(3) 4-6 Sterling Biographies series. Rich with facts, these biographies go beyond basic information and personal mythologies to reveal the lasting achievements and human foibles of six incredible women. Each thoughtfully designed volume draws readers in, vividly bringing to life the various places and times, from Joan of Arc's fifteenth-century France to Amelia Earhart's twentieth-century America, through informational sidebars, photographs, and document reproductions. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Sterling Biographies titles: Helen Keller, Cleopatra, Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart, Anne Frank, and Joan of Arc.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(3) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by Dan Andreasen & Dan Andreasen. This lively biography tells the story of the French farm girl who listened to voices she said were sent to her by God, led her country into victorious battle against the English in the fifteenth century, was burned at the stake as a witch, and eventually sainted. Brief paragraphs and short sentences help make the history accessible. Sepia-toned illustrations rendered in simple lines adequately convey the story's events.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) YA In World History series. In balanced, readable prose, the books in this series recount their subjects' actions and motivations, setting them within appropriate cultural contexts: Queen Victoria's role in establishing the British Empire; Joan's martyrdom; Cromwell's assumption of power to rule England; and the ruthlessness of the Inquisition. Black-and-white illustrations and sidebars of primary material extend the documented text. Bib., ind. [Review covers these In World History titles: The British Empire and Queen Victoria in World History, Joan of Arc and the Hundred Years' War in World History, Oliver Cromwell and the English Civil War in World History, and The Spanish Inquisition in World History.]

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 Women of Achievement series. Quoting profusely from their subjects, as well as their peers and historians, the books in this series offer laudatory biographies of these influential women. Joan uses extensive excerpts from trial transcripts and documents, although there are no source notes. Mostly dull black-and-white photos and reproductions do little to break up or extend the text. All the books include a timeline. Bib., ind. [Review covers these titles: Katharine Graham, Diane Sawyer, Joan of Arc, Amy Tan, Martha Stewart.]

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Robert Rayevsky. A simple, matter-of-fact, yet graceful biography effectively presents the dramatic events in the life of the peasant girl who led the French army to victory against the English and later became a saint. Illustrations rendered in dry point and etching on buff-colored paper have an elegant simplicity well suited to the story's medieval setting. An author's note provides additional details about Joan's life.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Angela Barrett. Poole's treatment of her subject is deeply spiritual, evanescent, a haunting impression of an era, a place, and an enigmatic human being, anchored in time by an adjoined chronology. The text reads like a story, a recounting of an extraordinary event, repeated to a young audience to ensure that Joan's memory would remain alive. Barrett's dramatic full-color illustrations unfold like a gorgeous pageant in this compelling presentation.

Reviewer: Mary M. Burns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 1998

(1) 4-6 Emphasizing the historical Joan, Stanley's portrait includes a concise, thoughtful introduction to the political and social nuances of the Hundred Years' War and an appended description of events transpiring after Joan's martyrdom. Arresting in its visual beauty, the presentation incorporates elements of medieval illumination and allusions to the somewhat flat style of Boutet de Monvel's illustrations from the late nineteenth century. Bib.

Reviewer: Mary M. Burns | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 1998