(4) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. Beginning with a glimpse at her difficult childhood with an alcoholic father, this is a serviceable account of the legendary pilot's accomplishments. Archival photos and textbook-like illustrations compete for space with the main text and with sidebars that provide social and historical context. Some of the sidebar information is only vaguely related to the text but doesn't detract too much from the main subject. Glos.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. Stories about tigers and other large cats in the wild and interacting with humans offer readers a glimpse at the dangers these animals face. The effects of deforestation and development are discussed, as is the conservation work of people on behalf of these endangered felines. The somewhat stilted text, written for independent readers, is accompanied by color photos and illustrations. Glos.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. Although science has effectively debunked the legend of the Bermuda Triangle, this volume for early readers presents a more credulous perspective. Stories of ships, planes, and sailboats that have met with disaster or mysterious occurrences are related in simple prose accompanied by average-quality color illustrations. The text concludes with natural and paranormal explanations for the strange events. Glos.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. The simple text relates an astronaut's experiences as she trains for and participates in a space shuttle mission. The book, which is illustrated with color photographs and drawings, describes her living conditions on board the shuttle and discusses her role in repairing a broken telescope. A list of space facts concludes this accessible introduction to an astronaut's life and work. Ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. Showcasing "some of the weirdest machines on earth," this book describes drag cars, powerboats, and the space shuttle, among others. The color photographs and illustrations will draw speed-loving readers, but the writing doesn't really convey the excitement of the vehicles. The pictures and captions in the book's wide margins distract from the main text. Glos.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. A crane knocks down the wall of a factory, a bulldozer "pushes the rubble into a pile," and a digger empties the rubble into a dump truck. Next, an excavator, a concrete mixer, and a forklift are among the trucks that help with the building of a new park. In all, twelve big machines are featured in this easy-to-read text (with a picture word-list reinforcing certain words, e.g., rubble, blade). The crisp photos throughout make the color drawing of the completed park a letdown.

Reviewer: Amanda Sullivan

(4) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. This book introduces basic facts about some mammal babies, including monkeys, zebras, elephants, sloths, and wolves. The large, easy-to-read text is accompanied by crisp color photos set against lots of white space. A picture word-list reinforces the names of eight animal body parts (e.g., hooves, lips, tail) but would have been more effective if it focused on unfamiliar words in the text.

Reviewer: Amanda Sullivan

(4) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. The Roswell Incident and the Betty and Barney Hill alien abductions are among the well-known UFO stories that are briefly recounted in this easy reader. Occasionally the vocabulary seems too advanced for the intended audience, but the subject matter is always of interest. The color illustrations are static; the accompanying photographs are frequently trimmed and displayed against a white background. Glos.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. Chevallier provides an informative, though brief, introduction to trees, discussing their physical features (bark, roots, leaves); the various creatures that live in, on, and under them; and the difference between broad-leaved trees and conifers. Some of the silhouetted and cropped color photographs look unnatural. Brief sidebars and an appended section on common trees expand the text. Ind.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(4) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. Each brief chapter focuses on a famous Summer Olympian, from Jesse Owens in 1936 Berlin to Ethiopian runner Mamo Walde in the Mexico City Games to American gymnast Kerri Strug in Atlanta. Illustrated with lots of color photographs in a busy layout, the simple text explains the achievements of each athlete. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. While the many parasites that live in and around the human body--dust mites, bacteria, fleas, and lice--are usually little more than an annoyance, the detailed, close-up photographs and first-person narratives (from the parasites' perspective) give them an immediacy readers may (or may not) find fascinating. The text is geared toward independent readers and offers plenty of relevant information in an entertaining format. Glos.

Reviewer: Elizabeth Howard

(4) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. The various things animals do with their mouths and noses serve as subject matter for this book for beginning readers. The straightforward text, set in a large, readable typeface, includes animal facts and quizzes based on visual and rhyming clues. The occasional comparisons to etiquette rules ("Mom says, 'Don't stick your tongue out'") to introduce animal behavior are unnecessary. The crisp, close-up color photographs are eye-catching.

Reviewer: Elizabeth Howard

(4) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. Lively prose characterizes these short stories about horses that "worked with their human partners to become heroes," including chapters on the Pony Express, Roy Rogers's Trigger, and three-time Grand National winner Red Rum. Plenty of mediocre illustrations and well-reproduced historical photographs add interest, but a small trim size gives the book a cramped look.

Reviewer: Jackie C. Horne

(4) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. Different types of carnivorous, stinging, and poisonous plants (Venus's-flytraps, pitcher plants, prayer bean plants, cactus) are discussed in this book for independent readers. The clean, accessible design features plenty of unsensationalized, engaging close-up photos of plants protecting themselves or devouring their prey, although the few illustrations included are comparatively unattractive. Glos.

Reviewer: Elizabeth Howard

(4) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. Standing by a window, William observes the weather change with the seasons--in turn becoming snowy, sunny, cloudy, and rainy. In the end William goes outside to splash around in new boots. The story is far from compelling, and the artwork, which combines photos of William looking out the window at an illustrated yard, is inventive but doesn't offer much variety. Simple sentences and repetition build beginning readers' confidence.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(4) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. Telling the story of Busy Bee's daily activities, Wallace imparts basic facts about the life cycle, diet, and behavior of honeybees. Though the tone is cutesy, the information is solid. Simple sentences and judicious use of repetition will help beginning readers gain confidence. Close-up, cropped color photographs illustrate points from the text, and a picture word list reinforces key terms.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(4) PS Eyewitness Readers series. Wallace's simple, engaging text introduces a mother duck who builds a nest, lays her eggs, hatches six ducklings, and takes them out for a swim. The book's color photos against white backgrounds are crisp and appealing, though the phony, set-like "river" in which the ducks take their first plunge is off-putting.

Reviewer: Jackie C. Horne

(4) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. Brace yourself for the cheery tone of these descriptions of bugs eating bugs in all manner of grisly consumption. After the carnage, some good information about insect defense mechanisms is presented. Nifty color photographs of a variety of insects are diminished by their layout on white backgrounds instead of their natural habitats.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. Dussling provides a basic introduction to the physical characteristics and habits of snakes in this early reader book. Close-up color photographs of snakes large and small are real attention-grabbers, and the book's mini-sidebars and brief appendix of snake facts make this a good entrée to nonfiction for young readers.

Reviewer: Jackie C. Horne

(4) K-3 Eyewitness Readers series. Griffey explains mummification and embalming techniques from ancient to modern times with examples of fact and legend from Egypt, Peru, and Italy. Sidebars on each page contain descriptions and illustrations of artifacts and other pertinent information. Color artwork and photographs, in a cramped design, also accompany the text. Glos.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford