(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Childhood of Famous Americans series. Illustrated by Drew Rose. This story tells of young Thomas Jefferson and a friend sneaking out at night to a Native American burial ground. Tom later visits a Native village and learns to respect all people. The text is easy to read but, as usual with this series, there's no documentation to indicate whether it's based on fact. Illustrations verging on cartoonish adequately depict events. Timeline.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Childhood of Famous Americans series. Illustrated by Anna DiVito. Young Eleanor is "scared of everything," so her aunt's request for ice from the dark, spider-ridden basement's icebox is a real challenge. Eleanor bravely faces her fears and learns a life lesson. The text's description of her leap from scary-basement-defeater to First Lady is a stretch, but the story makes Roosevelt a relatable figure. Timeline.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Childhood of Famous Americans series. Illustrated by Diane Dawson Hearn. This bland fictionalized anecdote from George Washington's youth shows an eleven-year-old George trying to figure out the best way to convince his mother to let him leave home for a visit with his married brother. Pleasant but unremarkable illustrations follow George throughout his school day as he ponders the issue, finally hitting upon a winning argument. Timeline.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Childhood of Famous Americans series. In a story purportedly based on an incident from Oakley's childhood, young Annie Mosey's father goes to town for supplies. While awaiting his return, Annie makes a quail trap, which proves handy when Father arrives home nearly frozen from a blizzard: Annie helps to feed her family. The story is dramatic, but it has a choppiness that the inviting art can't completely mitigate. Timeline.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Childhood of Famous Americans series. Illustrated by Elaine Garvin. After seven-year-old George (later known as Babe) Ruth loses the neighborhood's only baseball by hitting it through someone's window, he tries to make it up to his friends by buying everyone a rare ice-cream treat with a dollar bill he takes from the family tavern. As with other books in this series, this easy-to-read morality tale fictionalizes a childhood episode. Timeline.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Childhood of Famous Americans series. Illustrated by Frank Habbas. Each of the books in this series intended for emerging readers fictionalizes a childhood episode from the life of a notable historical figure. Earhart, which is divided into chapters and intended for proficient readers, is longer and more detailed (and includes more exclamation points) than the other titles. Illustrated with cartoony color art, the books provide adequate introductions. Timeline. [Review covers these Ready-to-Read titles: Mark Twain at Work!, Thomas Edison to the Rescue!, Sacagawea and the Bravest Deed, and Amelia Earhart.]

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Childhood of Famous Americans series. Illustrated by Anna DiVito. Each of the books in this series intended for emerging readers fictionalizes a childhood episode from the life of a notable historical figure. Earhart, which is divided into chapters and intended for proficient readers, is longer and more detailed (and includes more exclamation points) than the other titles. Illustrated with cartoony color art, the books provide adequate introductions. Timeline. [Review covers these Ready-to-Read titles: Mark Twain at Work!, Thomas Edison to the Rescue!, Sacagawea and the Bravest Deed, and Amelia Earhart.]

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Childhood of Famous Americans series. Illustrated by Alan Daniel & Lea Daniel. Each of the books in this series intended for emerging readers fictionalizes a childhood episode from the life of a notable historical figure. Earhart, which is divided into chapters and intended for proficient readers, is longer and more detailed (and includes more exclamation points) than the other titles. Illustrated with cartoony color art, the books provide adequate introductions. Timeline. [Review covers these Ready-to-Read titles: Mark Twain at Work!, Thomas Edison to the Rescue!, Sacagawea and the Bravest Deed, and Amelia Earhart.]

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Childhood of Famous Americans series. Illustrated by Rodney S. Pate. In this entry in a series that fictionalizes a childhood incident that affects the subject's future life, young Martin loses his best friend when Bobby's father says "colored and white can't mix." But while Martin's dad says "friendship has no color," and Martin vows to change people's minds. The story is unsentimentally told in a clearly written text; the realistic illustrations, appropriately somber, convey much emotion.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Childhood of Famous Americans series. Illustrated by Bert Dodson & Bert Dodson. In this entry in a series that fictionalizes a childhood incident that affects the subject's future life, young Paul Revere forms a bell-ringing club that teaches him about rules and responsibility. The fictionalized dialogue is irritating ("Why should our parents have all the fun?"), but the topic of club-forming has perennial appeal and both text and art are simple and clear.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Childhood of Famous Americans series. Illustrated by Diana Magnuson. Each of the books in this series intended for emerging readers fictionalizes a childhood episode from the life of a notable historical figure. Earhart, which is divided into chapters and intended for proficient readers, is longer and more detailed (and includes more exclamation points) than the other titles. Illustrated with cartoony color art, the books provide adequate introductions. Timeline. [Review covers these Ready-to-Read titles: Mark Twain at Work!, Thomas Edison to the Rescue!, Sacagawea and the Bravest Deed, and Amelia Earhart.]

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth