(4) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: Reality TV Titans series. These biographies cover the personal and professional lives of six reality-TV stars, with information ranging from the serious (Tim Gunn's teenage suicide attempt) to the superfluous ("[Rachael] Ray has a pit bull named Isaboo"). Projects/recipes "inspired by" the books' subjects are fairly uninspired, but middle-grade fans of the shows may enjoy the serviceable texts and color photos. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: Reality TV Titans titles: Fun and Food with Guy Fieri, Getting Gritty with Mike Rowe, Pioneer Practices with Ree Drummond, Simple Solutions with Rachael Ray, Tasteful Fashion with Tim Gunn, and Zany Eats with Andrew Zimmern.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) 4-6 Women of Achievement series. This series contextualizes its subjects' lives and accomplishments in politics, culture, and/or history. The books, though dense and lengthy, are well written; sidebars supplement the narratives with interesting facts (e.g., women in the 1920s used radium to curl their hair; both Hillary and Bill Clinton have won Grammy awards). Photographs and reproductions illustrate the texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Women of Achievement titles: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rachael Ray, Marie Curie, Nancy Pelosi, Ellen DeGeneres, Martha Stewart, and Susan B. Anthony.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby