(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Confident readers who love facts will appreciate the wide ranging (sometimes random) information about rocks and minerals in this leveled reader, which is organized in short, accessible chapters. There is a breathless excitement to much of the writing: "Humans even have to eat a mineral--salt--to survive!" The enthusiastic text is well supported by lots of captioned stock photos in a lively design that lends itself to browsing. In addition to two double-page spreads featuring "25 Facts About Rocks and Gems," all one hundred facts are reviewed in one very long list at book's end. An index is also included.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. This book introduces newly independent readers to Abrams and her many accomplishments, with attention to the many "firsts" she's achieved as a Black woman. Mwai uses short, direct sentences to give a cursory overview of complicated topics, including civil rights and election fairness, with both personal and historical perspectives to add context. Vocabulary words are defined in text boxes and again at book's end. Fact lists, a timeline, and a quiz are included. Each page features captioned photographs that support and help break up the text.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. This volume includes four previously published entries: Jump, Pup!; Play, Kitty!; Peek, Otter!; and Go, Cub! The very brief texts geared to pre-readers hold the slightest amount of information, but the emphasis is on animal action, and the sharp, bright, glossy photos invite budding wildlife watchers to take a closer look. Each book includes a "vocabulary tree" and an appended activity.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. This easy reader offers newly independent readers a broad overview of some wild cats' attributes and adaptations. Bright, relevant captioned photos; brief "Fur Word" definitions; "Cool Facts About Wild Cats"; and jokes ("What side of a cat has the most fur? The outside") enhance the presentation. Glos.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Leveled for "reading independently," the text offers very basic information about a variety of space and astronomy topics (sun, moon, stars, planets, etc.). Clearly delineated headings introduce each subtopic (e.g., "Earth's Sidekick" is about the moon). Simple sentence structures--along with corny jokes ("How do you get a baby astronaut to sleep? You rocket!"), well-captioned photos, and sidebars--increase accessibility. Glos.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Glossy pages of sharp, bright beach photos will capture the attention of children learning to read. The very brief text geared to pre-readers holds the slightest amount of information, but the emphasis is on the beach's natural wonders and creatures, and the pictures invite budding naturalists to take a closer look. The book begins with a "vocabulary tree" and ends with a matching activity.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. This "co-reader," with "You Read" pages (to be read by a fluent reader) alternating with "I Read" pages (to be tackled by an emergent reader), highlights different types of cats. The book, with its bright, relevant photos, occasionally obscures key facts (e.g., "Tame cats...live with people but still know how to hunt for food" shows a photo of two pets eating from dishes).

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. These level-two biographies (for "reading independently") provide chronological accounts of their subjects' lives and cursorily touch on obstacles faced by Douglass and Keller. "In Her/His Own Words" boxes spotlight quotes from the subjects themselves. Captioned photos and illustrations help break up the serviceable texts. In both, a several-page timeline footer, unaligned with the narrative, starts toward book's end. A quiz is appended. Glos. Review covers these National Geographic Readers titles: Helen Keller and Frederick Douglass.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. These level-two biographies (for "reading independently") provide chronological accounts of their subjects' lives and cursorily touch on obstacles faced by Douglass and Keller. "In Her/His Own Words" boxes spotlight quotes from the subjects themselves. Captioned photos and illustrations help break up the serviceable texts. In both, a several-page timeline footer, unaligned with the narrative, starts toward book's end. A quiz is appended. Glos. Review covers these National Geographic Readers titles: Helen Keller and Frederick Douglass.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Brief chapters introduce newly independent readers to some aspects of the structure, function, and history surrounding Egyptian pyramids. The final chapter ("Still Exploring") effectively highlights recent theories and scientific techniques currently being applied in archaeology. Images of artifacts, photographs of tomb sites, and computer-generated maps, all captioned, introduce readers to myriad sources of historical evidence. "Egypt Word" boxes highlight key vocabulary. Glos.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. This substantive "co-reader," with "You Read" pages (to be read by a fluent reader) alternating with "I Read" pages (to be tackled by an emergent reader), introduces multiple types of farms (dairy, poultry, etc.), daily animal routines, and equipment. "You Read" sections introduce subject-specific vocabulary, which "I Read" pages then successfully incorporate. Bright, relevant photos and end-of-chapter quizzes reinforce learning.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Leveled for "fluent readers," this volume chronicles the history of tall buildings, from the ten-story "skyscraper" built in 1885 Chicago to the present construction of the 3,281-foot Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia. Romero discusses construction of various famous structures, including their architectural designs, materials used, and problems encountered. Photos, diagrams, and fact boxes add interest and extend the clear text. Quiz appended. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. This "co-reader," with "You Read" pages (to be read by a fluent reader) alternating with "I Read" pages (to be tackled by an emergent reader), highlights the differences, and a few similarities, between cities and rural areas. The book, with its bright, relevant photos, occasionally obscures key facts or overgeneralizes (e.g., "Many people in the city live in row homes").

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Leveled for "starting to read," the text offers very basic information about a trio of predators (great white shark, cheetah, parrot snake). Clearly delineated headings introduce each subtopic (e.g., "It's a snake!"). Simple sentence structures--along with corny jokes ("What do cheetahs have that other predators don't? Baby cheetahs"), well-captioned photos, and sidebars--increase accessibility. Glos.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Glossy pages of sharp, bright bee photos will capture the attention of children learning to read. The very brief text geared to pre-readers holds the slightest amount of information, but the emphasis is on honeybee action, and the pictures invite budding wildlife watchers to take a closer look. The book begins with a "vocabulary tree" and ends with a movement activity.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Glossy pages of sharp, bright koala photos will capture the attention of children learning to read. The very brief text geared to pre-readers holds the slightest amount of information, but the emphasis is on koala action, and the pictures invite budding wildlife watchers to take a closer look. The book begins with a "vocabulary tree" and ends with a matching activity.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. This "co-reader," with "You Read" pages (to be read by a fluent reader) alternating with "I Read" pages (to be tackled by an emergent reader), offers an accessible but sophisticated glimpse into plants' functions, life cycles, and adaptations. Well-placed photos highlight plant species and parts, and end-of-chapter quizzes encourage critical thinking. Each chapter highlights key words.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. This leveled text for fluent readers is an accessible account of the "main gateway to America," where so many immigrants started their lives in the U.S. The layout is busy and colorful, crowded with archival photographs, captions, call-outs, and text with solid information; kids won't know the highlighted famous immigrants (e.g., songwriter Irving Berlin). A quiz is included. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. This title for independent readers features an accessible text and plenty of colorful, captioned photos. The lively chapters offer a broad introduction to the eight species of bears, covering each one's habitat, physical adaptations, diet, and behaviors. Word-definition and "Weird but True" boxes and some jokes are interspersed throughout. A quiz and a photo glossary are appended. Ind.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 National Geographic Kids Readers series. Accompanied by striking close-up photos, four chapters focus on different aspects of animal parent/young behavior: finding food, movement, nest making, and using tools. A (sometimes confusing) exercise follows each section. Adults read the left-hand-page text and beginning readers read a simpler text on the right; the shared-reading concept can get in the way of the interesting content.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth