(4) YA Civil Rights Movement series. Each volume is effective in highlighting a single facet of the civil rights movement as it relates to the whole. Quotes and personal anecdotes increase readability, but the fact-filled exposition is occasionally interrupted by jarring omniscient narration. Many photographs and archival reproductions are included (though some are poorly placed). Timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Civil Rights Movement titles: Freedom Summer and Marching in Birmingham.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(4) YA Renaissance Scientists series. Responsible for discovering and explaining the laws of the universe and for inventing calculus (about which he fought with rival Gottfried Wilhem von Leibniz), Newton is profiled in a detailed biography that attempts (not always successfully) to explain complex concepts. Color reproductions help break up the text. Timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(4) YA Renaissance Scientists series. This account of the life and work of Galileo emphasizes his adherence to experimental methodologies and attributes his later problems with the church to this desire for quantitative proof. Boerst's descriptions of seventeenth-century scientific debate show the links between science, religion, politics, and patronage at that time. Sometimes poorly reproduced historical illustrations and portraits round out the text. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) YA Renaissance Scientists series. These thoughtful, documented books reward careful reading. Tycho explains how Brahe used his observational talents to measure astronomical phenomena, and Johannes discusses how Kepler developed his three laws of planetary motion. Both books recount the scientists' personal lives, and fine color visuals, mostly from period art and documents, extend the texts, as do occasional sidebars and diagrams. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Renaissance Scientists titles: Johannes Kepler and Tycho Brahe.]

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) YA Renaissance Scientists series. These thoughtful, documented books reward careful reading. Tycho explains how Brahe used his observational talents to measure astronomical phenomena, and Johannes discusses how Kepler developed his three laws of planetary motion. Both books recount the scientists' personal lives, and fine color visuals, mostly from period art and documents, extend the texts, as do occasional sidebars and diagrams. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Renaissance Scientists titles: Johannes Kepler and Tycho Brahe.]

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) YA World Writers series. The life of Eric Blair, who wrote under the pseudonym George Orwell, is recounted in a dutiful style that describes his political activism and literary achievements but fails to bring him fully alive. Readers who know the author primarily from Animal Farm and 1984 may be disappointed that these two works are not discussed at greater length. Average-quality black-and-white photos are interspersed throughout the book. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA World Writers series. Though factually sound, this biography never goes beneath the surface. Illustrated with adequate black-and-white photos, the text traces Burroughs's life through his many vocations, touches on his lifelong interest in the military, and discusses his literary fame, but doesn't capture the restless spirit that informed his life choices nor explain the enduring popularity of his work. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA World Writers series. This biography of the prophetic English writer ably demonstrates how his working-class background, atheism, and socialism informed his prose. Boerst plucks useful information and illustrative details from Wells's autobiographical work; however, some tidbits (such as the length of Wells's wife's first labor) seem haphazard. Black-and-white photos of key players in Wells's life are featured. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram