(3) K-3 National Park Explorers series. These books describe basic features of U.S. national parks for younger elementary-aged readers. Engaging photographs of landscapes and animals appear throughout; short sentences and large-size type convey information about each park's indigenous plants and wildlife, along with details about the climate and land formations. A simple activity is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these National Park Explorers titles: Badlands, Big Bend, Grand Teton, and Rocky Mountain.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 National Park Explorers series. These books describe basic features of U.S. national parks for younger elementary-aged readers. Engaging photographs of landscapes and animals appear throughout; short sentences and large-size type convey information about each park's indigenous plants and wildlife, along with details about the climate and land formations. A simple activity is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these National Park Explorers titles: Badlands, Big Bend, Grand Teton, and Rocky Mountain.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 National Park Explorers series. These books describe basic features of U.S. national parks for younger elementary-aged readers. Engaging photographs of landscapes and animals appear throughout; short sentences and large-size type convey information about each park's indigenous plants and wildlife, along with details about the climate and land formations. A simple activity is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these National Park Explorers titles: Badlands, Big Bend, Grand Teton, and Rocky Mountain.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 National Park Explorers series. These books describe basic features of U.S. national parks for younger elementary-aged readers. Engaging photographs of landscapes and animals appear throughout; short sentences and large-size type convey information about each park's indigenous plants and wildlife, along with details about the climate and land formations. A simple activity is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these National Park Explorers titles: Badlands, Big Bend, Grand Teton, and Rocky Mountain.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Explorers series. Illustrated by Mark Bergin. Appealing color illustrations and informative diagrams complement this historical overview of the U.S. space program. There's an emphasis on the seventeen Apollo missions, in particular the Apollo 11 moon landing. The book also clearly explains the technology of spacecraft, describes the astronauts' daily routine in space, and summarizes "what happened next" in U.S. space flight. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Fact Finders: World Explorers series. These broad introductions to early European exploration of North America simply if blandly recount Coronado's fruitless search for wealth and the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola and La Salle's journey from the St. Lawrence River to the mouth of the Mississippi in the Gulf of Mexico. Maps, illustrations, and sidebars accompany the third- and fourth-grade-level texts. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Fact Finders: World Explorers titles: Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and Sieur de La Salle.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Fact Finders: World Explorers series. These broad introductions to early European exploration of North America simply if blandly recount Coronado's fruitless search for wealth and the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola and La Salle's journey from the St. Lawrence River to the mouth of the Mississippi in the Gulf of Mexico. Maps, illustrations, and sidebars accompany the third- and fourth-grade-level texts. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Fact Finders: World Explorers titles: Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and Sieur de La Salle.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) 4-6 Primary Source Explorers series. These introductory texts emphasize primary sources in the telling of history. Photographs of the modern-day locations, historical documents, maps, and paintings enhance the texts, which detail each individual's voyages, his place in the age of exploration, and broader historical context. Frequent questions encourage readers to make modern connections and question the morality of the explorer's choices. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Primary Source Explorers titles: A Journey with Christopher Columbus, A Journey with Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, A Journey with Hernán Cortés, A Journey with Sieur de La Salle, A Journey with Henry Hudson, and A Journey with Juan Ponce de León.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Primary Source Explorers series. These introductory texts emphasize primary sources in the telling of history. Photographs of the modern-day locations, historical documents, maps, and paintings enhance the texts, which detail each individual's voyages, his place in the age of exploration, and broader historical context. Frequent questions encourage readers to make modern connections and question the morality of the explorer's choices. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Primary Source Explorers titles: A Journey with Christopher Columbus, A Journey with Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, A Journey with Hernán Cortés, A Journey with Sieur de La Salle, A Journey with Henry Hudson, and A Journey with Juan Ponce de León.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Explorers series. Illustrated by David Antram. The travels and travails of explorers from different centuries are detailed in clear prose accompanied by attractive color drawings. Italian Marco Polo and Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan both ventured to the Far East, while Lewis and Clark trekked through the uncharted North American West. All three titles humanize their subjects, describe interactions with Native Peoples, and summarize the impact of their expeditions. Glos., ind. Review covers these Explorers titles: The Story of Lewis and Clark, The Story of Magellan, and The Story of Marco Polo.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 Explorers series. Illustrated by David Antram. The travels and travails of explorers from different centuries are detailed in clear prose accompanied by attractive color drawings. Italian Marco Polo and Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan both ventured to the Far East, while Lewis and Clark trekked through the uncharted North American West. All three titles humanize their subjects, describe interactions with Native Peoples, and summarize the impact of their expeditions. Glos., ind. Review covers these Explorers titles: The Story of Lewis and Clark, The Story of Magellan, and The Story of Marco Polo.