(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. In another installment of the multigenerational saga, Lucy Vivanti's family clashes when one cousin volunteers for service in Vietnam and another becomes a war protester. Meanwhile, Sam, a descendent of the Aldrich family, lives in a commune with his mother. Sam's story feels particularly superficial in a volume that, despite its photographic reproductions, doesn't seem to be rooted in its specific era as well as the previous entries were.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. In Earthsong, some friends fight pollution and start a band to promote their cause. In Families, despite fears associated with Y2K, the Aldriches reunite on New Year's Eve to celebrate a family member's centennial. The characterizations are superficial and the stories feel rushed, but the ten-volume series remains strong. Black-and-white photos of cultural artifacts enhance the nostalgic mood. [Review covers these Century Kids titles: The 1980's and The 1990's.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. In Earthsong, some friends fight pollution and start a band to promote their cause. In Families, despite fears associated with Y2K, the Aldriches reunite on New Year's Eve to celebrate a family member's centennial. The characterizations are superficial and the stories feel rushed, but the ten-volume series remains strong. Black-and-white photos of cultural artifacts enhance the nostalgic mood. [Review covers these Century Kids titles: The 1980's and The 1990's.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. As the multigenerational family saga continues, the focus shifts to Gabriella, supervising a crusade to send mail to GIs overseas; Esther, whose parents are secretly working on the atomic bomb; and Japanese-American Ben Tamura, now living at the family's homestead in Maine. The story line is diffuse and several of the subplots peter out, but the historical content (aided by photographic reproductions) remains intriguing.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. The series, tracing the lives of several families through the twentieth century, moves into the 1950s as siblings Matthew and Carol create an integrated rock 'n' roll band with their friends Ronnie and Michelle. The 1960s are represented by African-American Sojie, who participates in a drugstore sit-in, and Chuck, who starts an underground newspaper at school. The prose is facile, though the series concept remains intriguing. [Review covers these Century Kids titles: The 1950s and The 1960s.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. The series, tracing the lives of several families through the twentieth century, moves into the 1950s as siblings Matthew and Carol create an integrated rock 'n' roll band with their friends Ronnie and Michelle. The 1960s are represented by African-American Sojie, who participates in a drugstore sit-in, and Chuck, who starts an underground newspaper at school. The prose is facile, though the series concept remains intriguing. [Review covers these Century Kids titles: The 1950s and The 1960s.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. A multigenerational theatrical family is introduced in the first two volumes of a series that follows the Aldriches through each decade of the twentieth century. The group rings in New Year 1900, races Oldsmobiles, and loses relatives on the Titanic. The diffuse plots touch on issues such as women's suffrage and child labor, and while the books' premise is intriguing, the execution is somewhat superficial.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. A multigenerational theatrical family is introduced in the first two volumes of a series that follows the Aldriches through each decade of the twentieth century. The group rings in New Year 1900, races Oldsmobiles, and loses relatives on the Titanic. The diffuse plots touch on issues such as women's suffrage and child labor, and while the books' premise is intriguing, the execution is somewhat superficial.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. Illustrated by Alain Picard. As the century progresses, the now-grown Aldrich children have found careers that too-neatly parallel their childhood interests. The emphasis shifts to Lorraine, an African-American girl living in 1920s Chicago, Tony, who rides the rails during the Depression, and an Aldrich grandson living in Hitler's Germany. Historical figures such as Amelia Earhart appear in these colorful but emotionally limited volumes.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 Century Kids series. As the century progresses, the now-grown Aldrich children have found careers that too-neatly parallel their childhood interests. The emphasis shifts to Lorraine, an African-American girl living in 1920s Chicago, Tony, who rides the rails during the Depression, and an Aldrich grandson living in Hitler's Germany. Historical figures such as Amelia Earhart appear in these colorful but emotionally limited volumes.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta