(3) K-3 Illustrated by John Manders. Having helped composer Giuseppe Verdi overcome writer's block, Nini, an ordinary white cat living in a Venetian café, attracts attention from Italian royalty, a Russian czar, and the emperor of Ethiopia. The highly inventive and entertaining story, accompanied by vibrant gouache and colored-pencil illustrations, is based on historical events; an author's note tells more about the players.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(4) YA Classical Composers series. These thorough, well-researched composers' biographies focus almost solely on their subjects' lives, with a few glimpses at historical context. Verdi incorporates brief summaries of his major operas, but neither book elucidates the composers' musical styles. Mendelssohn's story is meatier, as its subject attempts to reconcile gender roles with professional ambitions. A list of suggested recordings would have been a welcome addition. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Classical Composers titles: Giuseppe Verdi and Italian Opera and Gifted Sister.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl