(4) 4-6 Searchlight Books: Do You Know the Continents? series. This boilerplate series provides basic information about the continent it covers in serviceable but generic prose. The cursory overview of South America's unique features offers little more than surface facts. Brief chapters provide information on countries and cities, climate, landforms, natural resources, people, cultures, and economics. Colorful stock photos, maps, and sidebars appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) 4-6 Searchlight Books: Do You Know the Continents? series. This boilerplate series provides basic information about the continent it covers in serviceable but generic prose. Europe's scope of diversity and history feels constrained by the formula of the series. Brief chapters provide information on countries and cities, climate, landforms, natural resources, people, cultures, and economics. Colorful stock photos, maps, and sidebars appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) 4-6 Searchlight Books: Do You Know the Continents? series. This boilerplate series provides basic information about the continent it covers in serviceable but generic prose. The author aims to encapsulate Africa's cultural and geographical diversity but succeeds in only the most cursory way. Brief chapters provide information on countries and cities, climate, landforms, natural resources, people, cultures, and economics. Colorful stock photos, maps, and sidebars appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) 4-6 Searchlight Books: Do You Know the Continents? series. This boilerplate series provides basic information about the continent it covers in serviceable but generic prose. While the overview is mostly cursory, some engaging details about the smallest continent's uniqueness are welcome. Brief chapters provide information on states and cities, climate, landforms, natural resources, people, cultures, and economics. Colorful stock photos, maps, and sidebars appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) 4-6 Searchlight Books: Do You Know the Continents? series. This boilerplate series provides basic information about the continent it covers in serviceable but generic prose. Choppy presentation of facts about wildly different parts of North America mar this installment. Brief chapters provide information on countries and cities, climate, landforms, natural resources, people, cultures, and economics. Colorful stock photos, maps, and sidebars appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) 4-6 Searchlight Books: Do You Know the Continents? series. This boilerplate series provides basic information about the continent it covers in serviceable but generic prose. Brief chapters provide information on Antarctica's discovery, its dangerous and unique landforms and climate, and its natural resources and economics. Details about where and how people survive in Antarctica are also included. Colorful stock photos, maps, and sidebars appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) 4-6 Searchlight Books: Do You Know the Continents? series. This boilerplate series provides basic information about the continent it covers in serviceable but generic prose. The author's attempts to encapsulate the diversity and size of Asia results in disjointed coverage. Brief chapters provide information on countries and cities, climate, landforms, natural resources, people, cultures, and economics. Colorful stock photos, maps, and sidebars appear throughout. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) K-3 Introducing Continents series. The continent of South America is very broadly surveyed through brief topical paragraphs accompanied by color photos. Topics include geography, weather, animals, and "culture and sports," each of which is given one or two spreads. The book reads like a slicker version of a child's first geography report, which may be the point. "Fun Facts" and a pointless quiz are appended. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) K-3 Introducing Continents series. The only continent that is a country is very broadly surveyed through brief topical paragraphs accompanied by color photos. Topics include geography, weather, animals, and "cities and countryside," each of which is given one or two spreads. The book reads like a slicker version of a child's first geography report, which may be the point. "Fun Facts" and a pointless quiz are appended. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) K-3 Introducing Continents series. The coldest continent is broadly surveyed through brief topical paragraphs accompanied by color photos. Topics include geography, weather, animals, and research stations, each of which is given one or two spreads. The book reads like a slicker version of a child's first geography report, which may be the point. "Fun Facts" and a pointless quiz are appended. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) 4-6 Continents series. With a smaller scope than other books in the series, this is an adequate but superficial overview of Antarctica, illustrated with photographs that are sharp but not always well placed. There is nothing you won't find in a basic encyclopedia article. Common Core sidebars are more interesting but frequently at a higher skill level than the book itself. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) 4-6 Continents series. Standard encyclopedia information is dispersed among these forty-eight pages, illustrated with photographs that are sharp but not always well placed. The information is generally sound but superficial, inevitable for a short book on a broad topic: "People from many cultures live on this amazing continent." Common Core sidebars are more interesting but frequently at a higher skill level than the book itself. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) 4-6 Continents series. Standard encyclopedia information is dispersed among these forty-eight pages, illustrated with photographs that are sharp but not always well placed. The information is generally sound but superficial and sometimes questionably written, calling Southern Asia, for example, "a popular place to live." Common Core sidebars are more interesting but frequently at a higher skill level than the book itself. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) 4-6 Continents series. With a smaller scope than other books in the series, this is an adequate but superficial overview of Australia, illustrated with photographs that are sharp but not always well placed. There is nothing you won't find in a basic encyclopedia article. Common Core sidebars are more interesting but frequently at a higher skill level than the book itself. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(4) 4-6 Exploring Continents series. After explaining what a continent is, this book offers a general introduction to Europe, much like you'd get on a whirlwind vacation tour. Geography, climate, wildlife, natural resources, people, and landmarks are touched on. Many captioned photos, maps (which are small), and sidebars are included. The book could serve as a very basic introduction to the subject. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) 4-6 Exploring Continents series. After explaining what a continent is, the book gives a cursory introduction to Australia's geography, climate, wildlife, natural resources, people (persecution of Aboriginals isn't mentioned), and landmarks. Many captioned photos, small maps (New Zealand is on the map but presented ambiguously in the text), and sidebars are included. The book could serve as a very basic introduction to the subject. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) 4-6 Exploring Continents series. After defining continent, the book gives a general introduction to North America's geography, climate, wildlife, natural resources, people, and landmarks--a tall order for thirty-two pages. A sense of proportion is lacking (e.g., a paragraph each for Mexican jumping beans and Native Americans), but the book could serve as a very general introduction. Photos, small maps, and sidebars are included. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) 4-6 Exploring Continents series. Antarctica fares better than the other continents in this series, if only because of its relatively barren landscape. After explaining what a continent is, the text touches on geography, climate, wildlife, natural resources, people, and landmarks. Many captioned photos, maps (which are small), and sidebars are included. The book could serve as a very basic introduction to the subject. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) K-3 Continents series. This slight, somewhat choppy text gives an introduction to Africa, touching on geography, climate, landscape, animals, and people, and comparing the cities to the countryside. Clear, well-captioned photographs and maps support the text. "Fast facts" tell about the continent's highest mountains, longest rivers, and other interesting tidbits ("Africa has more countries than any other continent"). Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(4) K-3 Continents series. The slight, somewhat choppy text gives an introduction to Europe, comparing the cities to the countryside and touching on geography, climate, landscape, animals, and people. Clear, well-captioned photographs and maps support the text. "Fast facts" tell about the continent's longest rivers, highest mountains, and other interesting tidbits ("Finland has 60,000 lakes"). Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo