(4) YA Collective Biographies series. Following a brief introduction describing historical obstacles to women's careers in sciences or leadership, each volume profiles six successful women and their rise to influence. Each fairly short bio narrates the ups and downs of its subject's career, and most paint the woman as an encouraging role model. Photographs, sidebars, and pull-quotes liven up the dense, textbook-like presentations. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers the following Collective Biographies: Women Scientists and Inventors and Women World Leaders.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) YA Essential Lives series. Filled with interesting sidebars, photographs (Castro, Obama) or illustrations (Alexander), and maps, each of these biographies traces the life of its subject, including early successes and failures. The texts are bland but accessible; a clean design makes the books user-friendly, and appended resources make them helpful for school reports. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Alexander the Great, Fidel Castro, and Barack Obama.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA People in the News series. From politicians to actors to world leaders, these biographies provide mostly adulatory portrayals of their subjects (with the exceptions of Castro and Kim Jong Il); occasionally something controversial slips in to spice up the texts. Each volume includes biographical information, photographs, and career highlights (through 2008). Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these People in the News titles: Salma Hayek, Nancy Pelosi, Al Gore, Coretta Scott King, Pope Benedict XVI, Fidel Castro, and Kim Jong Il.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Dictatorships series. This dense volume focuses on life in modern Burma, or Myanmar, under the rule of its military dictator, Than Shwe. The first third contains a brief history of the country; the final two-thirds detail daily struggles of the people who live there and the work of opposition leaders. A map, sidebars, and photographs provide additional detail. Thorough back matter includes a "Who's Who?" Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) YA World Leaders series. This well-written biography gives an accessible overview of Chinese history in addition to detailed information about the life of Mao Zedong, focusing on his influences and lasting legacy. The well-captioned photographs, maps, and sidebars (e.g., "Quotes from Mao's 'Little Red Book'") add interest. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA People in the News series. From politicians to actors to world leaders, these biographies provide mostly adulatory portrayals of their subjects (with the exceptions of Castro and Kim Jong Il); occasionally something controversial slips in to spice up the texts. Each volume includes biographical information, photographs, and career highlights (through 2008). Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these People in the News titles: Salma Hayek, Nancy Pelosi, Al Gore, Coretta Scott King, Pope Benedict XVI, Fidel Castro, and Kim Jong Il.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Modern World Leaders series. This series, part history and part biography, challenges readers to consider the concept of leadership by placing the featured individual in a historical context. Each title includes childhood experiences, rise to power, significant historical events, international relationships, and political ideology. Captioned photographs provide additional perspectives and break up the intimidatingly dense texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Modern World Leaders titles: Ehud Olmert, Felipe Calderón, Roh Moo Hyun, and Kim Jong Il.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) YA Dictatorships series. These books about two Asian dictators first present histories of their countries before exploring the men's own backgrounds and regimes in greater depth. The texts are dense; strong graphic design with a bold, contemporary look including well-placed sidebars and photographs makes these books visually appealing and accessible. Thorough backmatter includes a "Who's Who?" Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Dictatorships titles: Kim Jong Il's North Korea and Mao Zedong's China.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) YA Modern World Leaders series. With the same foreword in each book, this series challenges readers to consider the concept of leadership by placing the featured individual in a historical context. Each title includes childhood experiences, rise to power, significant historical events, international relationships, and political ideology. Captioned photographs provide additional perspectives and break up the dense texts. Reading list, timeline. Bib., ind. Review covers these Modern World Leaders titles: Thabo Mbeki, Hu Jintao, Angela Merkel, Ali Khamenei, and Michelle Bachelet.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(3) 4-6 National Geographic World History Biographies series. These books outline the lives of famous figures, from their early years to their deaths; their lasting impacts are also discussed. An emphasis on placing the biographies into the context of world history at the time is done well. Each double-page spread includes a running timeline. Maps, archival photographs, sidebars, and quotes add interest. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these National Geographic World History Biographies titles: Julius Caesar, Mao Zedong, Anne Frank, and Mozart.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(4) YA Dictatorships series. These books about two Asian dictators first present histories of their countries before exploring the men's own backgrounds and regimes in greater depth. The texts are dense; strong graphic design with a bold, contemporary look including well-placed sidebars and photographs makes these books visually appealing and accessible. Thorough backmatter includes a "Who's Who?" Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Dictatorships titles: Kim Jong Il's North Korea and Mao Zedong's China.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) 4-6 National Geographic World History Biographies series. These books outline the lives of famous figures, from their early years to their deaths; their lasting impacts are also discussed. An emphasis on placing the biographies into the context of world history at the time is done well. Each double-page spread includes a running timeline. Maps, archival photographs, sidebars, and quotes add interest. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these National Geographic World History Biographies titles: Julius Caesar, Mao Zedong, Anne Frank, and Mozart.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(4) YA Dictatorships series. This book gives thorough background information about Cuba before exploring in greater depth how Castro assumed and held power and examining more specific details about his regime. Though the text is dense, readers will be drawn to the bold, blocky design that includes well-placed sidebars and photographs. Thorough backmatter includes a "Who's Who?" Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) YA Modern World Leaders series. With the same foreword in each book, this series challenges readers to consider the concept of leadership by placing the featured individual in a historical context. Each title includes childhood experiences, rise to power, significant historical events, international relationships, and political ideology. Captioned photographs provide additional perspectives and break up the dense texts. Reading list, timeline. Bib., ind. Review covers these Modern World Leaders titles: Thabo Mbeki, Hu Jintao, Angela Merkel, Ali Khamenei, and Michelle Bachelet.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(3) YA World Leaders series. These competently written biographies give detailed overviews of the lives of Guevara and Stalin from their youths through adulthoods. The volumes focus mainly on the influences the men had over world events and their legacies. The well-captioned photographs, maps, and other visual aids (for example, "one of Che's fake passports" and Soviet propaganda posters) add interest. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these World Leaders titles: Che Guevara and Joseph Stalin and the Soviet Union.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) YA Rulers of the Ancient World series. Well written and engaging, each of these biographies paints a complete portrait of a pivotal historical figure and places him securely in the context of his time. The lucid prose receives further support from an uncluttered design (including black-and-white illustrations and photos, sidebars, and maps) and well-placed subheads. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Rulers of the Ancient World titles: Julius Caesar and Ramesses II.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) YA This book gives a detailed, evenhanded account of the life of the Cuban leader, from his privileged childhood through his youth as a revolutionary through his rise to power on the world stage. Plenty of historical context is provided, helping readers understand the bigger picture. Well-captioned illustrations, maps, and photographs (including Castro as a child) further illuminate the text. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) 4-6 A & E Biography series. With an engaging conversational style, each biography captures the highlights of an intriguing modern figure. Both books include interesting details, especially from childhood, and do not shy away from discussing the role the person played in controversial events. The bland layout, which includes a smattering of archival photos, does nothing for the text. Reading list, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these A & E Biography titles: Fidel Castro and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(2) YA Picking up where Sir Walter Ralegh and the Quest for El Dorado leaves off, this grand-scale narrative charts a parallel history between seventeenth-century Great Britain and colonial New England, as represented by emblematic figures Oliver Cromwell and John Winthrop. Aronson keeps the reader engaged with intriguing anecdotes and cogent analysis. Archival maps and images expand upon the demanding text. Timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2004

(4) 4-6 Holocaust in History series. Set between the end of World War I and 1939, this book chronicles the events in Germany that enabled Hitler to organize the Nazi Party and eventually establish himself as dictator and briefly touches on the seeds of the Holocaust. The lackluster text, illustrated with archival photos, presents events in an accessible, sequential format but is often too abbreviated for the complex topic. Chapter notes, maps, websites, timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg