(3) YA Class in America series. This unique series--geared to school reports but with intriguing topics and ideas that go beyond the curriculum--could also provide support for debates and political action for motivated readers. Charts, graphs, archival photos, and contemporary color photos break up the dense information and detailed sidebars. Lots of discussion-starter questions make these books relevant to today's readers. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Class in America titles: The American Middle Class, Being Poor in America, Class and Education, Class and Race, Class Mobility, The Future of Work in America, The Health-Care Divide, and The One Percent.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) 4-6 Fact Finders: Immigration Today series. These volumes cover basic information about why people choose to or are forced to leave their home countries. Profiles of individual immigrants' journeys to the United States are featured throughout and effectively humanize the concept of immigration. Lots of photographs, charts, sidebars, and "Did you Know" text boxes add context and enhance the presentations. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Fact Finders: Immigration Today titles: Immigrants from Afghanistan and the Middle East and Immigrants from India and Southeast Asia

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Fact Finders: Immigration Today series. These volumes cover basic information about why people choose to or are forced to leave their home countries. Profiles of individual immigrants' journeys to the United States are featured throughout and effectively humanize the concept of immigration. Lots of photographs, charts, sidebars, and "Did you Know" text boxes add context and enhance the presentations. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Fact Finders: Immigration Today titles: Immigrants from Afghanistan and the Middle East and Immigrants from India and Southeast Asia

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) YA Understanding World Religions and Beliefs series. These primers take on each faith's history, beliefs, politics, and contemporary issues. The well-designed, accessible volumes include plenty of photos and other images; the series' broad scope results in a few errors (Judaism doesn't mention Halacha (Jewish law) or the Shulchan Aruch, which codifies the law; Christianity conflates communion with confirmation in the Catholic Church). Reading list. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Understanding World Religions and Beliefs titles: Understanding Christianity, Understanding Hinduism, Understanding Hinduism, Understanding Buddhism, Understanding the Nonreligious, Understanding Scientology, Understanding Islam, Understanding Sikhism, and Understanding Judaism.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Great Escapes of World War II series. Illustrated by Wilson Tortosa. These graphic novels tell gripping tales of escaping the Nazis during WWII: in Outrunning, a Norwegian resistance fighter; in Death Camp, multiple prisoners in a concentration camp. Contrived speech-bubble dialogue is accompanied by historical fact boxes throughout the graphic tellings; comics-style art and layouts work well to depict the intrigue and action intrinsic to these historical events. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Great Escapes of World War II titles: Outrunning the Nazis and Death Camp Uprising.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) YA Hidden Heroes series. This volume examines the history of women in baseball, specifically the formation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. In addition to an engaging overview of women's participation in--and exclusion from--the sport, this volume provides biographical accounts of the most well-known female players and their accomplishments. Archival photos illustrate the account. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) YA Women in Science series. These thorough biographies of pioneering women in scientific and technical fields delve deeply into their personal and professional lives. The series includes frank and balanced discussions of both the successes and challenges each woman faced, as well as the qualities and intellect that drove her significant accomplishments. Numerous photographs of the scientists and additional information about their fields are included. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Women in Science titles: Marie Curie, Jane Goodall, Mae Carol Jemison, Rosalind Franklin, Grace Hopper, and Chien-Shiung Wu.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 War Technology series. Alongside general discussion of these major modern wars, the series traces the development of warfare technology, from WWI-era tanks, ships, and guns to drones, PackBots, and cyberwarfare of today's War on Terror. Photographs, sidebars, and infographics add to the serviceable texts, which largely center on the series' core-standards-geared prompts and activities (scattered throughout and appended). Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these War Technology titles: World War I Technology, Vietnam War Technology, World War II Technology, and War on Terror Technology.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) 4-6 Graphic Library: Universal Myths series. Illustrated by Dante Lividini. These books explore central elements of mythology (creation and floods) in civilizations around the world. Eschewing the more familiar biblical and Greek stories, these draw largely from Asian, African, and Native American sources, each book offering a good variety. The graphic-novel format works well with the genre, and the art is colorful and lively. World map included. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Graphic Library: Universal Myths titles: Cleansing the World and Dawn of Time.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) YA Essential Library of World War I series. This series spotlights significant events or personnel of World War I, many of which were overshadowed by World War II. Christmas presents a broad overview of the 1914–17 struggle between the Central Powers and Allies, while the other books provide more focused approaches. A wealth of archival photographs enhances the series. "Essential Facts" are appended. There are five other spring 2016 books in this series. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these World War I titles: Women in World War I, Harlem Hellfighters, The Christmas Truce of 1914, World War I Aftermath, and World War I Battles.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Our World: The Next 100 Years series. Fictional "futurist" Luna Li tours the Air and Space Museum for highlights of past space exploration, then transports herself and a companion to a hologram-based future in which NASA explores unexamined bodies in the solar system, commercial space flight exists, and planets' natural resources can be exploited. The comic-like panel illustrations featuring cutting-edge space technologies add interest to a contrived frame story. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) 4-6 Cause-and-Effect Disasters series. Five disastrous events in American history are explored from a cause-and-effect perspective. Each volume includes four succinct chapters, first establishing setting before relating the major events and their aftermath/results (e.g., the Chicago Fire and 1888 Blizzard precipitated future building codes and public warning systems). Numerous photographs/illustrations, diagrams, sidebars, and a clear appended flow chart round out the presentations. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Cause-and-Effect Disasters titles: The Jamestown Colony Disaster, Death in the Donner Party, Hurricane Katrina and the Flooding of New Orleans, The Great Chicago Fire, and The Children's Blizzard of 1888.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) 4-6 Graphic Library: True Stories of Survival series. Illustrated by Narciso Espiritu. This series provides brief accounts of life-threatening situations. In both books, each entry consists of a basic setup, the main event, and the immediate aftermath with comic-book-panel illustrations focusing on the raw emotions during the events. The books' graphic-novel format draws out what's basically minimal information. Readers seeking a more in-depth presentation will need to supplement these volumes. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Graphic Library: True Stories of Survival titles: Buried in Rubble and Terrors from the Deep.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Nickolas Flux History Chronicles series. Illustrated by Mark Simmons. Nickolas Flux travels back in time, arriving aboard the Titanic the night it sinks. The spindly typeface is difficult to read and historical information is awkwardly grafted onto the fictional story, but this graphic novel conveys the gist of the tragic events. The comic-panel illustrations adequately support the text. Sidebars and appended information provide more context. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) 4-6 Nickolas Flux History Chronicles series. Illustrated by Mark Simmons. Nickolas Flux travels back in time, joining the Shackleton expedition as the Endurance becomes trapped in ice. The spindly typeface is difficult to read and historical information is awkwardly grafted onto the fictional story, but this graphic novel conveys the gist of events. The comic-panel illustrations adequately support the text. Sidebars and appended information provide more context. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) YA Essential Library of Inventions series. These books focus on pivotal inventions as historical events, examining why each was created and what preceded it; how each has changed life today; and how it will evolve. Supplemented with excellent photos, archival images, and diagrams, the well-written narratives also clearly explain the technology of each invention. There are three other fall 2015 books in this series. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Library of Inventions titles: How the Light Bulb Changed History, How the Refrigerator Changed History, How the Internet Changed History, How the Toilet Changed History, and How the Printing Press Changed History.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) K-3 Football Stars Up Close series. Geared toward younger fans, large color photographs and simply structured texts provide brief introductions to three NFL standouts--Luck, Kaepernick, and Griffin--all team-leading quarterbacks. The adulatory books include early successes as well as obstacles overcome on the athletes' way to becoming fan favorites. Astroturf borders are a cheesy design touch. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Football Stars Up Close titles: Andrew Luck, Colin Kaepernick, and Robert Griffin III.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) K-3 Football Stars Up Close series. Geared toward younger fans, large color photographs and simply structured texts provide brief introductions to three NFL standouts--Luck, Kaepernick, and Griffin--all team-leading quarterbacks. The adulatory books include early successes as well as obstacles overcome on the athletes' way to becoming fan favorites. Astroturf borders are a cheesy design touch. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Football Stars Up Close titles: Andrew Luck, Colin Kaepernick, and Robert Griffin III.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) 4-6 24-Hour History series. A combination of clearly drawn comics and informative text boxes introduces readers to the United States' first lunar landing. A brief preamble and extensive back matter provide context. Although attempts to inject humor are flat and uninspired, the exposition provides an excellent overview, and overall the graphic-narrative experience is exciting. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(4) 4-6 Nickolas Flux History Chronicles series. Illustrated by Dante Ginevra. History-loving teen Nickolas has the ability to go back in time to important events. Mixing real figures with fiction, the graphic novels convey the gist of the Boston Tea Party and the Salem Witch Trials (Witchcraft relies on stereotypes a bit); sidebars and appended information provide more context. Although vocabulary levels are uneven, these are suited to reluctant readers. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Nickolas Flux History Chronicles titles: Arrested for Witchcraft! and Night of Rebellion!.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee