(4) YA Essential Lives series. Though sometimes repetitive (Estée) or awkwardly written (Malcolm X), these standard-issue biographies, illustrated with stock photographs, do offer balanced portraits of their subjects and will be useful for report writers. With fewer years to cover, Malala includes chapters on Pakistan, Islam, and the Taliban. The many sidebars are informative if somewhat distracting. Reading list, timelime. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Estée Lauder, Jonas Salk, Malcolm X, and Malala Yousafzai.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) YA Essential Lives series. Though sometimes repetitive (Estée) or awkwardly written (Malcolm X), these standard-issue biographies, illustrated with stock photographs, do offer balanced portraits of their subjects and will be useful for report writers. With fewer years to cover, Malala includes chapters on Pakistan, Islam, and the Taliban. The many sidebars are informative if somewhat distracting. Reading list, timelime. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Estée Lauder, Jonas Salk, Malcolm X, and Malala Yousafzai.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) YA Essential Lives series. Though sometimes repetitive (Estée) or awkwardly written (Malcolm X), these standard-issue biographies, illustrated with stock photographs, do offer balanced portraits of their subjects and will be useful for report writers. With fewer years to cover, Malala includes chapters on Pakistan, Islam, and the Taliban. The many sidebars are informative if somewhat distracting. Reading list, timelime. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Estée Lauder, Jonas Salk, Malcolm X, and Malala Yousafzai.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) YA Essential Lives series. Though sometimes repetitive (Estée) or awkwardly written (Malcolm X), these standard-issue biographies, illustrated with stock photographs, do offer balanced portraits of their subjects and will be useful for report writers. With fewer years to cover, Malala includes chapters on Pakistan, Islam, and the Taliban. The many sidebars are informative if somewhat distracting. Reading list, timelime. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Estée Lauder, Jonas Salk, Malcolm X, and Malala Yousafzai.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander

(4) YA Essential Lives series. Thorough and detailed, though dry, this biography tells the story of Jobs's life and the company and products he created. Although it acknowledges Jobs's genius, the narrative also includes his failures, his problems with Apple's management, and his often prickly personality. Jobs's marriage and health issues are not covered in-depth. Color photos are included in the unattractive layout. Reading list. Timeline. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. These series entries, with straightforward writing and frequent sidebars, vary in quality. Hitler contains some startling generalizations (e.g., "European citizens were becoming indifferent to the plight of the Jews"); Guevara includes two stills from The Motorcycle Diaries, despite plenty of other available images. Rockefeller is bland but generally informative, and Dandridge's rather sensational life experiences are handled in a refreshingly matter-of-fact way. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Che Guevara, John D. Rockefeller, Dorothy Dandridge, and Adolf Hitler.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. These series entries, with straightforward writing and frequent sidebars and photos, are uneven in quality and interest level. Elizabeth I is particularly dry and requires background knowledge. Lucille Ball's colorful personality barely comes through in her volume (the pictures help), and the subtitle for Freud is odd (content is fine). Assange is current through 2011. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Sigmund Freud, Lucille Ball, Julian Assange, and Elizabeth I.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. These series entries, with straightforward writing and frequent sidebars, vary in quality. Hitler contains some startling generalizations (e.g., "European citizens were becoming indifferent to the plight of the Jews"); Guevara includes two stills from The Motorcycle Diaries, despite plenty of other available images. Rockefeller is bland but generally informative, and Dandridge's rather sensational life experiences are handled in a refreshingly matter-of-fact way. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Che Guevara, John D. Rockefeller, Dorothy Dandridge, and Adolf Hitler.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. These series entries, with straightforward writing and frequent sidebars and photos, are uneven in quality and interest level. Elizabeth I is particularly dry and requires background knowledge. Lucille Ball's colorful personality barely comes through in her volume (the pictures help), and the subtitle for Freud is odd (content is fine). Assange is current through 2011. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Sigmund Freud, Lucille Ball, Julian Assange, and Elizabeth I.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. These series entries, with straightforward writing and frequent sidebars, vary in quality. Hitler contains some startling generalizations (e.g., "European citizens were becoming indifferent to the plight of the Jews"); Guevara includes two stills from The Motorcycle Diaries, despite plenty of other available images. Rockefeller is bland but generally informative, and Dandridge's rather sensational life experiences are handled in a refreshingly matter-of-fact way. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Che Guevara, John D. Rockefeller, Dorothy Dandridge, and Adolf Hitler.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. These series entries, with straightforward writing and frequent sidebars and photos, are uneven in quality and interest level. Elizabeth I is particularly dry and requires background knowledge. Lucille Ball's colorful personality barely comes through in her volume (the pictures help), and the subtitle for Freud is odd (content is fine). Assange is current through 2011. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Sigmund Freud, Lucille Ball, Julian Assange, and Elizabeth I.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. These series entries, with straightforward writing and frequent sidebars and photos, are uneven in quality and interest level. Elizabeth I is particularly dry and requires background knowledge. Lucille Ball's colorful personality barely comes through in her volume (the pictures help), and the subtitle for Freud is odd (content is fine). Assange is current through 2011. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Sigmund Freud, Lucille Ball, Julian Assange, and Elizabeth I.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. These series entries, with straightforward writing and frequent sidebars, vary in quality. Hitler contains some startling generalizations (e.g., "European citizens were becoming indifferent to the plight of the Jews"); Guevara includes two stills from The Motorcycle Diaries, despite plenty of other available images. Rockefeller is bland but generally informative, and Dandridge's rather sensational life experiences are handled in a refreshingly matter-of-fact way. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Che Guevara, John D. Rockefeller, Dorothy Dandridge, and Adolf Hitler.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. Nicely laid-out and easy to read, these informative, if bland, biographies provide historical context as well as personal information about their subjects. Many sidebars, pull-quotes, and photographs enhance the presentation. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Rachel Carson, Frederick Douglass, Cesar Chavez, and Henry Ford.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. Nicely laid-out and easy to read, these informative, if bland, biographies provide historical context as well as personal information about their subjects. Many sidebars, pull-quotes, and photographs enhance the presentation. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Rachel Carson, Frederick Douglass, Cesar Chavez, and Henry Ford.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. Nicely laid-out and easy to read, these informative, if bland, biographies provide historical context as well as personal information about their subjects. Many sidebars, pull-quotes, and photographs enhance the presentation. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Rachel Carson, Frederick Douglass, Cesar Chavez, and Henry Ford.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. Nicely laid-out and easy to read, these informative, if bland, biographies provide historical context as well as personal information about their subjects. Many sidebars, pull-quotes, and photographs enhance the presentation. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Rachel Carson, Frederick Douglass, Cesar Chavez, and Henry Ford.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. This series offers serviceable if bland biographies of people famous in a variety of arenas. Frida recounts her creative achievements and stormy relationships; Walt is largely adulatory; Stan touches on the history of comics. The writing is straightforward, and frequent sidebars help with historical context. Some photographs and archival materials also break up the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Frida Kahlo, Stan Lee, and Walt Disney.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. This series offers serviceable if bland biographies of people famous in a variety of arenas. Bono focuses on the history of U2 and the lead singer's later humanitarian work. Clinton describes her roles both as First Lady and presidential candidate. The writing is straightforward, and frequent sidebars help with historical context. Some photographs and archival materials also break up the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bono.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Essential Lives series. This series offers serviceable if bland biographies of people famous in a variety of arenas. Frida recounts her creative achievements and stormy relationships; Walt is largely adulatory; Stan touches on the history of comics. The writing is straightforward, and frequent sidebars help with historical context. Some photographs and archival materials also break up the pages. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Essential Lives titles: Frida Kahlo, Stan Lee, and Walt Disney.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee