(4) YA Social Issues in Literature series. Solid but impassive, these collections present short essays and excerpts (usually five to twelve pages) broken down into three categories: background and biography, critical readings of the title topic, and contemporary perspectives that highlight a classic author's continuing relevance. Selections are up to date, varied, and culled from reputable sources. These volumes are useful, but they're unlikely to be read for fun. Reading list, timeline. Bib., ind. Review covers these Social Issues in Literature titles: Women's Issues in Alice Walker's The Color Purple, Women's Search for Independence in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, Tyranny in William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Censorship in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, and War in Time O'Brien's The Things They Carried.

Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac

(4) YA Lerner Biographies series. Black-and-white photos accompany this biography of the celebrated author. Although the text mentions books that Walker wrote during various periods of her life, it focuses more on her involvement in the civil-rights movement and her determination to introduce African-American and female writers into college curriculums. The information provided about her personal life will interest readers, but her writing is given short shrift. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Anne St. John