(3) YA Janeczko (Double Cross) revisits the topic of deception as a war tactic in this fascinating, detailed look at the so-called "Ghost Army" during World War II. The unit consisted of sound engineers, actors, camouflage experts, and set designers, who helped create the illusion of fake troop movements using sets, sound effects, and showmanship. A lesser-known WWII story that should enthrall history buffs.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) YA A companion to The Dark Game, this book examines deception tactics used by militaries and intelligence services throughout world history, with an emphasis on those used from the U.S. Civil War era onward. An accessible narrative provides unique insight with its analysis of specific operations and detailed explanations of how and why they worked. Maps, photographs, and illustrations help contextualize events. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) YA In haunting poems, Janeczko lays bare the strength, hope, and despair of those imprisoned at Terezín during the Holocaust. Most of the pieces, accompanied by drawings from actual inmates, represent fictional characters imagined by Janeczko. Readers are filled with a growing sense of sadness and anger; yet the works sing of the humanity and bravery of those who lived and died at Terezín.

Reviewer: Barbara Scotto

(3) YA Janeczko surveys the history of spycraft in the United States. Chapters are arranged chronologically, from the American Revolution to the Cold War and beyond, focusing on individuals who acted as spies for--or against--the country; shorter vignettes on other notable people, activities, and technologies related to spying are interspersed. The accessible writing and high-interest subject matter will engage readers. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gary Lippincott. Using renga (a form of linked, alternating verse), Lewis and Janeczko weave a snapshot of life in a small town. The poem offers possibilities for repeated readings, revealing increasingly rich levels of meaning and evoking deeper responses. Lippincott's soft, realistic illustrations extend the writing, providing visual clues to what has come before and what will be revealed next.

Reviewer: Aishah Abdul-Musawwir

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Jenna LaReau. Janeczko provides an agreeable grab-bag of codes, ciphers, and recipes for invisible ink. The humorously illustrated book offers plenty of opportunities for practice in making--and breaking--codes, and solutions to the practice puzzles are provided at the back as is a short reading list. Ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(2) YA On July 6, 1944, 167 people died, and five hundred more were injured, in a fire at a circus in Hartford, Connecticut. Janeczko gives fictional voice to these spectators and workers, who share their hopes, fears, despair, and gratitude in a cycle of poems that memorialize the historic tragedy.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2004

(3) 4-6 Scholastic Guides series. Starting with a pep talk and a "basic guide" to writing reports (topics, notecards, outline, draft, revision, endnotes), Janeczko goes on to apply the techniques to history, science, how-to, and persuasive essays, among others, using a reassuring, personable tone. Each chapter walks through an example, with shaded green boxes and print to separate the example from the instructions. Ind.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Scholastic Guides series. Poet and anthologist Janeczko writes a friendly, accessible, and highly usable primer. Chapters include getting ready to write and writing rhyming poems and free verse poems; each chapter includes "Try This" suggestions as well as a "Poetcraft" corner offering further tidbits for creating good poems. Verse by well-known poets as well as student writers is used as technique exemplars throughout. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Christine Davenier. That friendship is composed of thorns as well as roses, to borrow a metaphor from Betsy Hearne's "Listening," is central to this collection of two dozen poems--though most of the selections cling to the more traditional definition of the subject. The watercolors depict every possible attitude of friendship; most of the poems appear in other collections but rarely in such an appealing format.

Reviewer: Nancy Vasilakis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 1998

(3) 4-6 Nineteen free-verse poems about baseball describe the game from many angles--bases covered include an elderly fan's devotion, how to spit, and a curse for the pitcher. Despite a few flat images, Janeczko's love of baseball is infectious, and Katchen's illustrations capture the taut energy of both players and fans in thick smears of pastels.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.