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 Explorers series. Illustrated by David Antram. The travels and travails of explorers from different centuries are detailed in clear prose accompanied by attractive color drawings. Italian Marco Polo and Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan both ventured to the Far East, while Lewis and Clark trekked through the uncharted North American West. All three titles humanize their subjects, describe interactions with Native Peoples, and summarize the impact of their expeditions. Glos., ind. Review covers these Explorers titles: The Story of Lewis and Clark, The Story of Magellan, and The Story of Marco Polo.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 Primary Source Explorers series. These introductory texts emphasize primary sources in the telling of history. Photographs of the modern-day locations, historical documents, maps, and paintings enhance the texts, which detail each individual's voyages, his place in the age of exploration, and broader historical context. Frequent questions encourage readers to make modern connections and question the morality of the explorer's choices. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Primary Source Explorers titles: A Journey with Christopher Columbus, A Journey with Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, A Journey with Hernán Cortés, A Journey with Sieur de La Salle, A Journey with Henry Hudson, and A Journey with Juan Ponce de León.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Primary Source Explorers series. These introductory texts emphasize primary sources in the telling of history. Photographs of the modern-day locations, historical documents, maps, and paintings enhance the texts, which detail each individual's voyages, his place in the age of exploration, and broader historical context. Frequent questions encourage readers to make modern connections and question the morality of the explorer's choices. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Primary Source Explorers titles: A Journey with Christopher Columbus, A Journey with Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, A Journey with Hernán Cortés, A Journey with Sieur de La Salle, A Journey with Henry Hudson, and A Journey with Juan Ponce de León.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Primary Source Explorers series. These introductory texts emphasize primary sources in the telling of history. Photographs of the modern-day locations, historical documents, maps, and paintings enhance the texts, which detail each individual's voyages, his place in the age of exploration, and broader historical context. Frequent questions encourage readers to make modern connections and question the morality of the explorer's choices. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Primary Source Explorers titles: A Journey with Christopher Columbus, A Journey with Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, A Journey with Hernán Cortés, A Journey with Sieur de La Salle, A Journey with Henry Hudson, and A Journey with Juan Ponce de León.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Primary Source Explorers series. These introductory texts emphasize primary sources in the telling of history. Photographs of the modern-day locations, historical documents, maps, and paintings enhance the texts, which detail each individual's voyages, his place in the age of exploration, and broader historical context. Frequent questions encourage readers to make modern connections and question the morality of the explorer's choices. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Primary Source Explorers titles: A Journey with Christopher Columbus, A Journey with Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, A Journey with Hernán Cortés, A Journey with Sieur de La Salle, A Journey with Henry Hudson, and A Journey with Juan Ponce de León.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) K-3 Lightning Bolt Books: Biome Explorers series. Each volume includes an introductory chapter on the respective biome followed by a brief overview of some animals and plants within it and explanation of how all inhabitants work together to survive. Maps and stock photos provide clarity, but the placement of photo labels is sometimes distracting. Details on human impact and examples of "Biome Extremes" are appended. There are four other fall 2016 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Lightning Bolt Books: Biome Explorers titles: Let's Visit the Deciduous Forest, Let's Visit the Ocean, Let's Visit the Desert, and Let's Visit the Rain Forest.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) K-3 Lightning Bolt Books: Biome Explorers series. Each volume includes an introductory chapter on the respective biome followed by a brief overview of some animals and plants within it and explanation of how all inhabitants work together to survive. Maps and stock photos provide clarity, but the placement of photo labels is sometimes distracting. Details on human impact and examples of "Biome Extremes" are appended. There are four other fall 2016 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Lightning Bolt Books: Biome Explorers titles: Let's Visit the Deciduous Forest, Let's Visit the Ocean, Let's Visit the Desert, and Let's Visit the Rain Forest.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) K-3 National Park Explorers series. Two-page chapters highlight the most basic facts about national parks in this simplistic, succinctly written series for beginning readers. Many high-quality photographs enhance the superficial content ("Sunset at the Grand Canyon is a special time. Watch the sun sink below the beautiful rocks!"). While adequate as introductions, young nature lovers will want more information. An activity is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following National Park Explorers titles: Death Valley, Everglades, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, and Yosemite.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) K-3 National Park Explorers series. Two-page chapters highlight the most basic facts about national parks in this simplistic, succinctly written series for beginning readers. Many high-quality photographs enhance the superficial content ("Sunset at the Grand Canyon is a special time. Watch the sun sink below the beautiful rocks!"). While adequate as introductions, young nature lovers will want more information. An activity is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following National Park Explorers titles: Death Valley, Everglades, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, and Yosemite.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello