(3) 4-6 Cause-and-Effect Disasters series. Five disastrous events in American history are explored from a cause-and-effect perspective. Each volume includes four succinct chapters, first establishing setting before relating the major events and their aftermath/results (e.g., the Chicago Fire and 1888 Blizzard precipitated future building codes and public warning systems). Numerous photographs/illustrations, diagrams, sidebars, and a clear appended flow chart round out the presentations. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Cause-and-Effect Disasters titles: The Jamestown Colony Disaster, Death in the Donner Party, Hurricane Katrina and the Flooding of New Orleans, The Great Chicago Fire, and The Children's Blizzard of 1888.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Linda Shute. In a tight, lucid narrative, Jones details Captain John Smith's two-thousand-mile Jamestown-based exploration of the Chesapeake Bay during the summer of 1608. Derived largely from primary source material, the exciting account is illustrated with soft-hued drawings and sketches. It's also enlivened by spot-art vignettes of wildlife creatures whose speech balloons help clarify events and add occasional humor. Reading list.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) 4-6 Cooper bases his history mainly on John Smith's writings. The book's frequent illustrations are reproductions of Smith's own paintings or engravings based on them. Quotations are also carefully attributed in context and in source notes at the end (though the unfortunate repeated typo, "Croatian" for Croatoan, is worth noting). Cooper's straightforward narrative is occasionally enlivened with kid-friendly comparisons. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs

(3) K-3 Illustrated by David Diaz. Krull uses the relatively few known facts about the Powhatan princess to trace her life from age eleven through adulthood, touching on her volatile relationship with John Smith and marriage to John Rolfe. Krull rounds out the story with background information about Jamestown. The narrative is smooth and readable, and Diaz's lush digitally colored cut-paper illustrations feature bright borders around the text. Bib.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(2) 4-6 Schanzer calls explorer John Smith "probably the greatest escape artist on the planet" in his day. She organizes her account by his various "escapes," revealing a restless, quick-thinking spirit. The economical text gives just enough background to contextualize Smith's experiences. Comic-strip panels summarize some of his exploits, while traditional spreads relate others in more detail. A larger-than-life figure well worth rediscovering. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2007

(3) YA In this carefully researched fictional account, alternating first-person narratives of Pocahontas and John Smith recount the 1607 interaction between the Powhatan and the English in Jamestown, Virginia. In his stirring interpretation of this clash of cultures, Bruchac crafts a riveting portrait of a brave and proud man and a satisfying picture of Pocahontas as a curious and peace-loving Powhatan girl. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Kristin Cashore

(4) 4-6 In American History series. Each of the books in this series attempts to delineate the numerous causes and significant events that helped form a specific era in American history. These three books feature black-and-white photos and illustrations of uneven quality, boxed quotes from source documents, and timelines. Bib., ind. [Review covers these In American History titles: Jamestown, John Smith, and Pocahontas in American History; The Harlem Renaissance in American History; The Dust Bowl and the Depression in American History.]

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(4) 4-6 In Their Own Words series. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs and reproductions, the biographies in this series feature excerpts from the subjects' writings (if they exist) and other primary sources to present fairly complete pictures of these historical figures. The texts are accessible and straightforward but generally dry. A timeline and a list of resources are appended. Bib., ind. [Review covers these titles: Benjamin Franklin, Christopher Columbus, Harriet Tubman, Helen Keller, Pocahontas.]

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(4) YA The deeds and personality of Captain John Smith, as well as his famous rescue by Pocahontas, are described in this admiring biography, with quotes from Smith's own writings. The intrusive narration is busy with editorial comments and unwarranted inferences; nevertheless, the brisk work contains a strong dramatic arc. Black-and-white historical engravings and a time line are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) K-3 All Aboard Reading series. Illustrated by Shelly Hehenberger. In simple, clear language, Milton purports to tell the true story of Pocahontas and John Smith, including the alternative theory that Pocahontas may have saved Smith's life in response to her father's instructions rather than out of love. The narrative is compelling, if somewhat romantic in its interpretation of Pocahontas's life. Golden-hued illustrations capture the mood of the tale.

Reviewer: Mary R. Holt