(4) YA Building America, Then and Now series. These books highlight the histories, construction, and impact of four mammoth American development projects that changed the communities around them. Photos, maps, and informative sidebars supplement the densely detailed writing. American history buffs will find these volumes useful for doing research. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Building America, Then and Now titles: The Hoover Dam, The Eisenhower Interstate System, The Empire State Building, and New York's Central Park.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 U.S. Government: How It Works series. Archival photographs and paintings and sidebars combine with informative text to present a comprehensive discussion of the political parties and processes that define U.S. government. Each title adequately provides the historical context necessary to understand the featured subject, though the density of text may put off some readers. There are five other new books in this series. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these U.S. Government: How It Works titles: How the Constitution Was Created, The Impeachment Process, The History of the Democratic Party, The History of the Republican Party, and How the President Is Elected.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) YA Modern World Leaders series. With the same foreword in each book, this series challenges readers to consider the concept of leadership by placing the featured individual in a historical context. Each title includes childhood experiences, rise to power, significant historical events, international relationships, and political ideology. Captioned photographs provide additional perspectives and break up the dense texts. Reading list, timeline. Bib., ind. Review covers these Modern World Leaders titles: Thabo Mbeki, Hu Jintao, Angela Merkel, Ali Khamenei, and Michelle Bachelet.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale