(4) 4-6 Overcoming Adversity series. The star of movies such as Die Hard and The Sixth Sense is presented as a childhood stutterer who overcame this difficulty with speech therapy. Unfortunately, the book, which is illustrated with stock black-and-white photos, overloads the first chapter with information on stuttering, while the rest of the volume is a rather standard celebrity biography. A time line and filmography are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Overcoming Adversity series. Illustrated with standard black-and-white photos, these well-rounded biographies chronicle the lives of three athletes who have survived challenges. Seles fought post-traumatic stress disorder after being assaulted; Lemieux battled Hodgkin's disease; Devers's thyroid condition nearly ended her career. Their portraits of perseverance are inspiring. Seles and Lemieux contain career statistics; Devers lists related websites; all feature timelines. Bib., ind. [Review covers these titles: Monica Seles, Mario Lemieux, Gail Devers.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Overcoming Adversity series. In the books in this series, each subject triumphed over hardships that ranged from physical disability to nationwide political oppression. The clearly written texts do not overplay this aspect of each subject's story but incorporate it into informative and cohesive biographical portraits. Illustrated with average-quality black-and-white photos, each volume contains a timeline; Twain and Wonder also feature discographies. Bib., ind. [Review covers these titles: Triumph of the Imagination, John McCain, Shania Twain, Mohandas K. Gandhi, Stevie Wonder.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Overcoming Adversity series. In the books in this series, each subject triumphed over hardships that ranged from physical disability to nationwide political oppression. The clearly written texts do not overplay this aspect of each subject's story but incorporate it into informative and cohesive biographical portraits. Illustrated with average-quality black-and-white photos, each volume contains a timeline; Twain and Wonder also feature discographies. Bib., ind. [Review covers these titles: Triumph of the Imagination, John McCain, Shania Twain, Mohandas K. Gandhi, Stevie Wonder.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Overcoming Adversity series. Illustrated with standard black-and-white photos, these well-rounded biographies chronicle the lives of three athletes who have survived challenges. Seles fought post-traumatic stress disorder after being assaulted; Lemieux battled Hodgkin's disease; Devers's thyroid condition nearly ended her career. Their portraits of perseverance are inspiring. Seles and Lemieux contain career statistics; Devers lists related websites; all feature timelines. Bib., ind. [Review covers these titles: Monica Seles, Mario Lemieux, Gail Devers.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Overcoming Adversity series. In the books in this series, each subject triumphed over hardships that ranged from physical disability to nationwide political oppression. The clearly written texts do not overplay this aspect of each subject's story but incorporate it into informative and cohesive biographical portraits. Illustrated with average-quality black-and-white photos, each volume contains a timeline; Twain and Wonder also feature discographies. Bib., ind. [Review covers these titles: Triumph of the Imagination, John McCain, Shania Twain, Mohandas K. Gandhi, Stevie Wonder.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Overcoming Adversity series. In the books in this series, each subject triumphed over hardships that ranged from physical disability to nationwide political oppression. The clearly written texts do not overplay this aspect of each subject's story but incorporate it into informative and cohesive biographical portraits. Illustrated with average-quality black-and-white photos, each volume contains a timeline; Twain and Wonder also feature discographies. Bib., ind. [Review covers these titles: Triumph of the Imagination, John McCain, Shania Twain, Mohandas K. Gandhi, Stevie Wonder.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Overcoming Adversity series. Though this biography of the champion cyclist is slightly dated (Armstrong's second Tour de France win is barely mentioned, his third not at all), it still provides a well-rounded portrait of the athlete. Armstrong's bout with cancer is extensively discussed, but the emphasis remains on his biking career and his own personal growth through adversity. The book is illustrated with black-and-white photographs, and a time line is included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Overcoming Adversity series. In the books in this series, each subject triumphed over hardships that ranged from physical disability to nationwide political oppression. The clearly written texts do not overplay this aspect of each subject's story but incorporate it into informative and cohesive biographical portraits. Illustrated with average-quality black-and-white photos, each volume contains a timeline; Twain and Wonder also feature discographies. Bib., ind. [Review covers these titles: Triumph of the Imagination, John McCain, Shania Twain, Mohandas K. Gandhi, Stevie Wonder.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Overcoming Adversity series. Illustrated with standard black-and-white photos, these well-rounded biographies chronicle the lives of three athletes who have survived challenges. Seles fought post-traumatic stress disorder after being assaulted; Lemieux battled Hodgkin's disease; Devers's thyroid condition nearly ended her career. Their portraits of perseverance are inspiring. Seles and Lemieux contain career statistics; Devers lists related websites; all feature timelines. Bib., ind. [Review covers these titles: Monica Seles, Mario Lemieux, Gail Devers.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Overcoming Adversity series. Dreary black-and-white photographs and pedestrian texts fail to enliven these biographies. Although the book about twin sisters Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren covers their famous feud, the account of Elizabeth Dole's life is largely adulatory. Chronologies are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Overcoming Adversity series. Offering considerable information about the people they portray, these books strive for and attain a measure of objectivity, even though their subjects played vastly different roles in the Holocaust. The quality of the writing is uneven, ranging from fluent to choppy. The black-and-white photos are cited, but little textual material is. Each book contains a time line. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Overcoming Adversity series. The inspiring life of African-American professional baseball player and civil rights activist Jackie Robinson is captured in this well-written, thorough biography. In addition to detailing his incredible skill as an athlete, De Angelis stresses Robinson's character as he faced segregationist America's climate of racism during the forties and fifties. Well-selected black-and-white photos help bring Robinson's story to life. A chronology is appended. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Mary R. Holt

(4) 4-6 Overcoming Adversity series. The series usually focuses on individuals facing personal challenges; this is the first volume that centers around a historic event. The book gets off to a slow start, recounting the early years of the space program, but finds its pace when detailing the near-disastrous flight of Apollo 13. Average-quality photographs accompany the text. A time line is included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Overcoming Adversity series. Although the Fox volume deserved better editing, both celebrity biographies are readable and informative, detailing personal histories and professional triumphs, as well as Barrymore's early substance abuse problems and Fox's battle with Parkinson's disease. The books are illustrated with standard quality black-and-white photographs. Time lines and filmographies are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) YA Overcoming Adversity series. Subtly sidestepping less attractive aspects of the subjects' lives, these well-rounded biographies describe how each man triumphed over personal challenges (including discrimination and a near-fatal aneurysm for Jones and substance abuse for Williams) to attain a successful career and fulfilling life. Standard black-and-white photos illustrate the books. Williams contains a filmography. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) YA Overcoming Adversity series. These biographies cover the personal lives and professional careers of two major figures in the world of skating. Focusing on their struggles with adversity (Hamilton's mysterious childhood illness and his recent bout with cancer, and the sudden, tragic death of Gordeeva's partner and husband), the books present their subjects' human and heroic sides. Black-and-white photos accompany the capably written books. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) 4-6 Overcoming Adversity series. Illustrated with black-and-white publicity photos, these show business biographies cover their subjects' personal lives and professional careers, and demonstrate how each person has prevailed over an obstacle. Though the books' tone is often adulatory, they do an adequate job discussing Carey's depression, Goldberg's youthful poverty and drug abuse, and Cruise's dyslexia. Time lines are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Overcoming Adversity series. Illustrated with black-and-white publicity photos, these show business biographies cover their subjects' personal lives and professional careers, and demonstrate how each person has prevailed over an obstacle. Though the books' tone is often adulatory, they do an adequate job discussing Carey's depression, Goldberg's youthful poverty and drug abuse, and Cruise's dyslexia. Time lines are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) YA Overcoming Adversity series. These biographies cover the personal lives and professional careers of two major figures in the world of skating. Focusing on their struggles with adversity (Hamilton's mysterious childhood illness and his recent bout with cancer, and the sudden, tragic death of Gordeeva's partner and husband), the books present their subjects' human and heroic sides. Black-and-white photos accompany the capably written books. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander