(4) YA Finding a Career series. This series offers a thorough look at various jobs connected by skills and interests, though the pairings are sometimes odd (e.g., landscape designer in Arts; lawyer in Writing), and stats about each career will quickly become outdated. Basic facts, necessary preparation, opportunities, potential problems, organizations to contact, quotes from the field, and an interview with a real-life practitioner are included; dull stock photos illustrate the texts. Ind. Review covers these Finding a Career titles: Careers If You Like Writing, Careers If You Like the Arts, Careers If You Like History, Careers If You Like Math, Careers If You Like Science, and Careers If You Like Government and Politics.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA People in the News series. Each title touches on the athlete's childhood, adult life, achievements, and surrounding controversies. Though the writing tends to be overly laudatory, difficult issues are occasionally addressed ("Rodriguez's Steroid Use," "Serena's Legacy Is Tarnished"). Sidebars cover more general topics, such as baseball free agency or racism in tennis. Many photographs are included. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these People in the News titles: Alex Rodriguez and Serena Williams.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA People in the News series. Each title touches on the athlete's childhood, adult life, achievements, and surrounding controversies. Though the writing tends to be overly laudatory, difficult issues are occasionally addressed ("Rodriguez's Steroid Use," "Serena's Legacy Is Tarnished"). Sidebars cover more general topics, such as baseball free agency or racism in tennis. Many photographs are included. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these People in the News titles: Alex Rodriguez and Serena Williams.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Lucent Library of Black History series. Uschan provides background about race relations in the South and the civil rights movement before delving into the details and significance of the voting-rights march between Selma and Montgomery, Alabama. Particular attention is given to historical, social, and political contexts and challenges faced by the activists. The text is dense but informative. Illustrations and photographs break up the pages. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) YA American History series. Each volume explores an aspect of activism in U.S. history. Protests presents a broad view of civil disobedience (violent and nonviolent) in America. Civil Rights takes a closer look at the history of segregation and the fight to end racist policies. Numerous captioned photographs and sidebars provide additional insight and help break up the dense, textbooklike pages. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these American History titles: The Civil Rights Movement and Protests and Riots.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) YA People in the News series. These mainly laudatory volumes examine their subjects' early obstacles, career controversies, and successes. Perry endured childhood abuse; he had many professional failures before becoming a powerful writer, producer, and actor. Biden overcame stuttering and coped with the tragic death of his wife and child early in his political career. Combs has reinvented himself many times. Copious photos illustrate the texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these People in the News titles: Sean Combs, Joe Biden, and Tyler Perry.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA American History series. Prohibition traces the roots of the temperance movement that led to the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment, then discusses its subsequent repeal. Watergate investigates the motives behind the break-in and the ensuing consequences. Straightforward writing makes the information accessible, but the two-column layout results in a sterile, textbooklike feel. Photographs and reproductions help enliven the texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these American History titles: Prohibition and Watergate.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) YA American History series. Each volume explores an aspect of activism in U.S. history. Protests presents a broad view of civil disobedience (violent and nonviolent) in America. Civil Rights takes a closer look at the history of segregation and the fight to end racist policies. Numerous captioned photographs and sidebars provide additional insight and help break up the dense, textbooklike pages. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these American History titles: The Civil Rights Movement and Protests and Riots.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) YA People in the News series. These mainly laudatory volumes examine their subjects' early obstacles, career controversies, and successes. Perry endured childhood abuse; he had many professional failures before becoming a powerful writer, producer, and actor. Biden overcame stuttering and coped with the tragic death of his wife and child early in his political career. Combs has reinvented himself many times. Copious photos illustrate the texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these People in the News titles: Sean Combs, Joe Biden, and Tyler Perry.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) YA Eye on Art series. Both volumes examine their respective art movements within the context of culture and society. Deco touches on architecture, fashion, and design while Graffiti positions the practice as a descendant of cave painting and explores the ongoing debate between art and vandalism. Informative sidebars cover such topics as graffiti slang and industrial design. Numerous photographs add interest. Deco includes a glossary. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Eye on Art titles: Graffiti and Art Deco.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) YA World History series. This book examines the continuing struggles China has faced since the Communist Revolution to define itself as a nation and determine its political and economic place in the world. The straightforward though bland writing makes the information accessible, but the two-column layout results in a sterile, textbooklike appearance. A map and photographs help bring some life to the text. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) YA Lucent Library of Black History series. Washington traces the man's life from slavery to international prominence, with particular focus on his dedication to education and his lasting legacy. Office, which includes a timeline, is a more general survey of prominent local, state, and national politicians before and after the Civil War. The texts are dense but informative. Illustrations and photographs break up the pages. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Lucent Library of Black History titles: Blacks in Political Office and Booker T. Washington and Education.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(4) YA People in the News series. In addition to a chronology of Beckham's life, this book offers coverage of his celebrity status, marriage, outbursts, and career ups and downs. A short section on the sport of soccer is also included. Though the treatment is fairly superficial, it's a fine starting point, and fans will enjoy the many photos. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA People in the News series. From politicians to actors to world leaders, these biographies provide mostly adulatory portrayals of their subjects (with the exceptions of Castro and Kim Jong Il); occasionally something controversial slips in to spice up the texts. Each volume includes biographical information, photographs, and career highlights (through 2008). Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these People in the News titles: Salma Hayek, Nancy Pelosi, Al Gore, Coretta Scott King, Pope Benedict XVI, Fidel Castro, and Kim Jong Il.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) YA Hot Topics series. Uschan ably defines his terms, examines common bases for hate crimes (race, religion, sexual orientation, etc.), and concludes with a chapter on preventing attacks. Cumulatively, the book's many real-life examples are depressing; chillingly, "teens and young adults are responsible for nearly half of all hate crimes." Sidebars and relevant photos appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) YA People in the News series. Each title touches on the performer's childhood, adult life, achievements, and surrounding controversies. Though the writing tends to be overly laudatory, difficult issues are addressed, including drug use and violence. Sidebars cover more general topics, such as politics or social movements, giving the stories context. Many photographs are included. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these People in the News titles: Shakira, Queen Latifah, and Tupac Shakur.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 Young Heroes series. This series highlights teenagers (now young adults) who have made a difference, either by starting their own charitable organizations (Shuyler and Dalio) or by supporting a cause (Hill and Kachepa). The books explore such topics as childhood influences and steps toward activism. The writing is choppy, but readers may be inspired by the stories. Photographs break up the dense pages. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Young Heroes titles: Ashley Shuyler, Julia Butterfly Hill, Given Kachepa, and Matt Dalio.

Reviewer: Hannah Rodgers Barnaby

(4) YA People in the News series. This series tries to be comprehensive in its coverage, including childhood and adult life, achievements, successes, and failures. Though controversies surrounding each person are included, the books mainly show their subjects in a positive light. The many photographs and sidebars underscore the fanzine look and feel. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these People in the News titles: Hilary Duff, Zac Efron, Hillary Clinton, Kelly Clarkson, Condoleezza Rice, and 50 Cent.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Lucent Library of Black History series. Many of the volumes in this series tracing African American history address slavery, from the Atlantic slave trade to the ongoing slavery reparation movement; Rosa Parks focuses on the civil rights movement and Religious discusses faith and the history of gospel music. The texts are dense but informative. Some black-and-white illustrations and photographs help break up the pages. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review includes these Lucent Library of Black History titles: Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Reparations for Slavery, The Civil War and Emancipation, The African American Religious Experience, The Atlantic Slave Trade, and Reconstruction.

Reviewer: Henrietta M. Smith

(4) 4-6 Events That Shaped America series. Each book in this series gives a brief overview of an event that had a lasting and profound effect on U.S. history. The books vary in quality--some more informative and interesting than others--but all are sketchy, lacking in detail. Sidebars, boxed quotes, photographs, and drawings enhance the texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Events That Shaped America titles: The Atom Bomb Project, The Seneca Falls Women's Rights Convention, The Writing of "The Star-Spangled Banner", The Oregon Trail, The Salem Witch Trials, and The Scottsboro Case.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg