(3) YA Race and Sports series. These titles expertly examine the interconnection of sports, race, and society and highlight the issues and topics that are born from these intersections. Stereotypes and Media Coverage provide the foundation for the other titles. Instructive sidebars and captioned photos accompany the crisply written, informative narratives. Useful introductions to the many-layered subjects for students writing research papers. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Race and Sports titles: Fighting Stereotypes in Sports, Gender and Race in Sports, Politics and Protest in Sports, Race and College Sports, Race and Sports Management, Race in Sports Media Coverage.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) YA Class in America series. This unique series--geared to school reports but with intriguing topics and ideas that go beyond the curriculum--could also provide support for debates and political action for motivated readers. Charts, graphs, archival photos, and contemporary color photos break up the dense information and detailed sidebars. Lots of discussion-starter questions make these books relevant to today's readers. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Class in America titles: The American Middle Class, Being Poor in America, Class and Education, Class and Race, Class Mobility, The Future of Work in America, The Health-Care Divide, and The One Percent.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 4-6 Native American Oral Histories series. Each book provides information about the Native American tribes of the region, retells several traditional stories, and quotes contemporary Native storytellers discussing the tradition. Color photos and maps break up the accessible texts; researchers may find the writing prompts and links in this Common Core–focused series distracting. There are four other fall 2017 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Native American Oral Histories titles: Traditional Stories of the Southwest Nations, Traditional Stories of the Great Basin and Plateau Nations, Traditional Stories of the Arctic and Subarctic Nations, and Traditional Stories of the Northeast Nations.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) 4-6 Cheerleading series. This series offers information about a variety of aspects of the sport, from basic skills and training to the world of competitive cheering and even opportunities for future careers. While accessible for beginners, the books also contain details of interest to experienced cheerleaders. The spirited design successfully blends informative texts with lively color photographs for an appealing presentation. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following SportsZone: Cheerleading titles: Cheer Skills and Drills, Cheer Tryouts and Training, Spirit-Raising Cheers and Chants, Cheer Tools and Gear, Cheer Careers, and Competitive Cheerleading.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(3) YA America's Great Political Families series. This well-written, thoroughly researched series delves into the lives and careers of presidential families, providing in-depth looks at multiple family members. From family histories and drama to political scandals, criticisms, and maneuvers, each subject is explored in a clear, objective, and engaging way. Each volume includes archival photos, a family tree, and appended "fun facts." Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following America's Great Political Families titles: The Kennedys, The Roosevelts, The Bushes, and The Clintons.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) 4-6 Matters of Opinion series. Each slim volume models persuasive essay writing and broadly introduces an oft-debated school-related social issue. Chapters open with a key question, followed by arguments (first "Yes," then "No") that advance a thesis. Follow-up sections highlight the debate techniques implemented. Relevant stock photos break up the somewhat choppy texts. Essay-writing guidelines are appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Matters of Opinion titles: School Violence, Bullying, and Cell Phones.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) 4-6 Tech Bytes series. These two installments in the new-technologies series explore the history of two human assistive technologies: artificial eyes and wearable robotic exoskeletons. Although text-heavy, both books make the information accessible through clear organization, strong writing, and thorough back matter. Limited photographs and bland (if direct) covers do not advertise the fascinating subject matter as well as they might. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Tech Bytes titles: Wearable Robots and Artifical Eyes.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(4) YA Future of Technology series. With the directness of textbooks, the books in this series explore exciting, interrelated areas of technological innovation with in-depth, straightforward text; clear organization; and well-documented sources. Sidebars contain supplementary information and "Words in Context," a user-friendly alternative to a glossary. Introductory timelines are difficult to navigate, and minimal visual elements and unremarkable covers do little to draw in readers. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers the following Future of Technology titles: What Is the Future of Artificial Intelligence?, What Is the Future of Nanotechnology?, What Is the Future of Drones?, What Is the Future of 3D Printing?, What Is the Future of Virtual Reality?, and What Is the Future of Self-Driving Cars?

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(4) YA Drug Dangers series. Five text-heavy chapters outline each drug's current popularity, its negative effects, and treatment for and prevention of abuse, using charts, photographs, and sidebars for emphasis. Legalization of medical and recreational marijuana is mentioned only briefly in Marijuana. Alcohol is dense with statistics and studies, while Heroin and Painkillers overlap a great deal. There are four other fall 2016 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers the following Drug Dangers titles: The Dangers of Heroin, The Dangers of Marijuana, The Dangers of Alcohol, and The Dangers of Painkillers.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) YA Teen Guide to Finances series. Introductory concepts about entrepreneurship and personal finance are discussed in these dense texts. The topics, which range from general money management to future-planning, have an overarching theme of fiscal responsibility. The content is strong, but the dull layouts feel dated, and there are too few charts and other visuals to help clarify the concepts. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Teen Guide to Finances titles: Teen Guide to Credit and Debt, Teen Guide to Saving and Investing, Teen Guide to Paying for College, and Teen Guide to Starting a Business.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(3) 4-6 Back from Near Extinction series. Each volume follows the featured animal's journey to the brink of extinction and back. Four chapters cover the species' decline over time; its physical characteristics, diet, behavior, and reproduction; specific threats to its survival; and various conservation efforts. Layouts with large stock photos, maps, charts, and text boxes enhance the informative, workmanlike texts. Comprehension exercises and writing prompts appear throughout. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Back from Near Extinction titles: Giant Galápagos Tortoise, Gray Wolf, Grizzly Bear, California Condor, American Alligator, Humpback Whale, American Bison, and Bald Eagle.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) 4-6 Searchlight Books: How Do We Use Money? series. These books cover basic topics to help readers make wise personal financial choices. The informative texts emphasize economic ideas, including the relationship between wants and needs, and clarify differences between various financial tools, such as money market accounts and certificates of deposit. The accessible design employs photos, graphs, and other graphics, all of which aid in comprehension. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Searchlight Books: How Do We Use Money? titles: Budgeting, Spending, and Saving, Earning Income, Growing Your Money, and Understanding Credit.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(4) 4-6 Ready for Military Action series. These books provide information about different military technologies. Each book covers history, mechanics, tactics, and strategies related to the subject; details about how soldiers use the equipment on the job are also included. Black-and-white and color captioned photos and well-placed sidebars supplement the dry but accessible texts. Distracting critical thinking prompts direct readers to do further research. There are four other spring 2015 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Ready for Military Action titles: Powerful Military Vehicles, Incredible Military Weapons, Fascinating Military Submarines, and Awesome Military Robots.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Stories of the Civil Rights Movement series. This series provides upper-elementary students with in-depth coverage of phases and events of the U.S. civil rights movement. The narratives are supplemented effectively with archival photographs and primary source quotes. With overt Common Core–related intention, readers are challenged with overabundant sidebars and inserts containing critical-thinking questions, writing prompts, and suggested research topics and readings. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Stories of the Civil Rights Movement titles: James Meredith and the University of Mississippi, Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Freedom Summer, 1964, The Little Rock Nine, Nonviolent Resistance in the Civil Rights Movement, The Passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. and the March on Washington, and Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(4) 4-6 Stories of the Civil Rights Movement series. This series provides upper-elementary students with in-depth coverage of phases and events of the U.S. civil rights movement. The narratives are supplemented effectively with archival photographs and primary source quotes. With overt Common Core–related intention, readers are challenged with overabundant sidebars and inserts containing critical-thinking questions, writing prompts, and suggested research topics and readings. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Stories of the Civil Rights Movement titles: James Meredith and the University of Mississippi, Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Freedom Summer, 1964, The Little Rock Nine, Nonviolent Resistance in the Civil Rights Movement, The Passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. and the March on Washington, and Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(4) 4-6 Great Minds of Science series. These biographies explore their subjects' early years, scientific discoveries, and innovative accomplishments that still affect modern life today. Five easy-to-read chapters are enhanced with sidebars, illustrations, photos, and diagrams; "Straight to the Source" sections include primary-source material. The numerous prompts for critical thinking through writing, discussion, and online research may distract general researchers. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Great Minds of Science titles: Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, and Temple Grandin.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) 4-6 Matters of Opinion series. This book looks at three recycling issues: whether it's good for the environment, whether the benefits outweigh the costs, and whether it should be mandatory. In addition to pros and cons of each and a final writing assignment, three debate techniques--using facts, testimonials, and facts vs. opinions--are also analyzed. Sidebars and captioned photos support the choppy text. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 ShockZone--True Survival Stories series. Each thin volume shares six to eight (mostly) contemporary stories of extreme survival, including a 2005 grizzly bear attack on a father and daughter and a boy's eight-day ordeal buried in rubble in the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Readers will be grabbed by a mix of harrowing details and eye-catching color photographs. The stories and appended safety tips are superficially presented but are nonetheless fascinating. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Shockzone--True Survival Stories titles: Surviving Accidents and Crashes, Surviving Natural Disasters, Surviving the Wilderness, Surviving in Cold Places, Surviving in Wild Waters, and Surviving Animal Attacks.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) 4-6 ShockZone--True Survival Stories series. Each thin volume shares six to eight (mostly) contemporary stories of extreme survival, including a 2005 grizzly bear attack on a father and daughter and a boy's eight-day ordeal buried in rubble in the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Readers will be grabbed by a mix of harrowing details and eye-catching color photographs. The stories and appended safety tips are superficially presented but are nonetheless fascinating. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Shockzone--True Survival Stories titles: Surviving Accidents and Crashes, Surviving Natural Disasters, Surviving the Wilderness, Surviving in Cold Places, Surviving in Wild Waters, and Surviving Animal Attacks.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) YA Decade of the 2000s series. Although the information provided in these volumes involves some of the most monumental developments in recent history, this dry and uninspiring series conveys mostly basic information. Color photos (many quite powerful) and pull quotes from primary sources break up the dense and often repetitive text. This series will be useful for school reports. The same timeline opens each book. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Decade of the 2000s titles: Catastrophic Events of the 2000s, Cultural Milestones of the 2000s, Sports and Entertainment of the 2000s, Terrorism and War of the 2000s.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee