(2) K-3 Detailed watercolors follow the quest of archaeologist Hiram Bingham, who, in his 1911 search for the legendary Incan city of Vilcapampa, discovered "a place even more amazing"--Machu Picchu. Lewin draws on Bingham's journal for this account of the grueling expedition to the Andes. This evocative glimpse will complement other more substantive materials about Machu Picchu, its builders, and its inhabitants.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2003

(2) 4-6 Golden Mountain Chronicles series. The lives of two boys, old beyond their twelve years, intertwine in this saga of ugly events in the Wyoming Territory. This novel focuses on the 1885 race riot in which white coal miners massacred the Chinese workers favored by the mine owner. The well-drawn history is fascinating; a subplot is intriguing; and the plight of the boys as outsiders will appeal to readers. A historical note and a series overview are appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Margaret A. Bush | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2003