(3) 4-6 The Faeran, magical wood-dwellers, have always lived peacefully alongside the Cherokee in this story set in the Great Smoky Mountains in 1900. Now, loggers and settlers move in, threatening the region's beauty and inhabitants. Young Faeran Willa, who's been taught to fear humans, flees her restrictive clan and finds herself seeking refuge with a human and helping him. Beatty reminds readers of the strength and sacrifices renewal demands.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) K-3 National Parks series. Each series volume provides basic facts on weather, natural landmarks, animals, and ecosystems along with some superficial history of the focal park. On each spread, a few simple, large-type sentences aimed at beginning readers appear beside an impressive, gutter-spanning nature photograph. Information is minimal but age-appropriate. A list of four "fun activities" to do in each locale is appended. Glos., ind. Review covers these National Parks titles: Everglades National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Yosemite National Park.

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

(3) 4-6 National Parks series. Each volume in this series provides an in-depth look at the cultural, geological, and biological history of a national park. In refreshingly thoughtful detail, this series avoids the usual series cookie-cutting by examining the topics relevant to each place, including wildlife, Native American populations, and conservation plans. Participatory sidebars and thought-provoking questions are included throughout. Park map appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these National Parks titles: Yellowstone National Park, Everglades National Park, Glacier National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Grand Canyon National Park.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) YA After months of bullying regarding "indiscretions" with the preacher's son, Hallelujah is sent on a church camping trip with her tormentors. Then Hallelujah and two others (one is her former friend), become stranded alone the woods. In order to survive, they must learn to rely on one another, regardless of past hurts. This poignant survival story is carried by its believable protagonist.

Reviewer: Meredith M. Sittman

(4) YA America's National Parks series. Older readers (and adults) will find this series useful for its coverage of six national parks' history, ecology, animal life, current challenges, and tourist attractions. Report writers, especially, may find the publisher's enhanced website a welcome shortcut to doing their own Internet research. Contemporary and archival photographs and web screenshots accompany the information. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these America's National Parks titles: Yellowstone National Park, Acadia National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Everglades National Park, Olympic National Park, and Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(3) 4-6 A diverse cast of characters congregates at Aggie Duncan's motel. The group includes recently widowed Aggie, who's reluctantly selling her beloved motel; Willow, whose heart is broken after her mother leaves; Loretta, on a journey to learn about her birth family; and Kirby, on his way to reform school. O'Connor weaves multiple perspectives into a nuanced portrait of a special place.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(3) 4-6 Change is coming fast for eleven-year-old Autumn. It's 1934, and the government wants to evict her family to create a national park. Autumn is all set to fight until she realizes that losing her home means saving nature for future generations. Told in Autumn's quirky, folksy voice, the story will resonate with readers who know how it feels to give up something they love.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(3) K-3 Symbols of Freedom series. These simple, easy-to-read texts begin with an introduction to national parks, then ably present the history of each park, highlighting the plants and animals that live there and showcasing some of the most notable sights. Well-captioned photographs illustrate each volume; maps also add detail to the text. The thoughtful, eye-pleasing design makes navigation easy. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Symbols of Freedom titles: Mesa Verde National Park, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Denali National Park and Preserve, Everglades National Park, Yosemite National Park, Death Valley National Park, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(3) 4-6 National Parks series. In this informative series, each book is set up a little differently to highlight what is most significant about a particular park, but all contain excellent photos and a section on future challenges to the preservation of each park. Written for upper-elementary students, these books will be useful for reports. Glos., ind. Review covers these National Parks titles: Everglades National Park, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Yosemite National Park.

Reviewer: Jim St. Claire

(4) 4-6 When both her father and her mother are spirited away, Adanta, guided by her father's cryptic old stories, travels deep into the Blue Ridge Mountains to find them. This imaginative fantasy is suffused with Cherokee mythology and peopled with giants and fairies, though it is sometimes difficult to determine which elements come from traditional sources and which are purely products of the author's imagination.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(2) 4-6 Jennalee spends her days with Uncle Beau, helping out at his general store where she can count on things staying the same--unlike her chaotic life at home. Then one day kindhearted, mentally disabled Rupert Goody shows up: he's the son Beau had but never knew existed. Characters are well rounded and dynamic in this gracefully written sibling-rivalry story of a different sort.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 1999