(2) K-3 Ready-to-Read: The Adventures of Otto series. After watching bird Tweet fly, mouse Pip becomes inspired to try it. Several page-turns (and much fruitless flapping) later, robot friend Otto comes up with a clever remote-control drone solution that allows Pip's dreams to take flight. This latest series entry's extremely limited vocabulary provides effective new-reader support, the comic timing is spot-on in the repetition and pacing, and the clean illustrations are both understated and hilarious.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2019

(3) 4-6 Science Comics series. Illustrated by Jacob Chabot. This entertaining (and timely) volume in the educational graphic-novel series takes a look at the history of robots, guided by a mechanical bird from ancient Italy named Pouli ("the first machine that ever flew through the sky"). The comic-book layout is easy to follow, and the detailed text is matched with art that is bright, expressive, and meticulous. Glos.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) K-3 Blazers: Cool Competitions series. These books, part of a larger series, give cursory information about competitive games. Drones explains competitions, races, and combat events in which pilots use the remote-controlled aircraft. Role-Playing introduces a variety of RPGs, including tabletop, online, and live-action games. Fact sidebars and lackluster stock photographs are incorporated into the very basic texts. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Blazers: Cool Competitions titles: Incredible Drone Competitions and Fascinating Role-Playing Games.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Graphic Library: STEM Adventures series. Illustrated by Pixelpop Studios. "Super scientist" Max Axiom explores STEM topics in graphic-novel format. The forced narratives provide basic overviews of different types of drones and robots and their various personal, commercial, scientific, and militaristic uses. Max gets information from different experts, with a diverse range of races and gender represented. Additional facts are included at book's end. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Graphic Library: STEM Adventures titles: The Dynamic World of Drones and The Remarkable World of Robots.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(3) 4-6 STEM on the Battlefield series. Each book in this series discusses how a field of STEM has been instrumental--from ancient times to the present--in developing advanced technology that aids combat forces in war operations. The readable texts include sidebars of additional facts or profiles of important people, plus numerous captioned photographs and illustrations that add clarity and interest. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these STEM on the Battlefield titles: Codes, Ciphers, and Cartography, Hovercrafts and Humvees, Robots, Drones, and Radar, Dirty Bombs and Shell Shock, Smoke Screens and Gas Masks, and Torpedoes, Missiles, and Cannons.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) 4-6 Edge Books: Drones series. Remote-controlled aircraft have many purposes; those roles include helping agribusiness and the military and providing entertainment. Accompanied by color photographs, each book describes several types of drones, discussing their form, function, and mechanical systems. Multiple sidebars provide additional information without cluttering the layout. Technical terms defined on the page allows for easier readability. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Edge Books: Drones titles: Military Drones, Recreational Drones, and Agricultural Drones.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Edge Books: Drones series. Remote-controlled aircraft have many purposes; those roles include helping agribusiness and the military and providing entertainment. Accompanied by color photographs, each book describes several types of drones, discussing their form, function, and mechanical systems. Multiple sidebars provide additional information without cluttering the layout. Technical terms defined on the page allows for easier readability. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Edge Books: Drones titles: Military Drones, Recreational Drones, and Agricultural Drones.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(2) 4-6 Scientists in the Field series. Cherrix introduces and personalizes the work of scientists on Wallops Island, Virginia, trying to understand and forecast a storm's intensity to offer maximum time for residents to evacuate. The text provides clear and informative background; biographical information on a variety of scientists, ranging from meteorologists to aeronautical engineers, creates a number of entry points for potential readers. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2017

(4) 4-6 Mysterious Makers of Shaker Street series. Illustrated by Robin Boyden. Neighbors Michael, Liz, and Leo love building and tinkering with everyday objects and discarded gadgetry, and they use their inventions to solve tame neighborhood mysteries. What's in the peculiar collection of large boxes in Mrs. Peterson's yard (Picture's)? And what's causing that unusual sound at night (Sounds)? Straightforward plots, black-and-white spot illustrations, and appended "Maker" activities make this series appealing for reluctant readers. Glos. Review covers these Mysterious Makers of Shaker Street titles: A Picture's Worth a Thousand Clues, and Sounds like Trouble.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(3) K-3 Robotics in Our World series. With clear text, strong organization, and appropriate photographs, this high-interest series introduces branches of robotics to newly independent readers. Each book straightforwardly explains the history and current uses of particular types of robots and keeps a rosy outlook on these technological advancements. Bright page colors add to the books' visual appeal without being distracting. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Robotics in Our World titles: Factory Robots and Drones.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(3) 4-6 Alternator Books: Cutting-Edge Robotics series. After an introduction about robots or drones working their magic in a real-life scenario, each text covers the history of the featured "bots" and the technologies behind them; a final chapter offers a balanced look into the future. Clear prose is complemented by relevant captioned photos and well-placed sidebars. A challenging but instructive project is appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Cutting-Edge Robotics titles: Drones and Flying Robots, Humanoid Robots, Law Enforcement Robots, and Robot Competitions.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: Modern Engineering Marvels series. The high-tech vehicles and equipment discussed in these brief introductory texts are still being developed, though some are operational today. Each book briefly traces the technology's history, current uses, and future possibilities and risks in clearly written text. Unfortunately, the books' layouts are boxy and boring, with full-color stock photographs and sometimes unclear infographics that add little to the content. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: Modern Engineering Marvels titles: 3-D Printers, Virtual-Reality Headsets, Wearable Technology, Drones, and Self-Driving Cars.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 4-6 Edge Books: Drones series. Remote-controlled aircraft have many purposes; those roles include helping agribusiness and the military and providing entertainment. Accompanied by color photographs, each book describes several types of drones, discussing their form, function, and mechanical systems. Multiple sidebars provide additional information without cluttering the layout. Technical terms defined on the page allows for easier readability. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Edge Books: Drones titles: Military Drones, Recreational Drones, and Agricultural Drones.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Searchlight Books: What's Cool About Science? series. Cutting-edge military drones, robots in industrial and home environments, and nanotechnologies are each presented in chapters that define the technology and its origins and then provide modern examples. The information contained is slight; the text provides little beyond the basics, and the featured examples, though interesting, seem random. Captioned photographs and sidebars are well integrated into the main discussion. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Searchlight Books: What's Cool About Science? titles: Discover Nanotechnology, Discover Drones, and Discover Robotics.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) YA Future of Technology series. With the directness of textbooks, the books in this series explore exciting, interrelated areas of technological innovation with in-depth, straightforward text; clear organization; and well-documented sources. Sidebars contain supplementary information and "Words in Context," a user-friendly alternative to a glossary. Introductory timelines are difficult to navigate, and minimal visual elements and unremarkable covers do little to draw in readers. Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers the following Future of Technology titles: What Is the Future of Artificial Intelligence?, What Is the Future of Nanotechnology?, What Is the Future of Drones?, What Is the Future of 3D Printing?, What Is the Future of Virtual Reality?, and What Is the Future of Self-Driving Cars?

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin