(2) YA According to Marrin, John Brown's raid at Harpers Ferry helped "set the stage for the Civil War." The book begins with a chapter on Brown's life, then takes a broader look at the history of slavery; the final chapter comments on Brown's influence on the militant arm of the civil rights movement. Archival photographs round out an intelligent, important volume. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2014

(2) 4-6 Hendrix shows how Brown's growing militarism began with a wish for all races to be treated equally. He's presented as a larger-than-life figure, a rough-hewn man whose physical features and quoted statements become visually more emphatic as the book progresses. Rock-solid landscape compositions, all earth tones and cool blues, set the stage. Debate about the ends justifying the means is timely. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2009

(4) YA Unhappy with his dysfunctional family, Josh aspires to renovate his life just as his neighbors renovate the fancy house next door. Josh attempts to make his father disclose stories of the past, assuming the truth will unlock a new and improved future for their family. Though revelations fall short of expectations, the coming-of-age aspect is effective in this ghost story.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(3) 4-6 Civil War series. This series offers readable, factually sound biographies of Civil War-era leaders. Small, gray sidebars pop up occasionally to link the biography to events in the lives of other famous Americans of the period, specifically those featured in other books of the series. Archival photos, engravings, and a few color portraits, without bibliographic citations, serve as illustrations. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Civil War titles: Frederick Douglass, John Brown, Andrew Johnson, Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Abraham Lincoln.]

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(4) 4-6 Famous Figures of the Civil War Era series. Illustrated with reproductions of photos and a few other documents from the period, the books in this series capably introduce their subjects to young readers. Some complex topics are glossed over, but all the books offer a brief account of these men's lives up to the Civil War and considerably more detail about their involvement in it. An individual chronology and a timeline are appended. There are five other new books in this series. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these titles: George Gordon Meade, Stephen A. Douglas, John Brown, William Henry Seward, James Ewell Brown Stuart.]

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) YA Headline Court Cases series. Each volume explores a historical legal trial, providing information on the crime and its impact on society, the defense and prosecution cases, the verdict, and the aftermath of each case. Illustrated with black-and-white photos and historical reproductions, these books effectively convey the importance of each case, although the prose is sometimes vague about the specifics. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 In American History series. The latest installments in this series begin with gripping scenes featuring key players and participants in the historical conflicts discussed, and the authors generally don't let up on the drama. Thanks to short sentences and large print, these comprehensive primers shouldn't intimidate, but dark black-and-white archival photos and illustrations detract from the design. Each book includes quotations from primary sources and a time line. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Carolrhoda On My Own Books series. Illustrated by Ralph L. Ramstad. Freed slave and activist Clara Brown and radical abolitionist John Brown are profiled in these early readers. Simple sentences make for taut story lines and render weighty themes, especially John Brown's controversial legacy, accessible to children. The spare, expressionist paintings in Aunt Clara are mostly successful in conveying emotions in a few strokes; some human figures in John Brown are stiff and awkwardly rendered.

Reviewer: Nell Beram