(4) YA Restless Earth series. These volumes present definitions and typologies of geologic formations and events as well as the processes that create and change them (e.g., plate tectonics, erosion, the hydrogeologic cycle). The books also include information on technologies scientists use to monitor geological hazards. Sidebars include details about applied science, and color photographs and diagrams break up the dense texts. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Restless Earth titles: Mountains and Valleys, Earthquakes and Volcanoes, Rivers, Lakes, and Oceans, and Layers of the Earth.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) YA Essential Chemistry series. These textbooklike volumes cover advanced physical, organic, and geochemistry topics. Concepts range from standard molecular chemistry to applied chemistry, including such subtopics as the carbon cycle, global warming, rock formation, and industrial products. Numerous charts, photographs, diagrams, and sidebars (including real-world applications) help break up the dense texts. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Chemistry titles: Earth Chemistry, Acids and Bases, Chemical Bonds, and Carbon Chemistry.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) YA Junior Drug Awareness series. This series describes the uses and abuses of various narcotics. The reasons people might take drugs, their dangers, signs of addiction, and treatment options are covered. How to Say No provides some useful advice. Overall, the content is reliable and comprehensive. The depth of information and occasional graphic photographs make the series best suited to middle school and up. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Junior Drug Awareness titles: Vicodin, OxyContin, and Other Pain Relievers, Over-the-Counter Drugs, Prozac and Other Antidepressants, How To Say No To Drugs, Nicotine, Alcohol, and Steroids and Other Performance-Enhancing Drugs.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) YA Profiles in Mathematics series. An introduction common to all volumes precedes eight to ten chapters covering the lives of these mathematicians, all of whom worked to regain knowledge lost during Europe's Dark Ages and to advance the work of ancient Greek and Egyptian mathematicians. Sidebars explain theorems, equations, and other concepts. Reproduced paintings and archival material give readers glimpses of the past. Timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Profiles in Mathematics titles: Pierre de Fermat, Alan Turing, René Descartes, Sophie Germain, and Carl Friedrich Gauss.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) YA Junior Drug Awareness series. This series provides useful, balanced, and comprehensive information about various drugs, including their street names, why people take them, what the dangers are, how to recognize signs of addiction, and what the treatment options are. The series' title implies a young audience, but the detailed information and occasionally quite graphic photos make this appropriate for middle school and up. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Junior Drug Awareness titles: Marijuana, Ecstasy and Other Club Drugs, Inhalants and Solvents, Amphetamines and Other Stimulants, and Cocaine and Crack.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Chemistry series. These books cover upper-level physical chemistry and biochemistry. Topics include biomolecules, genetics, metallic elements, the periodic table, and phase changes. The dense, textbooklike writing is aided by clear diagrams and photographs, as well as sidebars that cover historical background, notable scientists, and practical applications of the chemistry concepts. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Chemistry titles: Biochemistry, Metals, and States of Matter.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) YA Gray Matter series. These books exhaustively explore the sciences of the brain. Most include an overview of the nervous system along with biological and psychological content; New Techniques focuses on scientific methods of studying the brain, and Teen Brain gives an overview of physical and emotional changes in adolescence. Color diagrams and photographs (many superfluous) help explain the dense, textbooklike writing. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Gray Matter titles: Brain Development, New Techniques for Examining the Brain, Emotion and Stress, Sensation and Perception, The Teen Brain, and Biofeedback.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford