(1) YA Bausum writes compellingly, heartbreakingly, about the earliest days of panic in the gay community, the swiftness of AIDS's progression, disturbing federal government inaction, grassroots research and activism, and breakthrough scientific research. While the narrative is chock-full of information--names, dates, acronyms--Bausum never allows these details to obscure or overwhelm the humanity of the story. Captioned black-and-white photographs, too, underscore the emotional impact. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(3) 4-6 This encyclopedic history of the presidency offers a dynamic and detailed array of information including timelines, profiles of individual presidents, reproductions of presidential portraits, quick-reference fact boxes, and thematic spreads. The robust layout is dynamic and browsable, and the content strikes a commendable balance between general historical detail and individual focus. 2016 election coverage is included. Reading list, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) YA The lesser-known March Against Fear, James Meredith's 1966 quest to empower blacks in Mississippi, grew into a larger movement when major civil rights organizations such as the Southern Christian Leadership Conference joined in; the term "black power" emerged during it as a rallying cry. Clear writing and excellent use of powerful quotes and photographs make this an engrossing--and important--read. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Alia Jones

(1) YA Bausum begins with a detailed, nuanced exposition of the June 1969 Stonewall riots as a galvanizing moment for the gay rights movement, then traces the movement's evolution (in a somewhat more cursory way) for the second half of the book. Bausum's narrative integrity makes her conclusions about the persecution and resilience of the LGBTQ community all the more powerful. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Thom Barthelmess | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2015

(3) 4-6 When his "closest comrade," doughboy Robert Conroy, shipped out from Newport News in 1917 for the French front, it was only natural that Stubby would come along. This remarkable true dog story gives Bausum an effective and unusual perspective on WWI, and she carries Stubby's story through his subsequent celebrity, death, and now taxidermic display at the Smithsonian. Archival photos are included. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(3) 4-6 This updated volume offers balanced chronological summaries of the forty-four U.S. presidents' terms, along with fact boxes, quotations, and official portraits. Interspersed are occasional double-page spreads about historical periods and related topics, such as the vice-presidency. Numerous photographs and several diagrams illustrate the accessible text, which concludes with a chart of election results. Reading list, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 "This book is about the story of garbage in...Memphis, Tennessee--and the lives of the men tasked with collecting it." Bausum's well-researched history traces events in 1968 Memphis, beginning with a sanitation workers' strike and culminating with Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. Though the busy design is distracting, the plentiful, well-captioned (unnecessarily tinted) photos extend the compelling narrative. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(3) 4-6 Bausum provides an informative overview of America's involvement in WWI. She discusses President Wilson's fight to enact laws against "anti-American" activities as an example of how political leaders during a national crisis have attempted to restrict personal freedom in the name of patriotism. Illustrations, photographs, and notes enhance the succinct text. A "Guide to Wartime Presidents" chart is appended. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) YA Profiling anarchist Emma Goldman (deported in 1919), a Jewish refugee (denied entry in 1939), and a Japanese-American family (detained in a WWII internment camp), Bausam examines the consequences of America's "harsh immigration decisions." Opening and closing chapters discuss the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act and the ongoing debate over Mexican-U.S. immigration policy, respectively. An eye-pleasing book design incorporates many affecting period photographs. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) 4-6 Full of little-known facts and anecdotes (who knew that James Buchanan was the only president never to marry?), this up-to-date volume is a solid introduction to presidential history. From George Washington to Barack Obama, each man's personal and political history is explored alongside photographs and reproductions of artwork. Information on the electoral college and the two-party system add to the classroom appeal. Reading list, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(3) 4-6 This volume profiles forty-four wives of U.S. presidents--women fulfilling a job for which there is neither a description nor a paycheck--and reveals how their roles reflect their times. Each profile is accompanied by a full-page portrait and boxed sidebars, some entertaining (e.g., a photo of Mamie and Dwight Eisenhower salt and pepper shakers). Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) YA This book presents the history of investigative journalism then focuses its lens more specifically on the lives and work of three muckrakers. Bausum concludes by identifying modern-day muckraking efforts, perhaps inspiring readers to test the waters themselves. Many well-chosen photographs give faces to these historical figures and the time period; sidebar quotes help break up the text. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer:

(3) 4-6 This clear reference offers balanced chronological summaries of the forty-three U.S. presidents' terms, along with fact boxes, quotations, and official portraits. Interspersed are occasional double-page spreads about historical periods and related topics, such as the vice-presidency. Numerous photographs and several diagrams illustrate the accessible text, which concludes with a chart of election results. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) 4-6 This history of women's suffrage in the United States focuses on the work of Alice Paul and the National Woman's Party. A succinct text featuring tinted photos describes the organized protests and political mobilization--as well as imprisonments and personal indignities such as forced feeding--that led to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. Brief profiles of notable suffragists are included. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA Focusing on the explorer's expeditions in Asia in the 1920s and the numerous fossil species his team discovered, the book provides limited information on Andrews's later tenure as director of the American Museum of Natural History. The drama of exploring the Gobi Desert is more successfully captured in the volume's monochromatic photographs than in the lackluster prose. A chronology is included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta