(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Secrets of American History series. Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti. The lively easy-reader series about American history continues to offer beginning readers entertaining and lesser-known facts surrounding popular topics. This edition covers monuments and landmarks, in particular the Chrysler Building, the Empire State Building, FDR's secret train station under the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and Mount Rushmore. Fabbretti's amusing illustrations add an extra level of kid-friendly interest. Facts and a quiz are appended.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Secrets of American History series. Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti. The lively easy-reader series about American history continues to offer beginning readers entertaining and lesser-known facts surrounding popular topics. This edition features stories about the Space Race; secret satellites; and early research about living in space and the effect of gravity on human bodies. Fabbretti's amusing cartoonlike illustrations add an extra level of kid-friendly interest. Facts and a quiz are appended.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Secrets of American History series. Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti. This engaging easy reader pairs accessible, level-appropriate prose with full-color kid-friendly illustrations to introduce exciting, lesser-known facts about World War I. Choctaw Indian code talkers, razzle dazzle painting on ships for camouflage, and the story of pilot Eugene Bullard are covered. Back matter includes further explanations, craft ideas, a section on animal heroes, and a quiz.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti. Magnolia loves a) inventing and b) her inventive uncle. Initially unimpressed with Uncle Jamie's fiancé, Magnolia comes around when Miss Emily proves equally open to innovation. The characters are flatly written, but cartoony illustrations in pencil, ink, and digital media humorously depict Magnolia's inventive tweaks to wedding traditions from around the world until, on the big day, she unveils her "dual-directional super-jumptastic flower launcher deluxe."

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) K-3 Step into Reading series. Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti. This easy-reader biography covers Eliza's wealthy childhood and upbringing; her marriage to Alexander Hamilton and their lives during the American Revolution; the tragic deaths by duel of her son and husband; and her later life devoted to charity and education. Solid, succinct explanations and cartoonlike illustrations provide a basic understanding of the woman's standing in American history.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Secrets of American History series. Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti. This dip into history, accompanied by full-color cartoonlike illustrations, provides an engaging beginning-reader overview of World War II's lesser-known intrigues. After introducing the war, the focus shifts to the creation of shark repellent, using ghost armies, and a biographical sketch of American spy Virginia Hall. Additional details about sharks, measuring areas, and spies are appended, along with a quiz.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti. A little girl named Dr. Wonderful ponders why the moon seems to shrink in the sky. Accompanied by her dog Newton, she takes off in her "Space-tastic Mind Mobile" to explore the moon and find answers for herself. Bright digital illustrations help illustrate the concept of lunar phases explained in a wordy, drawn-out text. A list of lunar facts is appended.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Secrets of American History series. Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti. Spy tactics and tricks of the founding fathers and their companions are revealed in this entertaining beginning-reader look at Revolutionary War history. Full-color cartoonlike illustrations accompany brief level-appropriate chapters providing a general overview of the war in addition to the more kid-friendly topics of secret messages, invisible ink, and codes. Activities and a quiz are appended.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 Ready-to-Read: Secrets of American History series. Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti. This beginning reader introduces unconventional, heroic spies of the Civil War. Lakin's engaging, accessible prose and Fabbretti's cartoonlike illustrations tell the stories of several African American former slaves who played important roles, including Harriet Tubman, Mary Elizabeth Bowser, and Robert Smalls. Brief biographies of female soldiers, an overview of the American flag, information about ciphers, and a quiz are appended.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Magnificent Tales of Misadventure series. Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti. After saving New Winkieland (Blue in the Face), Elspeth dreads the return to school. So she's somewhat relieved when Georgie Porgie and Gene the loudmouth stick appear, begging her to save their queen. Elspeth must use bravery--and her signature bratty 'tude--in a battle against Mary Mary Quite Contrary. A twisted nursery rhyme concludes each chapter of this second whimsical, irreverent (mis)adventure.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Valerio Fabbretti. After bratty preteen Elspeth passes out mid-tantrum, she wakes in a strange forest populated by fractured nursery-rhyme characters. Though she tries to remain selfish, Elspeth ends up leading the charge against Old King Krool. A rousing battle between good and evil grounds this zany amalgam--with echoes of Dahl and Snicket--of snarky dialogue, dynamic characters, and clever twists on familiar rhymes.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters