(3) 4-6 Sterling Biographies series. The exciting and, by this time, well-known life of Hamilton is engagingly detailed in this handsome and diminutive volume. Full-color paintings and maps are featured throughout, along with frequent sidebars that elaborate on other historical people, places, and events. What emerges is a well-rounded account of his life and times, elevated by breadth and scope. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Chin Ko. These early-reader biographies offer simple narratives that touch on highlights of these (frequently covered) subjects' lives. Large font is surrounded by plenty of white space to aid emerging readers. The cartoonlike illustrations are slick but occasionally emotive; an appendix includes photographs and/or period paintings as well as contextual information. Timeline. Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and Martin Luther King Jr.

Reviewer:

(3) YA This novel centers on the friendship between Alexander Hamilton and Peggy Schuyler, whom Alexander recruits to help him win her sister Eliza's affections, even while the tension and danger of war are foremost in everyone's lives. Entertaining and interesting, the story is steeped in Revolutionary War history and enriched with excerpted letters from the time. A lengthy afterword is appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) 4-6 Alternator Books: STEM Smackdown series. These lively narratives investigate controversies surrounding who actually developed widely used STEM advances. Each text traces an invention's history, technology, and development by following the contest between two people, each of whom have claimed to be the true inventor. Well-designed with captioned color and black-and-white photographs, paintings, and diagrams, the books should intrigue readers and encourage further research. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Alternator Books: STEM Smackdown titles: Who Invented the Light Bulb?, Who Invented the Radio?, Who Invented the Telephone?, Who Invented the Airplane?, Who Invented the Movie Camera?, and Who Invented the Television?

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(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 Illustrated by Esmé Shapiro. In an imagined letter to her unborn great-granddaughter, Eliza recounts her life in parallel to her husband's role in the development of the U.S., while highlighting her own accomplishments as one of America's first female activists and philanthropists. Folk art–style mixed-media paintings capture the eighteenth-century era. Extensive endnotes fill in historical details and biographical facts excluded from the first-person, epistolary narrative. Timeline, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) 4-6 Now in New York City, brainy middle-schoolers Sam, Theo, and Martina search for the third historical artifact hidden by a Founding Father. With Gideon Arnold (Benedict's descendant) and his goons still in hot pursuit, the kids race to crack ciphers, riddles, and American-history trivia questions--all related to Alexander Hamilton. It's the National Treasure formula yet again, but series fans likely won't mind.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) YA The dramatic tale of a "penniless nobody" who became a key player in the birth of a new nation is conveyed in a lively narrative occasionally marred by awkward phrasing and unusual design elements. Brockenbrough is less dispassionate biographer than cheerleader for Hamilton's legacy. Readers mature enough for this volume might skip to Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton. Timeline. Bib, ind.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider

(4) K-3 This picture book biography explores how Alexander Graham Bell's youthful inquisitiveness, playful experimentation, and family circumstances led to his celebrated breakthrough invention. Fraser collages her own vintage-inspired cartoons into old and new photographs, creating images that feel a bit disorienting even as they provide context. Bell's broader achievements become clear through sidebars and back matter, which includes expanded biographical information, an author's note, and photo credits. Timeline.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(4) 4-6 Kanefield's thoroughly researched but tamped down biography of the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury offers a simplified introduction to his life and times. Direct quotes and letters appear throughout, offering great insight into Hamilton's complicated character and his interactions with other founding fathers. Paintings, documents, and occasional sidebars provide additional context. Samples of his writing are appended. Timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(4) 4-6 Who HQ: Who Was...? series. Illustrated by Dede Putra. Grosset's long-running Who Was...? series is re-branded. These readable, informative biographies are marred only by the caricatured cover illustrations (typical of the classic series) and interior pencil illustrations that are inconsistent in style. Otherwise, these will give young readers a good sense of who these people were (or are). Occasional full- and double-page text boxes successfully illuminate related topics. Timeline. Bib. Review covers these Who HQ: Who Was...? titles: Who Was Jane Austen?, Who Was Chuck Jones?, Who Was Coretta Scott King?, Who Is Ralph Lauren? Who Was Alexander Hamilton?, Who Was Lewis Carroll?, Who Is Pope Francis?, and Who Was Andrew Jackson?.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley. Quirk employs a breezy, conversational tone to explore four of the famous feuds of early American history, beginning with King George III and George Washington. Sections start with illustrative epigraphs from both participants; dates are frequently provided as chapter heads to orient readers in history. Piquant quotes and revealing anecdotes bring this briskly paced, humorously illustrated historical survey to life. Websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2017

(4) YA Blood of Gods and Royals series. Prince Regent Alexander and his enemies regroup and search for allies after their first battle in Legacy of Kings. But converging outside forces threaten to blindside both. Lack of clarity in the eight alternating points of view muddles the timeline. Herman lays the groundwork for this historical fantasy's next installment, deepening not only the political intrigue but also the magic and her characters' emotional toil.

Reviewer: Lauren Chambers

(4) K-3 Zoom In on Incredible Inventors series. Providing the most basic information about these inventors' lives and legacies, these six Common Core Standard–aligned books may be useful to report-writing new readers. However, the simplified texts often raise more questions than answers, and some of the photos, paintings, and drawings could use captions or labels for clarity. Lists of quick stats and key dates are appended. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Zoom In on Incredible Inventors titles: Alexander Graham Bell, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington Carver, Henry Ford, Thomas A. Edison, and The Wright Brothers.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(2) K-3 A compare/contrast pattern introduces founding fathers Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, who "found themselves in opposing political camps." The politics behind the 1800 election (in which Burr ran for president) take a back seat to their personal animosity. Near-impressionistic pen and watercolor illustrations strengthen this divide between the men. Brown's brief overview provides young readers with placeholders for later, more sophisticated study of the men. Bib.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2015

(4) K-3 Super SandCastle: Amazing Inventors & Innovators series. Seven innovative thinkers and their history-making inventions are introduced in uncomplicated biographies for early readers. Each slim overview provides a cursory outline of the subject's life in ample archival photos illuminated by large-print text. A final question closes the gap between history and the present in each volume: "Who do you talk to on the telephone?" "What do you like to take pictures of?" Glos. Review covers these Super SandCastle: Amazing Inventors & Innovators titles: Alexander Graham Bell, George Eastman, Henry Ford, Samuel Morse, Thomas Edison, and The Wright Brothers.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) YA Blood of Gods and Royals series. In an alternate ancient Greece, several teens--Alexander the Great, a young sorceress named Kat, Alexander's Persian fiancée, and others--find themselves drawn into a political and magical conflict destined to change the world. The richly imagined setting, intense political intrigue, and large cast of characters make this series-starting historical fantasy a solid choice for Game of Thrones fans.

Reviewer: Barratt Miller

(3) K-3 Super SandCastle: Amazing Super Simple Inventions series. Each collection of activities explores the engineering principles and design features of historically important technological innovations in transportation, communication, and imaging. After background information about each invention, its principal innovator, and a timeline of development, readers can follow clear directions (illustrated with photos) to create their own prototypes from common items--a string phone and a balloon-powered car, for instance. Glos. Review covers these Super SandCastle: Amazing Super Simple Inventions titles: Super Simple Aircraft Projects, Super Simple Automobile Projects, Super Simple Camera Projects, Super Simple Phonograph Projects, Super Simple Telegraph Projects, and Super Simple Telephone Projects.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 Hero Journals series. Two great military leaders from the ancient world are profiled. Thorough first-person narratives detail their early lives through their rise and fall as generals. The scrapbook layout of maps, illustrations, and photos further supports the journal premise, but the scriptlike font makes reading difficult. A journaling prompt is appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Hero Journals titles: Alexander the Great and Hannibal of Carthage.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 1-3 Magic Tree House series. Merlin charges Jack and Annie to find four qualities that define greatness in a person. For the first, the subject of this book, they use the magic tree house to visit twelve-year-old Alexander the Great in ancient Macedonia. When arrogant Alexander wants an untamable horse, the children teach him humility. Though formulaic, this breezy chapter book imparts interesting historical information.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley