(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jane Ray. In sixteenth-century Venice, a glassmaker desperate to cheer up his sullen daughter promises a glass palace to anyone who can make her smile. No one succeeds until one young glassmaker uses a secret formula to create something new: a looking glass. This gentle story's fairy-tale tone is furthered by fanciful watercolor, gouache, and ink illustrations, including a striking spread with shiny foil details.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) YA Stubborn Rain, a stained-glass designer, is robbed and abandoned far from home, in a troubled foreign city where her talents are useless. Calm Peri, a falconer and one of society's "untouchables," must determine if and how to help her. Their romance shines at the center of Golding's believable depiction of a society on the verge of disintegration in this engrossing fantasy adventure.

Reviewer: Amy Bennett-Zendzian

(4) K-3 Materiales series. These books introduce properties and uses of various natural and synthetic materials. Content is very limited, but the simple, repetitive texts will build reader confidence. Well-reproduced photographs are on target for the beginning-reader audience (e.g., El caucho features erasers, rubber ducks, and rain boots). Occasional translation errors and spotty glossaries (some with only one or two entries) detract from the series. Glos., ind. Review covers these Materiales titles: El agua, El caucho, El metal, El plástico, El vidrio, La madera, La piedra, and La tierra.

Reviewer: Pamela Mishkin

(4) K-3 Materials series. In one or two short, simple sentences per page, these books address the origins, physical compositions, properties, and uses of their respective materials. Content is minimal and the texts are repetitive, but they're also easy to read; Comparing's more detailed text is useful. The natural and synthetic resources are represented in large, clear photographs of everyday objects. Glos., ind. Review covers these Materials titles: Comparing Materials, Glass, Metal, Plastic, Rock, Rubber, Soil, Water, and Wood.

Reviewer: Christina Dorr

(4) YA Eye on Art series. This series takes a chronological approach to artistic media, from the earliest experiments to contemporary leaders in each field. Dense texts provide comprehensive overviews; photographs and illustrations are interspersed but, considering the visual nature of the subject matter, readers will likely wish for additional images. Sidebars profile individual artists or provide historical context. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Eye on Art titles: Art in Glass, Photography, and The Jeweler's Art.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) K-3 First Facts: Materials series. In this simple introduction to glass, topics include ingredients, melting and molding, crystal, flat and curved, colored glass, and recycling. Color photos accompany the somewhat scattershot text. A "Glassblower's Skills" activity instructs readers to collect a "gob" of cold honey on a chopstick. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Connie ANn Kirk

(4) K-3 Start to Finish series. Photographs by Randall Hyman & Randall Hyman. Color photographs and simple texts characterize these books designed for beginning readers. Children interested in these topics will find most of the illustrations helpful, but readers will have to look elsewhere for more substantive information about these topics. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Start to Finish titles: From Tree to Table, From Sea to Salt, From Iron to Car, and From Sand to Glass.]

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Science Files series. Each tightly focused volume in this series examines a material found in nature (e.g., rocks and wood) or that is manufactured (e.g., glass and plastics). Crowded with text, clear color photographs, and fact boxes, the double-page spreads provide scientific explanations on how the materials are prepared, produced, and used in society. Each volume ends with a discussion about the importance of recycling. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Science Files titles: Glass, Metals, Plastics, Rocks and Minerals, Textiles, Wood.]

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta