(4) 4-6 Fact Finders: Landmarks in U.S. History series. Blashfield offers readers a cursory introduction to this important event in American history. The overview describes Lewis and Clark's expedition from St. Louis to the Pacific, including encounters with Native American groups and the value of Sacagawea to the trip's success. The brief, readable text is enhanced with informative sidebars, maps, stock photographs, paintings, and appended critical thinking questions. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) YA Beginning in 1810, this dense novel imagines the life of Sakakawea's son (born on the Lewis and Clark Expedition). "Adopted" by Clark, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau attends school in St. Louis, travels the world, and experiences life as a man of both Native and French ancestry. Though rich with historical detail, this serious, old-fashioned novel will appeal to only the most dedicated history buffs. Bib.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) K-3 Ordinary People Change the World series. Illustrated by Christopher Eliopoulos. The latest series entry centers on Sacagawea's contributions to Lewis and Clark's expedition to the Pacific. There's some moralizing and instances of historical glossing-over, but the bestselling biography series' setup--a chatty first-person narrative and cartoon art with occasional comics-style frames--has plenty of kid-appeal. Photos are appended. Reading list, timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Zoom In on Native American Leaders series. These starter biographies offer brief descriptions (with one to three sentences per page) about important Native American figures; historical art and photos as well as contemporary scenic photos accompany the sparse texts. Only very cursory details about each subject is offered, but the series may serve as an adequate introduction for younger readers. Lists of quick stats and key dates are appended. Glos., ind. Review covers these Zoom In on Native American Leaders titles: Chief Joseph, Crazy Horse, Pocahontas, Sacagawea, Sequoyah, and Sitting Bull.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(4) 4-6 Women Who Broke the Rules series. Illustrated by Matt Collins. Krull meets the challenge of balancing fact and speculation head-on, occasionally tripping on her modern phrasing ("Hidatsa women helped their economy sizzle") and glossing over certain facts (such as the adoption of Sacajawea's young son by Meriwether Lewis). Collins's paintings support the account, though at times his subjects' facial expressions appear cartoonish. An informative and well-researched offering, despite its pitfalls. Reading list, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(4) K-3 Cub Reporter Meets Famous Americans series. Illustrated by Doug Jones. Cub Reporter "interviews" Sacagawea about her life and the Lewis and Clark expedition. Sacagawea responds to simplistic questions in her own hokey "voice" ("Captain Lewis said that if I hadn't done this, the trip could've been ruined!"). Cartoons of a microphone-holding bear cub alternate with captioned photos and illustrations that extend information. The premise may work for reluctant readers. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) 4-6 Courageous Heroes of the American West series. All originally published under different titles, the updated editions of these brief biographies, written in short, easy-to-read sentences, outline the lives of adventurous individuals who helped shape the American West during the nineteenth century. Black-and-white photographs and drawings add some interest to the text-heavy pages; the lurid cover illustrations are unappealing. There are four other fall 2012 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Courageous Heroes of the American West titles: Bill Pickett, Buffalo Bill Cody, Calamity Jane, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Richard King, Sacagawea, and Sam Houston.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) 4-6 Thinking Girl's Treasury of Real Princesses series. Illustrated by Albert Nguyen. This biography of Sacajawea begins with the story of her being taken from her family by an invading tribe and follows her through marriage, motherhood, and her famous journey with Lewis and Clark. The wandering narrative is supplemented with illustrations, photographs (some oddly chosen), maps, and sidebars about the evolution of her name, what she wore and ate, and her descendants. Bib.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jim Madsen. Sacagawea's infant son, carried on her back, narrates this story. Napoli's prose is more evocative than explanatory: "We try dugouts / against the mighty spring current. / The current wins. / We buy horses / and ride…" The language, while poetic and imagistic, can be puzzlingly abstract. Digital illustrations with the appearance of expansive oil paintings depict the shifting landscape.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) 4-6 Sterling Biographies series. Each title opens with an introduction that arouses compassion and interest for the featured subject. Succeeding chapters present chronological biographies, with vivid portrayals of daily life, culture, and the impact an expanding America had on the individual and his or her people. Paintings, drawings, and occasional photographs combine with detail-rich sidebars and maps to provide a cumulatively engaging, accessible history lesson. Timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Sterling Biographies titles: Sacagawea, Chief Joseph,Pocahontas, Sitting Bull, Geronimo, and Tecumseh.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) YA Shapers of America series. Crosby emphasizes Sacagawea's important role in Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery: a Shoshone captured by the Hidatsa she married a French-Canadian voyageur and acted as guide, interpreter, and indicator of peaceful intent, for no war party would include a woman and her baby. Though the text is dense, maps, photos, drawings, and sidebars add accessibility. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Higgins Bond. The lone Native American woman and African American man on the Lewis and Clark expedition describe their roles in the historic journey. The point-of-view alternates with each turn of the page, but there are not enough visual or written clues to make these abrupt changes successful. The paintings give details of time and setting. Map, reading list, source notes, websites.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Native American Biographies series. In a somewhat cluttered design, ample drawings, maps, and color photographs accompany a description of the lives of six important Native Americans and their individual significance in American history. Throughout the text are timelines and boxed quotes from various individuals. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Native American Biographies titles: Chief John Ross, Chief Joseph, Sacagawea, Chief Tecumseh, Osceola, and Sequoyah.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Julie Buffalohead & Julie Buffalohead. Although there aren't any sources and the book ends with odd abruptness, Erdrich retells Sacagawea's story competently enough, keeping her focus on the woman rather than using her as a lens on Lewis and Clark. Large three-quarter-spread paintings are stiffly executed but confer appropriate dignity on their subject. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) K-3 Meeting Famous People series. This book gives a slightly more detailed look at the Native American woman who traveled with Lewis and Clark than most biographies for this age group. The illustrations are historical paintings, some more successful than others. Sacagawea is an elusive figure and the book acknowledges the two stories about her death, giving more credence to the one that says she died in 1812 at age twenty-five. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Val Paul Taylor. The fast-paced biographies in this series do a good job of revealing the personalities and significant achievements of their subjects. Plentiful black-and-white illustrations and simple prose make the books particularly appealing to reluctant readers, and the brief sidebars never overwhelm the main texts. Each volume has two timelines--one for the subject's life, the other listing concurrent world events. [Review covers these titles: Who Was Albert Einstein?, Who Was Ben Franklin?, Who Was Sacagawea?, Who Was Annie Oakley?.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(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

(3) 4-6 Following, with his family, the trail Lewis and Clark took in 1804, Lourie describes what he finds and the ways in which their journey differs from what historians know about the original expedition. The personal approach makes the material accessible, and the clear photographs, both snapshots of Lourie's family and a few historical photographs, convey the spirit of the journey.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 All Aboard Reading series. Illustrated by Shelly Hehenberger. Although reduced to barely an outline, the well-known events in Sacagawea's life are described in simple language and sentences. Illustrations in warm tones on each page help early readers visualize the Northwest frontier setting.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Picture Book Biography series. Illustrated by Dan Brown. Probably because there is little known about the Shoshone woman who, as interpreter, food gatherer, and guide, was essential to Lewis and Clark's legendary expedition, Adler's informative narrative seems somewhat detached from its subject. The text is accompanied by earth-toned watercolor illustrations, some of which look stiff. A time line and author's note are included. Bib.

Reviewer: Nell Beram