(4) 4-6 Flashback Four series. In their third adventure, the four preteens time-travel to Pompeii in 79 AD to photograph the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Sent via a sophisticated time machine developed by billionaire Miss Z, they mistakenly become slave laborers and gladiators. Tension increases with the need to leave Pompeii before the calamity. The fast-paced novel, which includes photographs from the ruins, is predictable but accessible and appealing.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) 4-6 Julius Zebra series. Zebra Julius and his animal friends (Rumble with the Romans!) continue their gladiatorial adventures, this time being sent to Londinium to fight Celtic gladiators while trying to escape from their Roman captors. The protagonists are still awkward, gangly, and mostly clueless, but the silly story's irreverent humor and goofy, black-and-white cartoon illustrations on every page should entertain readers.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Thrifty Guides series. Illustrated by David Sossella. These tongue-in-cheek travel guides to Ancient Greece and Rome provide lots of historical information while incorporating plentiful humor, and cartoony illustrations add to the effect. As the jokey narratives cover important aspects of these civilizations, inserts suggest people and places to see during your "trip." Yes, the time-travel conceit is gimmicky, but it makes for entertaining reading. Bib. Review covers these Thrifty Guides titles: The Thrifty Guide to Ancient Greece and The Thrifty Guide to Ancient Rome.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Kara Danvers works as a reporter, but as her alter ego, Supergirl, she protects National City. In Atlantis, the appearance of a humanoid sea creature causes normal people to become "supercitizens." In Ancients, a curse sends Supergirl and friends back in time to Ancient Rome. Lighthearted and action-packed, these additional stories set during the second season of TV's Supergirl will satisfy fans of the new DC canon. Review covers these titles: Supergirl: Age of Atlantis and Supergirl: Curse of the Ancients.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(3) YA After Thrace falls, Attia is enslaved in Rome and must hide her identities--as the heir to Thrace and as the mysterious gladiator, Spartacus. Her plans for escape and revenge against Rome are disrupted, however, by her growing affection for champion gladiator Xanthus and other members of their owner's household. This epic, action-packed historical reimagining ends with hints that Thrace will rise again in future volumes.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) 4-6 How-to Guides for Fiendish Rulers series. Illustrated by Ryan Pentney. These first-person how-to guides purport to instruct the reader on being a "fiendish" ruler. In a conversational and tongue-in-cheek tone, these books present historical facts about how kings, pharaohs, shoguns, and emperors managed their realms. Illustrations emphasize the comical, using exaggerated facial expressions, postures, and speech balloons to good effect. Humor aside, the books still provide solid information about past royal life. Ind. Review covers these How-to Guides for Fiendish Rulers titles: An Emperor's Guide, A King's Guide, A Pharaoh's Guide, and A Shogun's Guide.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Building by Design series. Each book in this engaging engineering-focused series describes the history and construction of a famous structure, and explains how the landmark is maintained today. Sidebars (some with prompts and website links) as well as photographs, drawings, and diagrams enhance each main text's four chapters. Each book includes "Straight to the Source" pages quoting a primary source, discussion questions throughout, and additional appended facts. There are four other fall 2017 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Building by Design titles: Engineering the Golden Gate Bridge, Engineering the Colosseum, Engineering the NYC Subway System, and Engineering the Eiffel Tower.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(4) 4-6 Time Traveler's Guide series. Illustrated by Mark Bergin. This illustrated series provides you-are-there glimpses at life in a (fictional) town of each ancient civilization. Two-page sections each focus on a specific part or structure. The information is generalized, but the series' draw is the detailed illustrations, which use bird's-eye perspectives and cutaways to allow readers to see inside various buildings. Appended "Time-Traveler's Guide" notes provide basic information about culture. Glos., ind. Review covers these Time Traveler's Guide titles: Inca Town, Greek Town, Roman Town, and Egyptian Town.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Adventures of Lottie Lipton series. Illustrated by Rachelle Panagarry. Nine-year-old Lottie Lipton lives in the British Museum in 1928 London with her great-uncle, the museum's curator of Egyptology. An amateur sleuth, Lottie uses her wits to solve mysteries involving the museum's historical objects. Thin plots are secondary to the many brainteaser puzzles and codes Lottie and readers must solve in each series entry. Spot and full-page line drawings accompany the texts. Glos. Review covers these Adventures of Lottie Lipton titles: The Catacombs of Chaos, The Curse of the Cairo Cat, The Eagle of Rome, The Egyptian Enchantment, The Scroll of Alexandria, and The Secrets of the Stone.

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(4) 4-6 Adventures of Lottie Lipton series. Illustrated by Rachelle Panagarry. Nine-year-old Lottie Lipton lives in the British Museum in 1928 London with her great-uncle, the museum's curator of Egyptology. An amateur sleuth, Lottie uses her wits to solve mysteries involving the museum's historical objects. Thin plots are secondary to the many brainteaser puzzles and codes Lottie and readers must solve in each series entry. Spot and full-page line drawings accompany the texts. Glos. Review covers these Adventures of Lottie Lipton titles: The Catacombs of Chaos, The Curse of the Cairo Cat, The Eagle of Rome, The Egyptian Enchantment, The Scroll of Alexandria, and The Secrets of the Stone.

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(4) 4-6 Roman slave turned rebellious magician Nic (Mark of the Thief; Rise of the Wolf) faces Brutus, an earthly agent of the goddess Diana, for control of Nic's magic amulets and the empire itself. Saving one may mean sacrificing the other. Although the well-evoked ancient Rome setting is a positive, the writing sometimes descends into gimmicky action-movie tropes in this trilogy finale.

Reviewer: Jessica Bushore

(3) 4-6 Alternator Books: Ancient Mysteries series. Each book in this series looks at a different ancient city or monument and explores unanswered questions about its construction and uses. Both historical and modern views are provided, with differences explained by recent research and technology. Plentiful photographs and illustrations bring the sites to life. "Dig Deep!" and "Myth Alert!" sidebars provide additional interesting context and detail. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Alternator Books: Ancient Mysteries titles: Mysteries of the Egyptian Pyramids, Mysteries of the Great Wall of China, Mysteries of Easter Island, Mysteries of Pompeii, Mysteries of Machu Picchu, and Mysteries of Stonehenge.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Edge Books: Warrior Science series. These books describe the weapons, training, and tactics used by the respective warriors from history. Emphasis is placed on how elements of physical science, such as weight, balance, and force, affected what and how weapons and armor were used. Diagrams, (hokey) photographs of reenactors, and illustrations will help readers visualize the information. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Edge Books: Warrior Science titles: Gladiator Science and Ninja Science.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Former slave Nic is caught between his grandfather and the Praetors, both of whom want him to find a magical amulet that would destroy the city. Nic tries to outwit them by proposing a chariot race, but his plans put people he loves in danger. Nielsen keeps the stakes high and the plot moving in this historical fantasy set in ancient Rome.

Reviewer: Barratt Miller

(3) 4-6 Julius Zebra series. Julius the zebra and other African animals are kidnapped and brought to Rome. Rather than be slaughtered in the Colosseum, they choose to fight as gladiators themselves. Suspension of disbelief is a must, but it won't be difficult to achieve: this irreverent, high-energy story is filled with action and humor, with each page punctuated by goofy, frenetic illustrations.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 At Home with... series. Each volume takes readers "behind the scenes" of the civilization to cover a wide variety of topics but none of them in any great detail. The presentation is lively and colorful, with generally accurate information broken down into small chunks in overabundant sidebars and text boxes; photographs and illustrations contribute to the visual busyness. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following At Home with... titles: The Ancient Egyptians, The Ancient Greeks, The Ancient Romans, The Aztecs, and The Vikings.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Somchith Vongprachanh. The famous ancient Roman city, destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE, is explored both in the book and through an included CD-ROM. Many of the better-known and preserved locations within the city are discussed in detail, with illustrations and photos of the sites and artifacts bringing the city to life but cluttering the spreads. The "virtual 3D tour" offers limited interactivity.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 How to Live Like... series. Illustrated by Mariano Epelbaum. These books present accounts of selected events that distinguish certain historical periods. Examples include jousting (Knight), battling lions (Gladiator), and training for raiding (Warrior). Each book is narrated by a cocky youth, which adds humor but becomes tiresome. Cartoonlike illustrations and numerous text boxes accompany the main texts. Related facts are appended. Glos., ind. Review covers these How to Live Like... titles: A Medieval Knight, A Roman Gladiator, and A Viking Warrior.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) YA Ancient Civilizations series. Each volume introduces a civilization by covering a wide variety of topics including origins, political systems, religions, and daily life. Chapters are broken into subcategories, with numerous sidebars, photos, illustrations, and maps adding detail to the main narrative. The texts themselves are accessible without dumbing down the information. There are four other spring 2015 books in this series. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. This review covers the following Ancient Civilizations titles: Ancient Maya, Ancient Rome, Ancient Mesopotamia, and Ancient India.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Tales from Shakespeare series. Illustrated by Yaniv Shimony. Abridged prose retellings make the plots clear, but little remains of Shakespeare's original language. Complex characterizations and emotions are reduced to simple terms and the ambiguity that makes Shakespeare endlessly interpretable is eliminated. Brief quotations from the original works appear in sidebars. Two-tone line drawings help give young readers a sense of the action and are especially successful conveying the comedy of Twelfth Night. Review covers these Tales from Shakespeare titles: Julius Caesar and Twelfth Night.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac