(4) K-3 Illustrated by Elizabeth O. Dulemba. In each book, a kid visiting an out-of-state cousin receives state-specific gifts, one per day, during the twelve days of Christmas. Chatty, overly explanatory letters written home to Mom and Dad expand the information; additional state facts are appended to the stories. The books' cheerful illustrations get ever more crowded as the presents accumulate. Review covers these titles: The Twelve Days of Christmas in Iowa, The Twelve Days of Christmas in South Carolina, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Washington, D.C., The Twelve Days of Christmas in Georgia, The Twelve Days of Christmas in Arizona, and The Twelve Days of Christmas in Michigan.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) 4-6 In this Civil War novel, thirteen-year-old narrator Lonzo, who's "a little slow," shrinks from the idea of killing. After his cousin enlists on the Confederate side, Lonzo experiences the destruction of Yankee occupation but still saves a Union soldier from being poisoned. Although the plot is jerky, the story's events ring true.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian