(4) YA World Writers series. "Reading for me was a refuge...It was almost sinful how much I liked it" (Amy Tan). Integrating the subjects' voices, love of literature, chronologies, and major works against a background of world events, these series installments effectively explore how the authors' personal lives influenced their writing. Many photographs, some applicable, some that seem like an afterthought, illustrate the solid narratives. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these World Writers titles: Self-Reliance, C. S. Lewis, and From China to America.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(4) YA Authors Teens Love series. These biographies tell about the lives and works of popular authors. The main texts are generally bland; however, the appended short interviews or collections of quotes do shed some light on the minds of those who make a living at their craft and will perhaps inspire would-be teen writers. Some photographs and pull-quotes help break up the pages. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Authors Teens Love titles: Amy Tan, Lois Duncan, Isaac Asimov, and Vivian Vande Velde.

Reviewer: Laura A. Woollett

(4) YA Multicultural Literature series. This series successfully conveys the importance of each title's contribution to multicultural literature through a comprehensive introduction to the author, plot, characters, themes, and literary devices. Other works by each author are touched on. Photographs, maps, and highlighted vocabulary augment the discussion while providing a necessary break in the dense text. Students will find these useful as companion volumes. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Multicultural Literature titles: A Reader's Guide to Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club, A Reader's Guide to Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, and A Reader's Guide to Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(3) YA Social Issues in Literature series. Each volume presents brief, thoughtful essay reprints (primarily written by literary critics and academics) arranged into three sections that explore the author's life, identify relevant social issues, and discuss current cultural applications. Although the pieces are sometimes awkwardly truncated, they usually present ideas that go well beyond superficial critique, inviting readers to consider fiction as a vehicle for analyzing American identity. Reading list, timeline, Bib., ind. Review covers these Social Issues in Literature titles: Class Conflict in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Racism in Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Racism in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, and Women's Issues in Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(3) YA Asian Americans of Achievement series. These volumes discuss the lives and achievements of some noted Asian Americans. An abundance of facts are included in each book, in addition to some fascinating personal details and histories of the native countries of each subject's family. The books also include dynamic photographs and sidebars with further information. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Asian Americans of Achievement titles: Amy Tan, Bruce Lee, Daniel Inouye, Margaret Cho, Vera Wang, and Yo-Yo Ma.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) 4-6 Women of Achievement series. Quoting profusely from their subjects, as well as their peers and historians, the books in this series offer laudatory biographies of these influential women. Joan uses extensive excerpts from trial transcripts and documents, although there are no source notes. Mostly dull black-and-white photos and reproductions do little to break up or extend the text. All the books include a timeline. Bib., ind. [Review covers these titles: Katharine Graham, Diane Sawyer, Joan of Arc, Amy Tan, Martha Stewart.]

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman