(4) 4-6 Brightstone Saga series. Mikal and Lyra are pretending to be fortunetellers in a traveling fair. But they could use some real clairvoyance as wizard Harlano relentlessly tracks them in order to get Orry, a mechanical bronze head with powerful secrets inside. The children, still rather undeveloped as characters in this second book, flee over well-cultivated fantastical landscapes on their peril- and action-filled travels.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) 4-6 Brightstone Saga series. In the final volume of the trilogy, Mikal and Lyra travel across pirate-infested waters to rescue their mechanical friend from the contemptible wizard Harlano. Although they recover Orry, Harlano has already taken his secret--the location of the Brightstone, the source of all magic. Readers may be dissatisfied by the deus-ex-machina ending.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) 4-6 Brightstone Saga series. Mikal's sister is sure she'll get picked to be a magical apprentice, but it's eleven-year-old blacksmith-in-training Mikal who is whisked away to study with the sorcerers' Guild of Constant Working. He finds himself apprenticed to a wizard embroiled in a dangerous scheme. Thompson's fantasy world is well realized--hopefully, characters will be better fleshed out in the next book.

Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay

(4) 4-6 Historical Fiction Adventures series. In 1866 Lee Chin works on the transcontinental railroad, earning money to free his sister from bondage in China (Iron). In Nazi-occupied Poland, the title character escapes the Warsaw ghetto (Simon's). Sarah Wright attempts to exonerate her father, accused of witchcraft (Devil's). The character-driven narratives can be choppy. "The Real History Behind the Story" is appended to each. Reading lists, websites. Review covers these Historical Fiction Adventures titles: The Iron Dragon, Simon's Escape, and The Devil's Door.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) 4-6 Americans--The Spirit of a Nation series. From heroes and heroines to bandits and beloved American icons, these balanced titles consistently sort fact from fiction and confirm each figure's place in history. First chapters successfully introduce the subjects and draw readers in by describing dynamic events. Archival photographs, maps, primary sources, and sidebars combine with dry but informative texts to complete these well-documented biographies. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Americans--The Spirit of a Nation titles: Jesse James, Dolley Madison, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, John Brown, Harriet Tubman, Billy the Kid, and Johnny Appleseed.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) 4-6 Historical Fiction Adventures series. In 1773 Boston, seventeen-year-old Oliver Carter is an apothecary for Dr. Benjamin Church. Church sells secrets to the British and places Oliver in grave danger (Liberty's). After Pearl Harbor, twelve-year-old Harry Yakamoto's family is sent to Manzanar. Things are made bearable only by playing baseball (Lucky). Brief historical accounts are appended to the character-driven stories, which tend toward overexplanation. Reading list, websites. Review cover these Historical Fiction Adventures titles: The Lucky Baseball and Liberty's Son.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) YA Rulers of the Middle Ages series. These volumes introduce four personalities of the Middle Ages, each of whom had a profound impact on his or her own time and on history. Decorative borders and some papers, maps, and reproductions reinforce the particular nature of the historical period. Plenty of subheads break the narrative into manageable chunks. The writing, though clear, is unexciting. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Rulers of the Middle Ages titles: William the Conqueror, Richard the Lionheart, Joan of Arc, and Saladin.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn