(4) 4-6 Tony Hawk: Live2Skate series. Illustrated by Fernando Cano & Sergio Martinez. Lei's longboard draws razzing from her friends, but her skills come to the rescue in a skatepark turf war (Daring). Ben dreams of being a professional skater, but performance anxiety is holding him back (Fearless). Jack and Levi feel challenged by mysterious Skater88's copycat videos (Fresh). The plots are thin, but fast-paced chapters, anime-style illustrations, and hip-talking characters will appeal to skateboarding fans. Glos. Review covers these Tony Hawk: Live2Skate titles: Daring, Fearless, and Fresh.

Reviewer: Carrie Harasimowicz Sullivan

(4) 4-6 Don't Know Much About series. Illustrated by Sergio Martinez. A question-and-answer approach is used in these books about two Americans, taking the reader from their subjects' early lives through adulthood. In addition to the accomplishments of each and the effect they had on American history, Davis includes little-known details of their lives. The cluttered format includes sidebars, drawings and archival photographs. Timeline. Bib., ind. Review covers these Don't Know Much About titles: Don't Know Much about Rosa Parks and Don't Know Much about Thomas Jefferson.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Don't Know Much About series. Illustrated by Sergio Martinez. A broad overview of Sitting Bull's life and times is explored in a contrived question-and-answer format. Some of the questions are silly ("Were Sitting Bull's parents named Mr. and Mrs. Bull?") or awkwardly phrased to suit the Q-and-A style, but the pencil illustrations, information boxes, and reproductions will draw browsers to the somewhat choppy volume. Timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Sergio Martinez. This picture book in verse explores the meaning behind the biblical parable of the vine and the branches. The text has a promising beginning, but the constraints of the rhyme scheme are a drawback: the message becomes muddled due to the authors' need to find the right rhyme and rhythm. Loose, flowing black lines define the details in the careful illustrations, which are rendered in natural brown-and-green tones.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Sergio Martinez. This Southwest "Cinderella" story includes elements of European fairy tales, Christian imagery, and Spanish folklore. When her father marries a haughty widow with two vain daughters, Teresa's life becomes miserable. A "woman in blue" comes to the rescue in exchange for Teresa's kindness to an old man and a baby. Golden light suffuses the watercolor paintings, while accurate details root the story in the colonial Spanish tradition.

Reviewer: Elena Abos Alvarez-Buiza | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2001