(3) 4-6 How-to Guides for Fiendish Rulers series. Illustrated by Ryan Pentney. These first-person how-to guides purport to instruct the reader on being a "fiendish" ruler. In a conversational and tongue-in-cheek tone, these books present historical facts about how kings, pharaohs, shoguns, and emperors managed their realms. Illustrations emphasize the comical, using exaggerated facial expressions, postures, and speech balloons to good effect. Humor aside, the books still provide solid information about past royal life. Ind. Review covers these How-to Guides for Fiendish Rulers titles: An Emperor's Guide, A King's Guide, A Pharaoh's Guide, and A Shogun's Guide.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 How-to Guides for Fiendish Rulers series. Illustrated by Ryan Pentney. These first-person how-to guides purport to instruct the reader on being a "fiendish" ruler. In a conversational and tongue-in-cheek tone, these books present historical facts about how kings, pharaohs, shoguns, and emperors managed their realms. Illustrations emphasize the comical, using exaggerated facial expressions, postures, and speech balloons to good effect. Humor aside, the books still provide solid information about past royal life. Ind. Review covers these How-to Guides for Fiendish Rulers titles: An Emperor's Guide, A King's Guide, A Pharaoh's Guide, and A Shogun's Guide.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 How-to Guides for Fiendish Rulers series. Illustrated by Ryan Pentney. These first-person how-to guides purport to instruct the reader on being a "fiendish" ruler. In a conversational and tongue-in-cheek tone, these books present historical facts about how kings, pharaohs, shoguns, and emperors managed their realms. Illustrations emphasize the comical, using exaggerated facial expressions, postures, and speech balloons to good effect. Humor aside, the books still provide solid information about past royal life. Ind. Review covers these How-to Guides for Fiendish Rulers titles: An Emperor's Guide, A King's Guide, A Pharaoh's Guide, and A Shogun's Guide.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 How-to Guides for Fiendish Rulers series. Illustrated by Ryan Pentney. These first-person how-to guides purport to instruct the reader on being a "fiendish" ruler. In a conversational and tongue-in-cheek tone, these books present historical facts about how kings, pharaohs, shoguns, and emperors managed their realms. Illustrations emphasize the comical, using exaggerated facial expressions, postures, and speech balloons to good effect. Humor aside, the books still provide solid information about past royal life. Ind. Review covers these How-to Guides for Fiendish Rulers titles: An Emperor's Guide, A King's Guide, A Pharaoh's Guide, and A Shogun's Guide.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Warriors! series. Illustrated by Martín Bustamante. This series explores the different weapons, tactics, and machines of war used around the world and throughout history. After a two-page introduction, each spread has a central realistic illustration with a video-game look surrounded by columns or blocks of text in unfortunately tiny type. Overall, the books give readers decent insight on the broad world history of war. Glos., ind Review covers the following Warriors! titles: Mighty Fighting Machines, Silent Soldiers, and Tools of Combat.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Warriors! series. Illustrated by Martín Bustamante. This series explores the different weapons, tactics, and machines of war used around the world and throughout history. After a two-page introduction, each spread has a central realistic illustration with a video-game look surrounded by columns or blocks of text in unfortunately tiny type. Overall, the books give readers decent insight on the broad world history of war. Glos., ind Review covers the following Warriors! titles: Mighty Fighting Machines, Silent Soldiers, and Tools of Combat.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Warriors! series. Illustrated by Jason Juta. This volume profiles noteworthy military leaders throughout world history. Famous battles, tactics used, and even some of the mythology surrounding the subjects are described. After an introduction, each one-spread bio has a central realistic illustration with a video-game look, an inset map, and blocks of text in unfortunately tiny type. Overall, the book gives readers decent insight on these famous warriors. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Warriors! series. Illustrated by Jason Juta. This series explores the different weapons, tactics, and machines of war used around the world and throughout history. After a two-page introduction, each spread has a central realistic illustration with a video-game look surrounded by columns or blocks of text in unfortunately tiny type. Overall, the books give readers decent insight on the broad world history of war. Glos., ind Review covers the following Warriors! titles: Mighty Fighting Machines, Silent Soldiers, and Tools of Combat.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Stickmen's Guides to This Incredible Earth series. Illustrated by John Paul de Quay. Stick figures travel from the tops of a city's skyscrapers to its underground sewers and transit systems. On each spread, human activity and technology in each "layer" are presented in orderly text boxes and informative diagrams with unfortunately tiny type. Although the topics and organization are somewhat arbitrary and the stick-figure gimmick unneeded, this detailed series entry covers a variety of physical science and engineering principles. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 Stickmen's Guides to This Incredible Earth series. Illustrated by John Paul de Quay. In this series, stick figures travel through the layers of our planet's atmosphere, earth, and sea. In places such as the troposphere, grasslands, and sunlight zone, the stickmen skim over physical science principles, plant and animal life, and human activities (e.g., space exploration, mining). Beneath the unnecessary stick-figure gimmick are helpful information and diagrams in a neatly organized presentation, though the tiny type is off-putting. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Stickmen's Guides to This Incredible Earth titles: Stickmen's Guide to Earth's Atmosphere in Layers, Stickmen's Guide to Mountains and Valleys in Layers, and Stickmen's Guide to Oceans in Layers.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 Stickmen's Guides to This Incredible Earth series. Illustrated by John Paul de Quay. In this series, stick figures travel through the layers of our planet's atmosphere, earth, and sea. In places such as the troposphere, grasslands, and sunlight zone, the stickmen skim over physical science principles, plant and animal life, and human activities (e.g., space exploration, mining). Beneath the unnecessary stick-figure gimmick are helpful information and diagrams in a neatly organized presentation, though the tiny type is off-putting. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Stickmen's Guides to This Incredible Earth titles: Stickmen's Guide to Earth's Atmosphere in Layers, Stickmen's Guide to Mountains and Valleys in Layers, and Stickmen's Guide to Oceans in Layers.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 Stickmen's Guides to This Incredible Earth series. Illustrated by John Paul de Quay. In this series, stick figures travel through the layers of our planet's atmosphere, earth, and sea. In places such as the troposphere, grasslands, and sunlight zone, the stickmen skim over physical science principles, plant and animal life, and human activities (e.g., space exploration, mining). Beneath the unnecessary stick-figure gimmick are helpful information and diagrams in a neatly organized presentation, though the tiny type is off-putting. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Stickmen's Guides to This Incredible Earth titles: Stickmen's Guide to Earth's Atmosphere in Layers, Stickmen's Guide to Mountains and Valleys in Layers, and Stickmen's Guide to Oceans in Layers.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Autobiographies You Never Thought You'd Read series. Introducing the mythical creature in an autobiographical format, this volume attempts to answer questions about Bigfoot--including "How old am I?" and "Do I really exist?"--by referencing beliefs and theories from a variety of different cultures. The setup is hokey and the content slim, but kids will learn basic Sasquatch lore. The illustrations are mildly amusing. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(4) K-3 Autobiographies You Never Thought You'd Read series. Introducing Bram Stoker's fictional vampire in an autobiographical format, this volume attempts to answer questions about Dracula using "source" material and connects historical figure Vlad the Impaler with Stoker's character. The setup is hokey and the content slim, but kids will learn the basics about this literary character. The illustrations are mildly amusing. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Autobiographies You Never Thought You'd Read titles: Bigfoot and Count Dracula.

Reviewer: David Elzey

(4) 4-6 Earth Debates series. The debates in these titles center on the benefits and/or problems associated with attempts to circumvent or remedy environmental depredation. The slim volumes don't get deeply detailed; Chambers's dispassionate, generally even-handed approach is realistic about the lack of clear answers to these dilemmas. Relevant photos, graphs, sidebars, and "eyewitness" accounts supplement the narratives. Each book includes a quiz. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Earth Debates titles: Are Humans Damaging the Atmosphere? and How Effective is Recycling?.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) 4-6 Earth Debates series. The debates in these titles center on the benefits and/or problems associated with attempts to circumvent or remedy environmental depredation. The slim volumes don't get deeply detailed; Chambers's dispassionate, generally even-handed approach is realistic about the lack of clear answers to these dilemmas. Relevant photos, graphs, sidebars, and "eyewitness" accounts supplement the narratives. Each book includes a quiz. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Earth Debates titles: Are Humans Damaging the Atmosphere? and How Effective is Recycling?.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) 4-6 Coolest Jobs on the Planet series. Written by professionals with the titular jobs, these anecdotal and scattershot volumes discuss the education, skills, tools, and daily tasks involved in exotic-sounding technological occupations. Games features useful explanations of game-coding mechanics; Driver touches on specific NASA missions. "My hero" sidebars introduce famous industry figures. The over-busy books will appeal to kids interested in the fields. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Coolest Jobs on the Planet titles: Computer Games Designer and Mars Rover Driver.

Reviewer: Claire E. Gross

(4) 4-6 Mapping Earthforms series. Readers interested in learning about these geographic landforms will find an abundance of basic information. The writing is clear, with terms defined in context. Each book also includes a discussion of environmental concerns such as global warming and pollution. Well-chosen color photographs accompany the texts, though lengthy captions contribute to a cluttered look. There are four other spring 2007 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Mapping Earthforms titles: Islands, Oceans and Seas, Coasts, Valleys, and Volcanoes.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) 4-6 Mapping Earthforms series. Readers interested in learning about these geographic landforms will find an abundance of basic information. The writing is clear, with terms defined in context. Each book also includes a discussion of environmental concerns such as global warming and pollution. Well-chosen color photographs accompany the texts, though lengthy captions contribute to a cluttered look. There are four other spring 2007 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Mapping Earthforms titles: Islands, Oceans and Seas, Coasts, Valleys, and Volcanoes.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) 4-6 Mapping Earthforms series. Brief surveys of six of the earth's geographical features provide basic facts about how they were formed, pinpoint their locations on the globe, describe indigenous vegetation and animals, and explain how humans live in or near each region. The books are illustrated with standard color photographs; their lengthy captions compete with the main texts and contribute to the rather busy layout. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta