(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Wilson Ong. Twelve-year-old Chinese orphan Lee travels to America alone in 1926. Kept on Angel Island Immigration Station, he must "prove," with his detailed answers (learned from a coaching book) to a grueling interrogator, that he is the "son" of a legal American resident. This pat story of an immigrant looking for a better life in America is illustrated with realistic if somewhat murky paintings.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Robert Papp. St. Michaels, Maryland, a shipbuilding community on the Chesapeake Bay, is targeted by the British Navy during the War of 1812. While bringing a message to his soldier father, young Henry Middle makes a tactical suggestion that saves the town. Though the text is overwrought and the illustrations are uneven, the book effectively highlights how one child's act can make a difference.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Doris Ettlinger. The story begins with Cora's mother's death during childbirth along the Oregon Trail. Difficult decisions pioneers had to make aren't sugarcoated: Cora's father gives the baby, named Susan, to her aunt to raise. In a fairy-tale ending, little Susan appears in teacher Cora's classroom. There's a fair bit of sentimentality in the text and prairie-themed illustrations, but the story line is engaging.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Robert Gantt Steele. After the Bishops' son dies in World War II, do-gooder Lily volunteers to create a victory garden in their backyard. Lily is warned not to disturb Mrs. Bishop, but eventually (and not surprisingly) they become friends. The story, though wordy, is heartfelt, as are the somewhat stiff paintings. An appended spread provides historical context.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Mike Benny. Three slave children including Ella May, the story's narrator, hide near their master's home to listen for news. This is how they learn, for example, that Lincoln has won the election. The text, while occasionally informative, is stilted. The paintings can be awkwardly exaggerated, but the muted palette lends gravitas to the tale.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by David Geister. In Riding, Janie goes with her father on a bus to hear Martin Luther King Jr. In Lucky, Ruth's school is closed during the Great Depression. Both stories purport to show a child's interpretation of a time in history, though their voices waver unconvincingly between naive and profound. The realistic-looking paintings, though stiff, make good use of light and shadow. Review covers these Tales of Young Americans titles: Riding to Washington and The Lucky Star.

Reviewer: Becky Levine

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Chris Ellison. In Riding, Janie goes with her father on a bus to hear Martin Luther King Jr. In Lucky, Ruth's school is closed during the Great Depression. Both stories purport to show a child's interpretation of a time in history, though their voices waver unconvincingly between naive and profound. The realistic-looking paintings, though stiff, make good use of light and shadow. Review covers these Tales of Young Americans titles: Riding to Washington and The Lucky Star.

Reviewer: Becky Levine

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Tammy Yee. In Rudy the young title character rides the rails during the Great Depression, and Quilt is about the 1946 Hawaiian tsunami. The plots are bland; Quilt is message-driven and Rudy doesn't really have an ending, but they both impart some historical information. The illustrations in Quilt are colorful but stiff, while the paintings in Rudy are muted and impressionistic. Review covers these Tales of Young Americans titles: The Tsunami Quilt and Rudy Rides the Rails.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Chris Ellison. In Rudy the young title character rides the rails during the Great Depression, and Quilt is about the 1946 Hawaiian tsunami. The plots are bland; Quilt is message-driven and Rudy doesn't really have an ending, but they both impart some historical information. The illustrations in Quilt are colorful but stiff, while the paintings in Rudy are muted and impressionistic. Review covers these Tales of Young Americans titles: The Tsunami Quilt and Rudy Rides the Rails.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Chris Ellison. In this tale of struggle and perseverance, African American Moses and his family leave their home in Baltimore to participate in an Oklahoma land run. Though it's slow to get moving, the story effectively relates the obstacles the characters face while working toward their dream of owning a farm. Dark, atmospheric paintings display the family's struggles and triumphs.

Reviewer: Juliet S. King

(4) K-3 Tales of Young Americans series. Illustrated by Robert Papp. Set during the Battle of Gettysburg, this story tells of Gabe, a young bugler for the Union Army. In the heat of the three-day battle, Gabe, having lost two brothers already in the war, is torn between his concerns for his remaining brother's safety and for his new Confederate friend. Papp's paintings add depth and beauty to the sometimes dense text.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg