(3) YA Essential Events series. Gold Rush and Kansas present overviews of significant mid-nineteenth century events. Columbine and Hudson use eyewitness and news media reports to provide accounts of these contemporary happenings. Illustrations, photographs, and sidebars enhance the informative texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Events titles: The Columbine Shootings, California's Gold Rush, The Hudson Plane Landing, and Bleeding Kansas.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) YA Essential Events series. Gold Rush and Kansas present overviews of significant mid-nineteenth century events. Columbine and Hudson use eyewitness and news media reports to provide accounts of these contemporary happenings. Illustrations, photographs, and sidebars enhance the informative texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Events titles: The Columbine Shootings, California's Gold Rush, The Hudson Plane Landing, and Bleeding Kansas.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) YA Essential Events series. Gold Rush and Kansas present overviews of significant mid-nineteenth century events. Columbine and Hudson use eyewitness and news media reports to provide accounts of these contemporary happenings. Illustrations, photographs, and sidebars enhance the informative texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Events titles: The Columbine Shootings, California's Gold Rush, The Hudson Plane Landing, and Bleeding Kansas.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) YA Essential Events series. Gold Rush and Kansas present overviews of significant mid-nineteenth century events. Columbine and Hudson use eyewitness and news media reports to provide accounts of these contemporary happenings. Illustrations, photographs, and sidebars enhance the informative texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Events titles: The Columbine Shootings, California's Gold Rush, The Hudson Plane Landing, and Bleeding Kansas.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Events series. This book chronicles the struggles of African Americans to achieve equality since the abolition of slavery. Key components include laws related to voting, school attendance, access to public buildings and transportation, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Figures such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. are also discussed. Photographs and sidebars enhance the text but crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Events series. This book traces the deadly disease from the Justinian Plague (542–544 CE) through the European (1360s) and Chinese plagues (1855) to twentieth-century outbreaks. The search for the cause, spread, and methods of dealing with the pestilence are presented, along with key figures involved. Drawings, maps, and sidebars extend the readable narrative but crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Events series. The book's first chapter relates the story of rebellion by African captives aboard the Amistad. Much of the rest of the volume deals with legal battles over the Africans' plight and ownership of the ship. Tension between the U.S. and Spain over illegal slave trading is also discussed. Drawings, photographs, maps, and sidebars enhance the main text but tend to crowd it. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Events series. This book chronicles the Antarctic expedition begun by Ernest Shackleton in 1914. Preparation for the journey, the disaster that occurred, and the men's struggle for survival, as well as the rescue of crew members, are recounted in the succinct narrative. Maps, archival photographs, and sidebars enhance the text but crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Events series. This book recounts three recent disasters suffered by Japan. Lusted describes the effects of Japan's strongest earthquake, the subsequent devastating tsunami, and the initial and long-term results of the nuclear power disasters that followed. The human suffering and the impact on Japan's economy are also discussed in some depth. Photographs and sidebars enhance the text but crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Events series. Lusted explores Osama bin Laden's early life and the influences leading to his radicalization. His rise to power in al Qaeda and his role in funding and planning terrorist operations in America are also discussed. The hunt for and eventual killing of bin Laden are not sensationalized. Photographs and maps enhance the text but crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Events series. Lusted chronicles the sixty-nine-day ordeal of the thirty-three men trapped during the 2010 Chilean mining disaster. The events and actions of the miners as well as heroic efforts of the hundreds of rescuers working aboveground are explored. Photographs and sidebars add interest and insight into the dramatic mission but crowd the main text. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Events series. This book presents an account of the world's worst nuclear power plant disaster. The events leading to the disaster, including faulty design, inadequate testing, human errors, and lack of safety precautions, are succinctly told. In addition, the accident, radiation release, and contamination of humans, animals, and croplands are recounted. Photographs and sidebars enhance the readable text but tend to crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Events series. These volumes examine background, primary players, and lasting impact of historic events. The Munich tragedy and the Hindenburg disaster, two unexpected and shocking occurrences, are graphically but sensitively described. The readable narratives are accompanied by numerous sidebars, archival photographs, and illustrations that, while useful, tend to encroach on the main texts. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Events titles: Terror at the Munich Olympics, The Hindenburg Disaster, and The United States Enters World War I.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Events series. These books give overviews of two troubled periods in world events prior to and following World War II. Holocaust graphically depicts the atrocities inflicted upon Jews by the Nazis. Cold War chronicles the conflict between the USA and USSR leading to the dissolution of the Soviet Empire. Sidebars and archival photographs extend but also crowd the readable texts. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Events titles: The Holocaust and The Cold War.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Events series. This book documents one of the bleakest economic periods of twentieth-century American history, from Roosevelt's election to the beginning of World War II. Numerous government programs designed to ease effects of the Great Depression are discussed. The readable narrative presents both successes and failures. Sidebars and photographs enhance the text but crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Events series. Focusing mainly on the January 2010 earthquake disaster, this book also touches on the challenges Haiti has faced from Columbus days to the present: slavery, extreme poverty, frequent hurricanes, historically corrupt political leaders, etc. Efforts to rebuild and stabilize the country are also discussed. Sidebars and photographs extend the readable text but tend to crowd the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Events series. These books give overviews of two troubled periods in world events prior to and following World War II. Holocaust graphically depicts the atrocities inflicted upon Jews by the Nazis. Cold War chronicles the conflict between the USA and USSR leading to the dissolution of the Soviet Empire. Sidebars and archival photographs extend but also crowd the readable texts. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Events titles: The Holocaust and The Cold War.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Events series. This volume chronicles the struggle for control of North American lands between England and France, with Native American allies, prior to American Independence. The readable narrative is accompanied by archival illustrations and numerous sidebars, which are useful but tend to encroach on the main text. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Events series. These volumes examine background, primary players, and lasting impact of historic events. The Munich tragedy and the Hindenburg disaster, two unexpected and shocking occurrences, are graphically but sensitively described. The readable narratives are accompanied by numerous sidebars, archival photographs, and illustrations that, while useful, tend to encroach on the main texts. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Events titles: Terror at the Munich Olympics, The Hindenburg Disaster, and The United States Enters World War I.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Essential Events series. This book chronicles the history of the Cherokee Nation from its first contact with Europeans to the present day. Vander Hook sensitively and honestly addresses the broken treaties, ensuing federal lawsuits, and forced relocation of the Cherokee from their homeland to Oklahoma. Numerous archival illustrations and sidebars (which are useful but tend to encroach on the main text) enhance the readable narrative. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg