(3) K-3 CitizenKid series. Illustrated by Shane W. Evans. Young Deo flees his village in Burundi and ends up at a refugee camp, malnourished, without his family, and up against bullies and gangs. Through the power of play and banana-leaf soccer balls, Deo finds friendship and a sense of community. Striking mixed-media illustrations enhance this powerful story (inspired by real events) of survival and resurgence. An author's note is included. Websites.

Reviewer: Alia Jones

(4) 4-6 Africa series. Captioned illustrations and maps accent these African countries' struggles with ethnic and political unrest and health and environmental challenges. For easy access, "Quick Facts" summarize the geography, economics, and population information. Readers will have to search the texts to find any positive aspects of these countries. There are eight other spring 2005 books in the series. Reading list, recipes, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Africa titles: Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ivory Coast, and Tanzania.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr