(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Robert Byrd. Edinger creates a fictional first-person voice for Margru, one of four Mende children aboard the Amistad, and through her eyes relates her enslavement in Africa, the shipboard revolt, and the captives' two-year stay in Connecticut while their mutiny case was being tried. Edinger avoids sensationalism without underselling the more disturbing parts of the story. Byrd's pen-and-watercolor illustrations embellish and extend the story. Bib.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2013

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Robert Byrd. The thirteenth-century Mongol ruler was no barbarian; Krull presents a nuanced view of his surprisingly tolerant regime. Byrd's tapestry-like ink and watercolor illustrations reflect the broad scope of the Khan's reach and his receptive mind. Though Krull admits in an afterword that "information about Kubla Khan is sketchy," she draws on what is known in order to pull a real man from the legend.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2010

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Robert Byrd. This ambitious overview of the Goth, Hun, Viking, and Mongol invasions of Europe clearly demonstrates the marks (for good and ill) left by conflicts that, in toto, spanned more than a millennium. The brevity required by the scope sometimes means abrupt topic shifts, not helped by occasional vagueness and grammatical ambiguity. Pen and watercolor illustrations provide much enticing detail. Timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Robert Byrd. Schlitz presents seventeen monologues and two dialogues about life in the Middle Ages. Rhythm and style vary, from breathless phrases describing a boar hunt to more lighthearted rhymes. Schlitz conveys information about class, attitudes, and social practices through the monologues, footnote-like sidebars, and six spreads titled "A Little Background." Byrd's pen-and-ink illustrations in opulent colors are pristine and elegant.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2007

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Robert Byrd. This irreverent biography of the nineteenth-century German who rediscovered ancient Troy attempts to disentangle fact from Schliemann's autobiographical fiction. Cartoonlike illustrations add to the appeal of the gently humorous text, though some readers may struggle with the complex sentences and unfamiliar vocabulary. Engagingly told and well documented, this will be particularly welcome where students already have some familiarity with ancient history.

Reviewer: Kathleen Isaacs | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2006