(2) YA From the film by Hirokazu Kore-Eda. Twelve-year-old Akira's childish mom goes away and returns at whim, soon abandoning her children for good, leaving the far more responsible Akira in charge. The tragic ending is devastating but leaves readers free to hope (against hope) for the siblings' survival. Black-and-white photographic stills from the Japanese film on which this is based deepen the novel's breathtaking realism.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2012

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by David Craig. The mystery of Amelia Earhart's disappearance may never be solved, this biography suggests, but her legacy will endure. Though the illustrations sometimes feel forced or even unnecessary (e.g., an image of the famed aviator rising out of the ocean), the archival photos and rich text, complete with informative sidebars and Earhart's own words, create an insightful portrait of an American icon. Reading list, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(4) YA Groundwork Guides series. This exploration of global warming is clear, concise, and well organized, though not especially engaging. Shaded boxes further explicate interesting information, while maps, timelines, charts, and graphs provide useful visual representations of the sometimes dense text. Endnotes are also included. Websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) 4-6 Day That Changed America series. Illustrated by David Craig. Tanaka uses four eyewitness accounts from survivors to tell the story of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Archival photos, reproductions, maps, and sidebars enhance the text. Craig's illustrations add interest to the story, with vivid images of the tragic event. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) 4-6 Day That Changed America series. Illustrated by David Craig. In this portrait of a legendary World War II battle, archival photos and reproductions, maps, and sidebars are used to enhance the text. Eyewitness accounts from four survivors add a human element to the story. Craig's full-color illustrations depict vivid images of the battle, supplementing the informative text. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alan Barnard. This up-to-date survey describes some of the prehistoric creatures that have been identified within the past decade and presents new facts about previously known dinosaurs. Also discussed are new research methods that employ CAT scans and computer technology. The casually written text is accompanied by competent color art and a global map showing the location of recent dinosaur finds. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Day That Changed America series. Illustrated by David Craig. In these portraits of two legendary U.S. battles, archival photos and reproductions, maps, sidebars, and boxed quotations from participants enhance Tanaka's detailed narrative. The text is also enlivened by dialogue from first-person accounts and by Craig's painterly illustrations. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Day That Changed America titles: The Alamo and Gettysburg.]

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) 4-6 Day That Changed America series. Illustrated by David Craig. In these portraits of two legendary U.S. battles, archival photos and reproductions, maps, sidebars, and boxed quotations from participants enhance Tanaka's detailed narrative. The text is also enlivened by dialogue from first-person accounts and by Craig's painterly illustrations. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Day That Changed America titles: The Alamo and Gettysburg.]

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) YA Although some information may be a bit arbitrarily placed, organizing this account of the demands and rewards of ballet dancing around seven individual ballets works well overall, and allows a complete picture of this art form to emerge. Generous captioned photos, both black-and-white and color, illustrate historical and contemporary dancers, ballets, composers, and theaters; sidebars offer plot summaries. Ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by David Craig. Dramatic paintings and archival photos highlight this cogent overview. The fast-paced narrative is given immediacy by focusing on several lives affected by the 1941 bombing, including a boy who witnessed the event, a Japanese pilot, and a sailor trapped on the USS Oklahoma. Sidebars include supplemental information, biographical profiles, and maps. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 I Was There series. Illustrated by Greg Ruhl. Interspersed with sidebars and reproductions of artwork and original illustrations, the lengthy text tells the life story of William Marshal, one of the most successful knights of the twelfth century and regent to Henry, the son of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Fictionalized dialogue and thoughts detract from the presentation, and the book's format is cramped and cluttered, but the biographical information is accurate and engrossing. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(3) 4-6 I Was There series. Illustrated by Greg Ruhl. Text, illustrations, and color photographs provide accurate information about myriad aspects of mummies, from their religious significance to the ancient practice of boiling them to make ointments. Also explained is how scientific study of mummies can help us learn about these people's lives. Young browsers drawn to the photos will likely be lured into reading the informative text. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Joan Scanlon McMath

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Greg Ruhl. Following a brief account of the archaeological excavation of the Great Temple of the Aztecs in the 1970s, Tanaka describes the rise of Aztec power and its influential culture and the conquering of Moctezuma and the Aztecs by Cort_s and his Spanish soldiers. Informative sidebars and color photos and reproductions complement the engrossing text, which is marred by unnecessary fictionalized dialogue. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 I Was There series. Paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews's 1922 expedition to the Gobi Desert inspired the three journeys to dinosaur graveyards described in this book. Tanaka explains how fossils are discovered and the ways paleontologists interpret their findings to draw conclusions about how dinosaurs lived. Full-color photos of the sites and of important finds and dramatic re-creations of dinosaurs in action enhance the readable text. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.