(3) 4-6 Real-Life Story series. Clinton's many accomplishments and challenges are documented in a clear, engaging style in this narrative biography. From her childhood through her win in the Democratic Primary and 2016 presidential run, Harness explores Hillary's political partnership with Bill Clinton and her struggle to fit into the mold of political wife as well as her individual political and personal endeavors. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) K-3 After a brief section about flags throughout world history, Harness focuses on the role flags played at different points in American history, mainly colonial times, the Revolution, and the War of 1812. Harness's serviceable realistic paintings display the evolving designs of the Star-Spangled Banner. A suitable purchase for libraries wanting to freshen their collection of books about the American flag. Timeline. Glos.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Carlo Molinari. Born in 1832, Mary Walker was way ahead of her time, wearing trousers and becoming a physician, suffragist, Civil War hero, and Medal of Honor–recipient, facing criticism at every turn. The text is informative but conveys little of Walker's emotions and resolve or the passion of her detractors. Molinari's illustrations give a sanitized view of the era. An author's note adds details.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) 4-6 "Wash" is best known for his Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle tales. Here, readers also learn about his personal life: he was named for (and met at age six) George Washington; he knew Aaron Burr, Lord Byron, and Mary Shelley; he had close scrapes with pirates. Quotes from Irving are included among the illustrations, which are packed with historical details. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Nancy Hull

(4) 4-6 Animated writing and intricate black-and-white illustrations drive this biography of Carver, the son of slaves whose curiosity and altruism led him to become a scientist, researcher, and educator in the field of agriculture. An extensive timeline of world events runs along the bottom of the pages. The book is jam-packed with information in a way that can be overwhelming. Reading list. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) 4-6 Animated writing and intricate black-and-white illustrations drive this biography of the ever-enthusiastic twenty-sixth president of the United States. An extensive running timeline at the bottom of the pages emphasizes the dramatic changes that occurred during Roosevelt's life. The book is jam-packed with information in a way that can be overwhelming. Maps, blueprints, and a family tree provide further information. Reading list. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) 4-6 Harness's lively narrative follows Boone's life as he journeys through frontier lands of North Carolina, Kentucky, and Missouri, battling Indians and helping settle the wilderness. Intricate illustrations (some muddy) and an extensive timeline of world events that runs along the bottom of each page contribute to the story but complicate the format. A chronology of Boone's life is appended. Reading list. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) 4-6 Thorough, informative, and chatty, these biographies bring readers the background of the events covered, along with a sense of immediacy as we're thrust into the perils of the Oregon Trail or into the Plymouth Colony wilderness. Extensive timelines on each page are useful, although slightly distracting. Illustrations are comprehensive, despite some details being muddy. Whitman has a chronology. Reading list. Bib., ind. Review covers these titles: The Adventurous Life of Myles Standish and the Amazing-But-True Survival Story of the Plymouth Colony and The Tragic Tale of Narcissa Whitman and a Faithful History of the Oregon Trail.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) 4-6 Thorough, informative, and chatty, these biographies bring readers the background of the events covered, along with a sense of immediacy as we're thrust into the perils of the Oregon Trail or into the Plymouth Colony wilderness. Extensive timelines on each page are useful, although slightly distracting. Illustrations are comprehensive, despite some details being muddy. Whitman has a chronology. Reading list. Bib., ind. Review covers these titles: The Adventurous Life of Myles Standish and the Amazing-But-True Survival Story of the Plymouth Colony and The Tragic Tale of Narcissa Whitman and a Faithful History of the Oregon Trail.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(3) 4-6 Twelve-year-old Carmen is tired of moving every year and of taking care of five bratty little brothers instead of pursuing her artistic dreams. After her mother dies in childbirth, though, Carmen learns the real meaning of responsibility. Harness's debut novel doesn't shy away from realistic portrayals of grief and loss, even as it incorporates humor and nostalgia for the 1960s.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) 4-6 Attractively illustrated, this engaging account of Jefferson's life and times is told in a chatty narrative occasionally marred by an awkward sentence or phrase ("The wondering will never end"). The slavery issue is inserted repeatedly, sometimes leading to an odd juxtaposition of facts, but young readers will appreciate the accessible presentation. Bib.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 Uncondescendingly, Harness begins with the Roosevelts' privileged early lives, then emphasizes their groundbreaking efforts for social justice and wartime leadership amid complex personal lives, including Eleanor's unhappy childhood and domineering mother-in-law and Franklin's polio, but excluding some other difficulties. Though Harness's color illustrations are effective, the sepia-toned ones convey even more emotion. Timeline. Bib.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) 4-6 In loosely chronological order, informative double-page spreads cover these movers and shakers, starting with Ann Lee in the 1700s and ending with twentieth-century Doris Haddock. Some will be familiar to readers (Sojourner Truth) and some less familiar (Mary E. Lease, activist for the 1890s Populist movement). Illustrations on every page help break up the packed-with-text format. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) 4-6 From Virginia Dare (first English child born in America) to Ruth J. Simmons (first African-American president of Smith College), one hundred notable women are briefly introduced (one paragraph each) and tied together chronologically with short historical facts. The book, illustrated with small color paintings of the subjects, is more browsable than substantive. A list of sites and organizations is appended. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Lauren Aimonette LIang

(4) K-3 While visiting an exhibit, Josh is given a tour of the twentieth century by the spirit of Albert Einstein. Double-page spreads depict key moments in history (the flight at Kitty Hawk, the fall of the Berlin Wall) with dialogue balloons giving a sense of each era's main concerns. A time line of supplemental information runs across the bottom of the pages. Both the illustrations and layout are overcrowded. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) K-3 Harness relates--and celebrates--all facets of the life of America's intelligent, tenacious first president, taking special care to cast Washington in terms of his times. The illustrations, a combination of watercolor, gouache, ink, and colored pencil, are laden with historical detail, featuring many maps, hand-lettered captions, and historical asides. A section in the back gives additional facts about Washington.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Robin Brickman. In a volume more interesting for its cut-paper collage art than its poorly scanned rhyme, two children visit a cemetery searching for buried treasure and disturb a gang of ghosts who rise from their graves to rock and roll. The disjointed poem (the children run off halfway through the verse) features plenty of alliteration; objects representing various letters of the alphabet are hidden in the illustrations.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) K-3 This biography of Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain is in equal parts a paean to his beloved steamboats and an account of their short-lived reign on the mighty Mississippi. It parallels the steamboats' rise and fall with Clemens's life from youth to steamboat pilot to celebrated author. Maps, diagrams, and bibliographies incorporated into the intricate illustrations add to an unusual and interesting take on two revered American institutions. Bib.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) 4-6 Privileged but sickly, young Teedie is determined to strengthen his body and nerve by living "the strenuous life." Through years of hard work and eclectic job choices, he celebrates happiness and tries to outrun heartbreak before becoming our twenty-sixth president. Despite a somewhat choppy text and awkward drafting in the illustrations, Harness captures the life of one of the most colorful characters in American history. Bib.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(4) 4-6 During a White House field trip, Sarah is plucked from her group by the ghost of George Washington and given a behind-the-scenes tour. Other White House ghosts randomly join the tour, contributing historical comments in dialogue balloons. As an introduction to the White House, the book holds some interest, but the dialogue lacks punch and the color artwork is busy. Brief presidential biographies are included. Bib.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.