(4) 4-6 It's My State! series. Each of these books provides information students need for assignments on individual states (state flag, bird, animal, fossil, song, etc.). A chronology of important dates, famous residents, a recipe, and a craft are included. Though the format will appeal to children in third to fifth grades, the text is frequently written on a more challenging level. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these It's My State! titles: Montana, Arizona, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Kansas, and North Dakota.

Reviewer: Barbara Barstow

(4) YA World Writers series. The African-American author is profiled in a volume that capably describes his early experiences in the American South, his move north, and his years as an expatriate in Europe. Unfortunately, the biography gets bogged down in details about Wright's affiliation with the Communist party and provides only cursory information about his later writing career. The book is illustrated with black-and-white photos. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta