(3) YA Lerner Biographies series. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs, the book charts Carnegie's rise from an ignoble childhood spent working in a cotton mill and as a messenger boy to his glory days as railway and steel mogul. The clear text also addresses the contradictory aspects of Carnegie's psyche, acknowledging both his ruthlessness in business and his philanthropy to schools and libraries. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) YA Lerner Biographies series. Edison was a genius, but this ably written book emphasizes his work ethic. Often toiling through the night, seven days a week, he helped bring about three new industries: commercial electric power, the modern music business, and the motion-picture industry. Numerous black-and-white photos and illustrations show Edison at work and with his family, inventions, and laboratories. Reading list. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) YA Lerner Biographies series. Both the biographies in this series--one of the shy Victorian mathematician who wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the other of the charismatic author of The Great Gatsby--offer a well-researched look into each writer's life from his early years to his legacy. Black-and-white photos add further interest. Fitzgerald includes a timeline and online resources. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Lerner Biographies titles: Lewis Carroll and F. Scott Fitzgerald.]

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) YA Lerner Biographies series. With short chapters, this engaging biography of one of the most famous literary families adeptly relates how the siblings' childhood play, unconventional upbringing, and alcoholic brother influenced their later writing, as well as addressing the many tragedies that befell the family. Black-and-white photos, sketches by the Brontës, and a few reproduced manuscript pages add further interest. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) YA Lerner Biographies series. Both the biographies in this series--one of the shy Victorian mathematician who wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the other of the charismatic author of The Great Gatsby--offer a well-researched look into each writer's life from his early years to his legacy. Black-and-white photos add further interest. Fitzgerald includes a timeline and online resources. Bib., ind. [Review covers these Lerner Biographies titles: Lewis Carroll and F. Scott Fitzgerald.]

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) YA Lerner Biographies series. Bernstein's passion for music shines through in a volume that also adeptly relates basic facts about his career and personal life (his bisexuality is discreetly noted). However, the text is too rushed to provide more than brief mentions of career highlights such as Wonderful Town and West Side Story. Illustrated with black-and-white photos, the book contains a discography and a timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) YA Lerner Biographies series. This biography recounts Indira Gandhi's life and accomplishments, from her birth in a prestigious Brahmin family to her service as prime minister of India, with schooling, marriage, and motherhood in the background of a life spent in public view. Considerable material is incorporated in a fairly pedestrian style, and well-documented black-and-white photographs illustrate the text. A time line and information about religions in India are appended. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) YA Lerner Biographies series. Illustrated with clear black-and-white photos, these two biographies begin with short chapters describing a memorable event--seventeen-year-old Fitzgerald winning an amateur music contest at the Apollo Theater and Deng impressing American audiences on a 1979 visit. The two books then chronologically and matter-of-factly trace these eventful lives from birth to death. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) YA Lerner Biographies series. This laudatory biography focuses on Salk's work leading up to and immediately following the discovery of a successful polio vaccine. The author effectively conveys the excitement of scientific inquiry. Extensive source notes and a section about the polio virus are helpful and thorough. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) YA Lerner Biographies series. Illustrated with clear black-and-white photos, these two biographies begin with short chapters describing a memorable event--seventeen-year-old Fitzgerald winning an amateur music contest at the Apollo Theater and Deng impressing American audiences on a 1979 visit. The two books then chronologically and matter-of-factly trace these eventful lives from birth to death. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) YA Lerner Biographies series. This upbeat account of a famous marine biologist's life primarily emphasizes her contributions to public awareness of the importance of ocean study. While the text touches on challenges Earle faced as a woman in a scientific field, most slights and trials are downplayed. The book is illustrated with photographs of Earle (none of which is recent), her colleagues, and the marine life of her studies. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) YA Lerner Biographies series. Black-and-white photos accompany this biography of the celebrated author. Although the text mentions books that Walker wrote during various periods of her life, it focuses more on her involvement in the civil-rights movement and her determination to introduce African-American and female writers into college curriculums. The information provided about her personal life will interest readers, but her writing is given short shrift. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Anne St. John